Testimonials

I am still struggling to accept the sad news of Prof Chandra’s passing. Prof Chandra was a great mentor and supervisor on my PhD. She also became a great friend over the years. The more I got to know her the more she came to symbolise empathy and resilience in an increasingly harsh world. Her passion for justice and equality was always inspiring and exceptional. Her intelligence, hard work and scholarship encouraged me to always do more and better in my own professional and academic life. I had so many things and questions I wanted to discuss with her along the exciting career path that she helped set me upon. I will surely miss her. But I will always honor her memory through hard work on some of the issues we both held dear. May she rest well.

Sylvie Namwase

I first interacted with Prof. Chandra’s work when my MSc. supervisor at University of Antwerp, Stef Vandeginste, gave me a hard copy of a journal article he had co-authored with her on transitional justice in Global Governance. Soon after, she came to Antwerp to give a presentation in one of our master classes on power sharing, law and human rights. Our next interaction was to be at the International Nuremberg Principle’s Academy, where she was one of our instructors for a ground breaking project on acceptance of international criminal justice in conflict and post-conflict societies. Indeed, I am saddened by the death of a scholar whose work I immensely benefited from, and greatly admired over the years.

Geoffrey Lugano

Tremendously sorry to hear of the tragic death of Chandra, with whom I had worked closely in New York fifteen or so years ago within the International Peace Academy (today the International Peace Institute), much to my benefit.

She was a tremendously supportive colleague to us all, and her work excited and galvanized us all.  It continued to do so during subsequent years as she developed further her impressive academic career.

Most recently, I had spent a lovely evening with her in London after a lively exchange with faculty and students at UEL.  Typically, she was full of fun.

She will be enormously missed by her former colleagues and her students.

With deep regret,

David M. Malone 

Rector of the United Nations University

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

I was so very sad to hear the news about Chandra. She was a wonderful scholar and serious academic, with a highly creative intellect. I only interacted with her sporadically over the years, but have always been deeply impressed by the range of topics and interests she managed. Her ideas and wit will be sorely missed by colleagues, practitioners, students and friends. My heartfelt condolences to Chandra’s mother.

Colleen Duggan

My name is Sara and I am a final year PhD student. Chandra was my supervisor.

Thank you very much for having set up this website.

I still cannot believe what happened and am deeply saddened by the fact that I won’t be able to talk to or see Chandra anymore.

Chandra was not just an outstanding scholar, she was a good person as well and this combination is quite hard to find in academia.

She was a great supervisor, and a great example of a strong, intelligent, funny and generous woman that I looked up to.

She has always believed in me and I have spent three years working with her for which I will always be grateful.

I will miss Chandra very very much.

My deepest sympathies to her mother and friends.

Sara

PS: In addition to the likes and dislikes section, Chandra liked going to the Bistrotheque, while disliked commuting or changing lines on the tube.

I wanted to thank you for putting up the website about Chandra, her work and her life. The website helps to come to terms with her death. I am one of the 2 PhD students that Chandra currently supported at UEL and we are both very shocked about her sudden death. I also write about transitional justice in Colombia and Chandra supported me so much and was such a good mentor. I could speak to her about absolutely anything and I admired her so much for her work. She was very special with me and always so supportive. We went to ISA this year together for a panel and I couldn’t believe that I was on a panel with Chandra, whose books I read during my MA and which guided me through University. She was so humble and so special and I always tried to tell her that her work is outstanding but I even felt as if she did not believe me. Going through the lists of things she likes and does not I was smiling thinking about the many times she would make us take a taxi and not an Uber because of her very strong views about Uber. She also did not like Paris airport and the cheese sandwiches on KLM as far as I remember. 

When I heard about Chandras death I immediately thought about her mother. The last times we spoke she was very worried about her mom and I am devastated that her mother has now lost her child which should not be the order. 

With my deepest sympathies and condolence to her friends and mother.

Kerry Prior

Visitors to this website are invited to provide their own testimonials or share a memory about Chandra.

You can do so by clicking on the “Leave a comment” function or by emailing your message to [email protected].