Call for Applications: for Research Fellowship at Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) Afghanistan Programme
About RWI The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) is an independent academic institution that combines multi-disciplinary human rights research with education, support and outreach to contribute to a wider understanding of, and respect for, human rights and international humanitarian law. Our impact extends across more than 40 countries, and we have offices in Lund (HQ), Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Harare, Jakarta, Kyiv, Nairobi, Phnom Penh, and Yerevan.
About the Afghanistan programme Our Afghanistan programme aims to support Afghan scholars and professionals in continuing to pursue a career in human rights in the post-August 2021 setting. The programme also supports the development and publication of quality research outputs and other forms of public outreach and dialogue on human rights and gender equality issues in Afghanistan. RWI hosts and collaborates with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan (hereafter “UNSR”), who since September 2022 is a Visiting Professor at RWI. For more details about RWI’s work on Afghanistan, see: https://rwi.lu.se/afghanistan-programme/
About the fellowships
This call is for two paid full-time fellowships during 2026. RWI’s fellowships for Afghan scholars and professionals are a central component of our Afghanistan Programme. The purpose of the research fellowships is to support Afghan researchers, scholars, and human rights practitioners in conducting research on key human rights and gender equality issues related to the situation in Afghanistan, with the aim of expanding and deepening the analytical knowledge base and informing public debate. With academic mentorship from the RWI Director of Research and Education, and under the direction of RWI Visiting Professor, UNSR Richard Bennett, the fellows’ work and research will both aim to create quality research, and to directly support the work and research of the UNSR. The fellows will also be expected to help organize, and take part in, roundtables and seminars. This will allow them to both gain more experience, to contribute, and to more fully take advantage of the expertise and resources available at RWI, at LU, and in RWI’s wider academic and professional networks.
Overall, Fellows will, in support of and as agreed with the UNSR, take part in promoting and raising awareness of human rights in Afghanistan, and in informing discussions among the international community, including at the UN Human Rights Council, on how to support the Afghan people under current circumstances. They will also, through their research, contribute to the deeper analyses of patterns and obstacles to the realization of human rights in Afghanistan as well as of promising practices and enabling factors.
Possible areas of inquiry may include, but are not limited to:
- The media including State and social media
- The changing conditions for women, girls, and marginalized communities;
- The education curriculum;
- The long-term effects on rights awareness;
- The impact on the economy;
- The trend towards normalization of the Taliban’s ideology both internally and internationally.
Fellowship Timeline and Selection Two fellows will be selected through this call, with the fellowship expected to start in January 2026. Depending on the availability of funding, a second call for applications may open in April 2026, which could allow for additional fellows to join the fellowship programme.
For more details, refer here
