Iulia-Cristiana Vatau

Iulia's doctoral research focuses on investigating the implementation of drug treatment courts in Chile, particularly through the lens of punishment and the application of non-adversarialist mindsets in judicial team-building. Iulia wishes to examine the extent to which the specificities of Chilean policy design offer protections against penal abuses and shape the kind of agency juveniles can display in relation to treatment and rehabilitation. By adopting a marginal realist perspective, this thesis aims to bring to the forefront insights from the Global South that can aid in the development of future policy initiatives. The research is conducted under the supervision of Professor Rachel Condry and is funded by the ESRC Grand Union DTP studentship.

Iulia holds a first class BA degree in History and Politics of the Americas from University College London and an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Oxford where she graduated with distinction. In line with her research interests, she has advocated in favour of active youth participation in the making of drug policy at the United Nations. As a civil society representative, she served as the UN Global Fellow for Students for Sensible Drug Policy and as an Executive Member of the New York NGO Committee on Drugs. In these positions, she represented youth in civil society interventions at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. She also worked with key stakeholders, including diplomatic delegations, UNODC officers and fellow advocates.