About Us
The Student Engagement Team (SET Padova) is a social promotion association established in September 2020 by a group of 13 second year master’s degree students from the Human Rights and Multilevel Governance (HRG) program at l'Università degli Studi di Padova (UniPD). The group was created to respond to the need for additional student-led support during the Covid 19 pandemic. We acted as an intermediary body relaying information between the student body, the faculty and the administration. We have had 120 student volunteers, and 60 individual and institutional contributors thus far, breathing life into projects that promote human rights education in Europe and abroad. SET operates in both digital and physical spaces to increase accessibility to human rights education beyond geographical barriers. Our 5-year objective is to propel the EU Youth Strategy for 2019-2027 by developing innovative initiatives. The strategy based on the Council Resolution 26 November 2018 focuses on three core action areas: Engage, Connect, Empower. Through dialogues with stakeholders, the EU listed eleven cross-cutting goals that can help mobilize EU level policy instruments and actions at national, regional and local levels. Our mission is to provide practical opportunities for youth to participate in quality human rights education. Our vision is to create a world in which human rights education is incorporated as a core component of all academic curricula.
Our Management Team
CHRISTINE NANTEZA
Role: Managing Director
Focus: Globalization, Economic of human capital
I have worked in the nonprofit space for over 11 years, helping to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society. I have witnessed the positive and negative effects of government intervention in human rights protection and promotion, which motivated me to pursue a master's degree in this area from UniPD. SET Pavoda has become my legacy at the university and I have become a proud mentor for other students who believe that access to quality education should be a protected human right.
ALESSIA RUTA
Role: Project Manager - Human Rights Café
Focus: EU policy, Gender equality
I’m an activist, an intersectional feminist and an EU-enthusiast dreaming of becoming a politician at the EU level, as well as a (performative) poet. The causes that are the closest to my heart are gender equality, women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights, youth empowerment, human rights education, sustainability and mental health awareness.
I launched the Human Rights Café for SET Padova while pursuing a BA in Political Science, International Relations and Human Rights at UniPD. I look forward to earning my master's degree in my areas of interest.
BENEDETTA DE ROSA
Role: Project Manager - Humanitas Podcast
Focus: Women's rights, Digital ethics
I am an intersectional feminist focused on youth involvement, women's sexual rights and violence against women in Italy. I hold a master's degree in Human Rights and Multi-level Governance from UniPD. I joined SET Padova as a Project Assistant and owe a lot to the organization especially for the opportunity to participate remotely in subjects that I'm passionate about.
I am currently a women's rights researcher at Global Human Rights Defence, providing insights and recommendations to combat gender-based violence.