Name: Thomas van Caenegem
Preferred name: Tom is my preferred name, but Thomas is okay too
Age: 28 as of two weeks ago
Origin country/town: Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia
Other places where you have lived: Paris, France; Geneva, Switzerland; Heidelberg, Germany; Washington DC, USA. These are almost all places I’ve either worked or studied in.
Where are you living at the moment? In an apartment situated inbetween Majorna and Sandarna
Languages: English and conversational French
Academic background: I have two Bachelor’s degrees: a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts with Majors in Ancient History/History and International Relations. In Australia when doing an undergraduate law degree it is common to combine it with another undergraduate degree.
Work background: Beyond casual jobs at University, I interned at the United Nations and worked at the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law. At the United Nations I worked with the Secretariat (OCHA), on a range of topics mostly concerning humanitarian issues. At the Max Planck Foundation my work was purely legal in focus, helping South Sudan with capacity building, legal advice and guidance through their constitution-making process.
Journalistic experience: None beyond due diligence work at the United Nations and a history in (legal) research at University and with the Max Planck Foundation.
Writing skills (English): English is my mother tongue so I am happy to help with whatever editing and proofreading people might need. I’ve also done some freelance proofreading over the years so should be qualified!
I have used Excel (spreadsheets): YES/no – I have used Excel extensively but still struggle with it from time to time.
I have worked with Python: yes/NO – other than dealing with snakes in Australia I have no Python experience.
I use other programming languages: yes/NO
I have used WordPress yes/NO
Graphic/illustration skills? Graphics and illustrations are certainly not my forte; for example, I someistruggle to make PowerPoints engaging and not just informative.
Digital publishing/social media? No experience beyond use of social media personally.
Audio/radio/pod? No experience, but I will be joining the student radio.
Photography? As an amateur photographer I have been enjoying film photography using an old Olympus OM-1, which is a skill I want to continue exploring.
Video/tv/filming? No experience.
Other editing or publishing skills? As mentioned above, I have done a little proofreading / copy editing freelance for academic and journal papers.
Knowledge of the European Parliament (relevant to the CJC project). None beyond a general legal understanding, most of which I’ve forgotten in the 7+ years since I took European Union Law…
Special interests/knowledge relevant to research/investigative journalism: I have some experience doing legal research as part of previous employment, and I have general legal expertise as well as specific knowledge of public international law and human rights law.
Other skills/hobbies: Board games, football, cooking, photography, but nothing too extraordinary!
I think I will be able to support my fellow students with: English language proofreading and any legal lingo which needs some explaining.
Contact details (preferred): My email is tvancae95@gmail.com, but also add me on Facebook (Tom van Caenegem) or WhatsApp (+33 7 66 22 98 06).