Lorena De Vita receives Heineken Young Scientists Award

Lorena De Vita, Assistant Professor in the History of International Relations at Utrecht University, is the recipient of the Heineken Young Scientists Award in the Humanities, awarded by the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation.
Research that contributes to humanities relevance
The Heineken Young Scientists Award jury praises De Vita’s unique approach within the field of international relations, “focusing not on the history of conflict but on the subsequent reconciliation. In doing so, she contributes to the contemporary understanding of the context and conditions surrounding reconciliation and repair.”
In addition, the jury values the social relevance of De Vita’s work and her active role in public debate. “Through her research, De Vita contributes in her own way to understanding a current issue and demonstrates the relevance of the humanities to societal challenges.”
About Lorena De Vita
Lorena De Vita is associate professor of History of International Relations. She researches international histories of diplomacy and post-conflict rehabilitation. In her book Israel politik: German-Israeli Relations, 1949-1969, for example, she finds that reconciliation between Germany and Israel after the Holocaust succeeded, among other reasons, because there were concrete interests on both sides.
Currently, De Vita is conducting research on how reparation is possible after massive human rights violations, like those committed during the Holocaust. For this, she is examining, among other things, the diaries of German lawyer Otto Küster. He was part of the negotiations on reparations for Holocaust survivors.
About the Heineken Young Scientists Award
Every two years, the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation awards the Heineken Young Scientists Award to four promising young researchers attached to a Dutch university or research institute. As a reward, each laureate receives a freely disposable cash prize of 15,000 euros.