Mijke de Waardt

Dr. Mijke de Waardt is a Senior Researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), a leading Dutch research institute under the Dutch Research Council (NWO). She specializes in victimology and transitional justice, with a strong focus on the politics of reparations, victim participation, and state-survivor relations in post-conflict societies. Her work integrates legal, anthropological, and social science perspectives, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and Cyprus.

Education:

• PhD in Latin American Research and Social and Cultural Anthropology, Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation and VU University Amsterdam (2014)
• MA in Latin American Studies, Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (2005)
• MSc in Educational Sciences, University of Amsterdam (2003)
• University Teaching Qualification, VU University Amsterdam (2014)

Her research centers on the lived experiences of victims of gross human rights violations, particularly in Peru, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She explores how victims negotiate recognition, navigate legal and political systems, and construct identities through social movements. Her approach combines ethnography, participatory research, and mixed-methods, emphasizing the importance of victim agency and alternative epistemologies in justice processes.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent trajectory in transitional justice, with a growing emphasis on reparations, victim participation, help-seeking behavior, and the psychosocial dimensions of victimization. Her work bridges theoretical critique with empirical analysis, often focusing on non-judicial mechanisms and the everyday politics of redress. She frequently collaborates with interdisciplinary teams, contributing to policy evaluations and comparative studies across diverse conflict-affected regions.

Scientific Contributions:

• Project leader: 'What’s law got to do with it? Reparations after gross human rights violations'
• Project leader: 'Impact of non-judicial reparations on survivors of conflict-related sexual violence'
• Director of Studies, MSc Victimology & Criminal Justice, Tilburg Law School (2017–2019)

Dr. de Waardt has advised on national and international policy, including evaluations of Dutch victim compensation schemes and reparations programs in conflict zones. She has no listed advisees in the provided text. She is actively involved in research themes related to victimology and justice innovation at NSCR, contributing to both academic discourse and practical interventions in post-conflict recovery.