Meet 2025's Summer School Scholarship Student: Syinat Sultanalieva
Syinat Sultanalieva was one of the summer school's three scholarship students in 2025. She's from Kyrgyzstan and is a Human Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch. Her areas of interest are Civil and Political Rights and Human Rights Implications of AI.
“Summer School is an amazing experience”
What's been your Human Rights law experience to date?
I don’t come from a law background, I’m not a lawyer, I have a journalistic, activist background.
What’s been your experience of the Summer School?
Summer School is an amazing experience. During the application process while reading about the programme, I remember thinking, ‘yes, it’s a great programme – but come on, it can’t be that great’. But then during the first few days of the programme, I understood, because I’m having the exact same experience, maybe even better.
What’s been a highlight?
What I’m finding most interesting is International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights during wartimes. Firstly, it’s very relevant. We are exploring the human rights implications of technologies being bought into armed conflicts. The concern is the acerbation of already existing issues with human rights. I’m really enjoying brainstorming with fellow students and professors as to how we might try and approach these issues to safeguard humanity.
I also love how Oxford is such a walkable city. The amount of nature in the city as well is amazing.
Advice to anyone considering applying?
Apply – this is such an amazing programme – even if you are more advanced in your career – it’s not just knowledge you’re getting; it’s the chance to connect with people and regain skills you might not be using at work.