Alumna wins KHMW Jan Brouwer Thesis Prize for Law for child rights research on peer relationships
Thesis prize image: Monique Shaw
How important is a child’s right to meaningful peer relationships? Vaishnavi Ramalingam wrote her master’s thesis on this topic, and was recently awarded the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW) Jan Brouwer Thesis Prize 2026.
On Friday, 6 February 2026, Vaishnavi Ramalingam, an alumna of Leiden University’s Master of Laws Advanced Studies in International Children’s Rights, received the Royal KHMW Jan Brouwer Thesis Prize 2026 for her master’s thesis, A Child Rights-Based Approach To Recognizing The Right To Positive Peer Relationships.
About the KHMW Jan Brouwer Thesis Prizes
Since 2015, the KHMW, with support from the Jan Brouwer Fund, has awarded annual thesis prizes for master’s theses in the humanities and social sciences. In 2026, ten prizes were awarded across disciplines including Philosophy, History, Law, Economics, Behavioural Sciences, Political Science, and Sociology.
Why the jury selected Vaishnavi’s thesis
In its jury report, the committee mentioned the extraordinary quality of Vaishnavi’s thesis, noting that it scored highest among the submissions on criteria including complexity, topicality, methodology, structure, and clarity of writing. The jury also praised the thesis for its originality, as children’s right to meaningful peer relationships is rarely studied in legal research. This is surprising, given its importance for society – especially as concerns about the mental wellbeing of children and young people continue to grow. The jury emphasised that the thesis fills an important gap in the current research, and shows a high degree of independent and original thought.
From indirect protection to a clearer legal right
According to the jury report, the thesis shows that positive peer relationships are hardly recognised in children’s rights law. A right to positive peer relationships can currently be derived only indirectly from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and from the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The thesis therefore argues for official, explicit recognition of a standalone right to positive peer relationships, one that is not merely symbolic, but that must be reflected in practical legal and policy efforts across the environments that shape childhood, from education and institutions to justice systems, infrastructure, and digital spaces.
Words from the thesis supervisor
Professor Jonathan Todres, Vaishnavi’s thesis supervisor and Rotating Honorary Chair in Enforcement of Children’s Rights (academic year 2024/2025) at the Department of Child Law and Health Law of Leiden Law School, described the thesis as a ground-breaking study:
‘Vaishnavi’s thesis is a ground-breaking study; it challenges convention and compels us to consider what is essential to children and what rights might be important to them. Her thesis also provides critical insights for advancing understanding of how the science of child and adolescent development can, and should, inform our understanding of children’s rights law and its implementation.’
He also underlined her dedication and intellectual contribution throughout the research process:
‘Vaishnavi was a wonderful student: an innovative thinker who worked tirelessly to develop an outstanding thesis, which is deserving of recognition. It was a joy having the opportunity to work with her and support her work.’
Vaishnavi is an alumna of the 2024–2025 cohort of the Master of Laws Advanced Studies in International Children’s Rights programme. She graduated in August 2025 cum laude and was the year’s valedictorian.
Watch the ceremony
The ceremony where Vaishnavi was awarded can be viewed on YouTube. Vaishnavi’s award segment runs from 28:10 to 37:20.