Aula Magna is Stockholm University’s large meeting facility. Completed in 1997, the building is one of architect Ralph Erskine’s premier accomplishments.

Since 2013, the CREAN Children's Rights Research PhD Symposium has annually convened doctoral candidates and supervisors from various universities and disciplines. The aim with this annual symposium is to  foster collaboration and scholarly exchange in an international and interdisciplinary environment and the symposium provides an invaluable opportunity to expand academic perspectives and enhance the understanding of children's rights.

This year's event celebrated the 10th anniversary of the CREAN Children’s Rights Symposium, focusing on the theme "Looking Back and Moving Forward - Challenges and Opportunities for Children’s Rights Research." With 60 PhD students and senior researchers participating, the symposium included creative and constructive discussions, enriched by the diverse backgrounds of the speakers and panelists.

"Essential to conferences like the CREAN PhD research symposium is the active discussions and academic exchange between senior colleagues and young scholars across different research disciplines and fields. We had over 30 PhD students presenting their ongoing projects, covering children’s rights in different contexts and with a number of different theoretical and methodological approaches. The format of the panels allowed for enriching discussions between panelists and the attending audiences. The academic exchange of perspectives during the different panels, the “fika breaks” and the social events during the two days showed how vibrant the field of children’s rights studies really is!" says Prof. Pernilla Leviner, director of the Stockholm Centre for the Rights of the Child.

Structured PhD Panels with Expert Guidance

 The event began with an introduction to CREAN by Karl Hanson from the University of Geneva. This was followed by a Keynote Panel with  senior experts in the children’s rights research field: Aoife Daly from University College Cork, Ireland, Maria Roth from Babes-Bolyai University, Romania, Anna Nylund from the University of Bergen, Norway and Karl Hanson, University of Geneva, Switzerland The panel engaged in a discussion on the overarching theme of the symposium – Looking back and moving forward – from their respective perspectives and experiences. 

Before the PhD panels commenced, a postdoc panel in which Tim Holappa, Emelie Kankaanpää Thell, and Florencia Paz Landeira presented on-going research in various contexts. The discussions addressed the importance of considering children's needs in urban planning, the implications of parental disagreements, and the intersection of children's rights and the climate crisis.

The PhD panels were structured into three sessions, each lasting slightly over an hour and divided into three distinct themes, each led by a senior researcher. These sessions provided PhD students with the opportunity to present in groups alongside other early-career researchers working in related fields. The format provided a great opportunity for them to receive feedback from senior researchers in the field, enhance their studies with insights from peers, and forge connections within the academic community.

Feedback and Fun: Enhancing the Symposium through Networking and Social Events

In addition to academic presentations and discussions, the symposium emphasized informal exchanges, social events, and networking opportunities. For example, on the evening of the second day, participants enjoyed a guided tour at the Stockholm City Hall.

"A key part of being a PhD student is to present your project at different stages of the thesis and to get feedback from peers. Another important part is to have fun and to create your own academic network and establish contacts with other researchers. I hope that the participants feel that they’ve been given tools to bring their own research forward, but also that they’ve met new friends, colleagues and mentors to stay in touch with, and get an opportunity to work with in the future." says Denniz Sabo, a doctoral candidate in public law at the Department of Law.