By Isabella Diaz Martin

Choosing to dedicate your life to making the world a better place is undeniably a bold choice. For Monica Iyer, this decision was not just a path but a calling—one that has profoundly shaped her academic and professional journey, driving her unwavering commitment to protecting human rights, especially those who are often overlooked.  

Monica Iyer, currently a lawyer and international law & human rights professor at Georgia State University, is also a proud Università Cattolica alumna. Her academic journey began at the University of Chicago, where she earned a bachelor's degree in international and Global Studies in 2002, driven by an idealistic desire to make meaningful contributions using her skills. She continued at New York University, earning her Juris Doctor degree in 2010, which opened doors to work in public service at the New York Attorney General’s Office. 

In 2015, Monica and her husband chose to start a new chapter of their lives by moving to Milan. Seeking to enrich her international perspective by adding sociological and economic dimensions to her legal expertise, Monica was admitted to the master's in International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) offered by Università Cattolica’s ASERI Graduate School of Economics and International Relations (Alta Scuola di Economia e Relazioni Internazionali).   

During her time at Università Cattolica, Monica expanded her worldview significantly beyond her legal background. Not only did she add onto the economics background she had from the University of Chicago but also saw the relationship between human rights and economics issues. “Doing the masters in this area really helped give me a broader understanding of the dynamics that influence migration and my other subjects of study,” she reflects.  

One highlight of Monica’s experience at Università Cattolica was the community she built—lasting connections with professors and fellow students who remain valuable to her professionally and personally. 

 In addition, the specialising master programme focuses on helping students gain knowledge through practical experiences. As a result, Monica had the opportunity to do an internship at the Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR). 

This set her on the path to having a full-time position, she excelled in her role and with recommendation of her colleagues, she worked as a consultant before securing a full-time position as Humans Rights Officer.  

Monica enjoyed working at the United Nations, as it is a way to be involved in the innovative discussions to set global norms around international issues. While working for an international organisation can be very rewarding, it can be challenging at the same time due to the inherent instability of the international political landscape.  Seeking greater stability and long-term engagement, she transitioned to the world of academia, a field she was interested in since law school. For Monica, the best way to use her skills is to inspire her students in the classroom:  

“Teaching is a multiplier of your impact; I engage with all of these students who are so brilliant and dedicated, and will probably have the potential to be much more impactful than I could ever be” 

Teaching also allows Monica more time to explore and dive into human rights topics that she has always been interested in like environmental migration, one of her main focuses right now and a topic she is enduringly passionate about. Climate-induced migration is a topic that is relatively new to the international relations conversations, and it is a field that still holds a lot of speculation around it. Monica, having worked on this for the past few years, highlights how challenging this topic is, not just because of its novelty, but because of the language used, the nuances and the socio-economic factors that must be considered alongside environmental ones. 

Environmental migration is the movement of a person due to climate disasters and other environmental factors; this movement can be within a country or abroad. This phenomenon is multi-causal, Monica reiterates, a lot of social inequalities go hand in hand with it and we can even, unconsciously, turn it into a political discussion, when the focus should be on protecting the human rights of those who are vulnerable to the phenomenon.  

Monica’s approach to studying environmental migration is focused on dignity, justice and agency, of those affected by it. She says, “What I can say with confidence is that there are a lot of people who are increasingly vulnerable to human rights violations, people in danger of losing access to housing, health care, and education”.  

Preventing these outcomes through better legal and social structures is one of Monica's passions.  

When asked about legal developments to protect vulnerable individuals, Monica raised an important question: Do we really need more laws? Or do we need to better enforce existing law? Utilising the human rights tools already in our legal framework, would address the challenges faced by people who are moving in the context of climate change.  

Beyond legal tools, Monica mentions how we should focus on also addressing the root of the issue: climate change. She believes technology could help us transform our energy systems and control fossil fuels exploitation. However, Monica identifies a critical gap in political will and economic investment alongside necessary individual lifestyle changes.  

While acknowledging the value of technological innovation, Monica insists that action should start with available resources: “We don’t need shiny new innovations; we must work harder with what we already have.” 

She sees potential in digital tools to support migrants, though she is skeptical about their role in raising public awareness due to the increase of misinformation. Yet, Monica highlights practical initiatives, such as the USA Hello platform, a non-profit organization where she serves on the board, providing essential information to migrants arriving in the United States (i.e. immigration procedures, enrolment to school, obtaining a driver’s license, etc.).   

Looking ahead, Monica remains cautiously optimistic about the future. Despite significant political and environmental challenges, she finds hope in advocacy movements and youth-led initiatives, such as Pacific Island students advocating for legal opinions on climate obligations at the International Court of Justice.  She firmly believes advocacy and active participation will build a sustainable future: “The next generation holds potential beyond what we can imagine.”