Elvira Loibl becomes Professor of Recognition, Dialogue and Recovery after International Adoption
Following a nomination by INEA, the Executive Board of the University for Humanistic Studies has appointed Elvira Loibl as Endowed Professor of Recognition, Dialogue, and Recovery after Intercountry Adoption. The chair is established by the INEA Center of Expertise on Intercountry Adoption. Elvira Loibl will focus on research into both the recognition of past abuses surrounding intercountry adoption and how recovery can take place, both at the individual and societal levels.
Elvira Loibl on the endowed chair: “With this chair, I want to contribute to legal clarity and consistency in addressing the complex questions surrounding state responsibility and reparation. I also want to strengthen the role of adoptees by placing their voices and needs at the center of the debate, and build a bridge between the government and adoptees to promote constructive dialogue. My goal is to use this knowledge to better inform policy debates, stimulate broader public discourse, and jointly explore meaningful forms of recognition and reparation.”
New research and expanding knowledge
When INEA was established, it was tasked with revitalizing the scientific infrastructure surrounding intercountry adoption. The chair was established to promote research, education, and knowledge transfer in the areas of recognition, dialogue, and recovery surrounding intercountry adoption. The chair's ambition is to bring together and deepen the relevant interdisciplinary scientific knowledge. James Timmermans, INEA manager: "Funding for this chair creates the opportunity to conduct new research and expand knowledge on relinquishment and intercountry adoption. This is not only beneficial for science but also for practice, as it contributes to improving the care and support for adoptees."
Relational perspective
The chair is located at the University for Humanistic Studies (UvH) in Utrecht. The chair is based on the Transformative Justice approach, an approach developed by the Historical Memory and Transformative Justice department at the UvH. "This framework focuses on the conditions under which recognition and reparation measures can truly make a difference in the lives of those who have been victims of historical injustice, including their loved ones and descendants," says Professor Nicole Immler. "It's a relational perspective based on the idea that recognition and reparation are systemic. This means that the perspectives of those affected and involved, as well as the role of institutions, are part of the research."
About Elvira Loibl
Elvira Loibl is a university lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Law at Maastricht University. She has been researching intercountry adoption for over ten years, approaching the topic from various perspectives, including human rights, family law, anthropology, criminology, and criminal law. In 2019, she obtained her PhD with a criminological study of the factors within the German and Dutch adoption systems that enable and facilitate illegal intercountry adoptions. More recently, her research focuses on the aftermath of illegal intercountry adoptions, particularly the responsibility of receiving states, including the Netherlands, to provide reparations and how the harms suffered by adoptees and their biological families can be effectively recognized and addressed. Elvira is regularly consulted by governments and committees investigating the history of intercountry adoptions, and her academic work is frequently cited in official studies and reports.
Connection and Dialogue
The search for a professor for the chair was for one who is attentive to the diverse experiences and perspectives of those involved and who strives to connect and engage in dialogue through interdisciplinary knowledge. James Timmermans: “Dr. Loibl has convincingly demonstrated how she seeks to combine her legal and criminological background with a broader, interdisciplinary approach to recovery and recognition. She poses socially and scientifically relevant questions: what does harm truly mean? What stands in the way of effective recovery? And how far does collective responsibility extend? Her work follows two paths: civil law and moral-normative. It is precisely this broadening—from objective to subjective harm—that is of great value. She sees the current historical momentum of civil litigation not as an end point, but as a starting point for social and academic discussion.”
Shiko Boxman, member of the appointment committee: “From the adoption field, [adoption] sensitivity is essential. We had to consider various forces within the field. That wasn't an easy task, but I am convinced that Elvira Loibl, with her knowledge and keen sense of sensitivity to the field, can fulfill the position of endowed professor in a way that connects the target group.”
Academic independence
The Board of Trustees will be established in the coming period. It will consist of four members, consisting of three professors: two from the University of Utrecht, one professor nominated by INEA, and a fourth person nominated by INEA. A Board of Trustees will oversee the professor's working methods.
Although the endowed professorship is funded by INEA, the appointment and all academic responsibilities lie with the University for Humanistic Studies. This means the professor is bound by the same standards of academic freedom and integrity as any other professor. As the funding organization, INEA has no influence on the research agenda or publications. Safeguards such as funding transparency, university oversight, and strict integrity rules ensure that the endowed professor's independence as a scholar is fully protected.
Elvira Loibl will soon organize roundtable sessions where she will present herself and engage with stakeholders. The information gathered will be used to develop the multi-year policy plan.