Contextual Studies broaden horizons

Contextual Studies at the FHV is an integral part of the master's degree programmes and enables students to acquire skills beyond their own discipline. The program includes interdisciplinary courses, projects and international offerings and encourages students to think outside the box. As part of the course "Human rights in a professional context", students had the opportunity to gain an insight into the work of the Ombudsman for Vorarlberg, Klaus Feuerstein. The excursion was organized by lecturer and lawyer Smera Rehman and gave the students a practical and vivid impression of the work of this important human rights institution.

Human rights in practice

Smera Rehman emphasized: "As a human rights lawyer, it is particularly important to me to make students from all fields of study at the FHV aware of the importance of human rights. Human rights are not an abstract concept, but affect every area of life and every professional activity. Whether in Engineering and Technology, Healthcare, Social Services, Management or Administration, decisions are made everywhere that have an impact on the dignity, equal treatment and rights of people. That's why it's important to me to show students how human rights can be applied in practice and what responsibility each and every individual bears in everyday life." The Ombudsman introduced the students to the mandate, areas of responsibility and powers of the Ombudsman. As an organ of the Vorarlberg provincial parliament, the Provincial Ombudsman and his team have been investigating possible grievances in the provincial and municipal administration since 1985, monitoring the legality and fairness of official actions and serving as an independent point of contact for people who feel they have been treated unfairly by the authorities.

Role in everyday life

This not only gave the students a deeper understanding of administrative and human rights issues, but also a realistic impression of how human rights and anti-discrimination work play a role in everyday life. Using concrete examples from practice, the Provincial Ombudsman showed how he examines complaints about decisions made by the authorities, identifies grievances and makes recommendations, processes discrimination cases in accordance with the Anti-Discrimination Act, acts as the anti-discrimination office of the Province of Vorarlberg and heads the monitoring committee for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. "The excursion made a significant contribution to linking theoretical content with real professional challenges", concluded Smera Rehman.