Acknowledgements

What began as my PhD thesis at the University of Lucerne has now blossomed into this book – a journey that has transformed not only my research but also the person I have become. Much like the right to science, this process has been one of openness, exchange and mutual learning. It has taught me to sit with uncertainty, to think more slowly and to question more deeply – not only in my work but also in how I engage with the world. In embracing this right’s spirit, I have come to see that science, in all its forms, is a profoundly human and transformative endeavour.

It is on this foundation that I owe my thanks to my supervisor, Professor Dr Martina Caroni. Your early suggestion to explore the right to science lit the path forward, and your patience, encouragement and support have carried me through every step. The years I spent working as your research associate at your chair offered an invaluable apprenticeship in academia, where I learned the skills and discipline essential to independent research – lessons that continue to guide me today.

My heartfelt thanks also go to Professor Dr Yvonne Donders of the University of Amsterdam, my second supervisor and examiner. Your constructive feedback and insights sharpened my thinking and encouraged me to elevate my research. I am especially grateful for the time I could spend at the Amsterdam Centre for International Law, where our collaboration on a joint paper profoundly informed my work. Our many brainstorming sessions – whether in Amsterdam, Geneva or online – have left an indelible mark on this book. Thank you for your generous guidance and for always taking the time to engage with my ideas.

I am also deeply grateful to Professor Dr Mira Burri, who, as chair of the expert committee, turned my doctoral colloquium into such an enjoyable and memorable occasion – a true highlight of this journey. Thinking back to my time as your student assistant during my master’s studies, already many years ago, I realise how much it meant when you first encouraged me to consider a doctorate – something I would never have imagined at the time. Your belief in me back then gave me the confidence to take this path, and for that I remain deeply grateful.

Very much in the spirit of the right to science, I was able to experience ‘the benefits to be derived from the encouragement and development of international contacts and co-operation in the scientific field’ (Art. 15(4) ICESCR). Science is indeed not a solitary pursuit in an ivory tower. It thrives on exchange, dialogue and shared enquiry. My time abroad was exactly that – each location bringing its own constellation of collaborations, fresh perspectives and new ideas that have profoundly shaped both this book and my own growth.

My intellectual journey abroad was made possible by the University of Lucerne’s generous mobility grant, which enabled me to undertake research stays at the universities of Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Oxford. These experiences enabled me to look beyond Switzerland and the academic environment I was familiar with, broadening my perspective and enriching my research in ways that continue to resonate. I am especially thankful to Sarah Kaiser of the Graduate Academy for her steadfast support and wise counsel throughout the preparation of my grant proposal and the coordination of these three research stays.

At the University of Copenhagen, I had the privilege of engaging with Professor Dr Helle Porsdam at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Law, whose generosity and insightful discussions on the right to science opened new directions in my thinking, which further deepened my understanding of the subject.

My time spent at the University of Oxford brought a different but equally enriching set of encounters. I am grateful to Professor Dr Kate O’Regan for the opportunity to spend time at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, and to Professor Dr Shreya Atrey, whose human rights law classes taught me – as a trained civil lawyer grounded in legal positivism – the importance of looking beyond black letter law to the lived experiences that shape and define the realisation of human rights.

Almost half of my PhD journey took place during a pandemic, which made the intellectual companionship of Dr Andrew Mazibrada and Dr Sebastian Porsdam Mann all the more valuable. Our regular Zoom discussions – bridging Copenhagen, Oxford and Basel – offered not only an academic lifeline but also moments of camaraderie that made this solitary endeavour a joyful one.

Further academic exchange came through the Schindler Junior Scholars Programme at the Institute for International and Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Zurich. I am thankful to Professor Dr Oliver Diggelmann and Professor Dr Daniel Moeckli for welcoming me into the programme. I also thank Professor Dr Oona Hathaway of Yale University and my fellow Schindler Junior Scholars – Julia Meier, Dr Nils Reimann and Dr Daniel R. Quiroga-Villamarín – for their thoughtful feedback on my research project.

I am also grateful for the opportunities to present my research at a range of academic conferences, each of which sharpened my ideas and reaffirmed the vital role that contacts and cooperation plays in advancing science. These included the Schweizer Nachwuchsforum für Öffentliches Recht (SNÖR) in 2020; the Geschichte, Methodik und Dogmatik des öffentlichen Rechts (GeMeDog) in 2021 at the Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg i.B.; the Expert Workshop on the Right to Science at the Brocher Foundation in Geneva in 2022; and the Völkerrechtsblog Conference at the Max-Planck-Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg in 2022, where I had the pleasure of co-authoring and co-presenting with Dr Raffaela Kunz. I am equally thankful to the Swiss Network of Young Migration Scholars (SNyMS), whose academic exchange and feminist friendships have been a source of both intellectual stimulation and personal support.

Alongside academic institutions, I am especially grateful to the Geneva Science Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), particularly Dr Gérard Escher. Our conversations on the right to science within the context of international Geneva broadened my perspective. In Geneva, I also benefitted greatly from discussions with Professor Dr Andrea Boggio and Professor Dr Cesare Romano, whose insights and generosity in sharing their expertise have contributed meaningfully to the development of this book.

A number of people engaged closely with some chapters of my manuscript. I am sincerely thankful to Dr Katja Achermann, Dr Marisa Beier, Dr Sarah Masoud, Dr Jonas Perrin and Dr Silvan Schenkel, who critically read parts of the manuscript and offered meticulous and constructive feedback.

As my book manuscript made its way towards publication, I was fortunate to work with a thoughtful and committed editorial team. I would like to thank Natasha Burton, Edgar Mendez and Rebecca Jackaman at Cambridge University Press for their care and guidance throughout the process. I am also indebted to the four anonymous reviewers, whose detailed and incisive feedback helped refine and elevate the final version of this book.

Beyond the academic world, I am grateful for the friendships – rooted in academia but now reaching far beyond – that sustained me throughout this process. In particular, to Dr Jasmine Andenmatten, for being such an empowering colleague at the chair, whose warmth and optimism brightened our many shared hours as research associates at the university; to Dr Livia Matter, for our weekly check-in calls that helped us both navigate the ups and downs of writing a monograph in law; to Dr Liliane Obrecht, for making even the hardest moments lighter during our w(h)ine evenings; and to Dr Silvan Schenkel, for always being there for me and for listening with generosity and understanding. Their friendship, kindness and humour have been an enduring source of balance and joy amid the solitude of writing.

I am also deeply indebted to my friends and family – too many to name here, but they know who they are – for their love and encouragement. Especially to those whose visits during my research stays abroad brought joy, laughter and a much-needed escape from my ‘hermit writing cave’.

And last, to someone who once walked beside me: your boundless patience, encouragement and love have carried me through every challenge. You have been my constant collaborator in this journey, making its challenges lighter and its rewards far richer. For that I remain deeply grateful.