12 November 2026
The European Whistleblowing Institute awarded the 2026 Lewis Master Thesis Award to Keith Brown, from the University of Wolverhampton, for his thesis “Evaluating the Feasibility of a Whistleblowing and Integrity Consultancy for the UK Charity Sector”.
Keith Brown received the award from EWI´s Co-Founders Dr Vigjilenca Abazi and Dr Lauren Kierans during a ceremony at the European Whistleblowing Conference: Whistleblowing in the AI Era. Introducing the awardee, Dr Vigjilenca Abazi said “One of our initiatives is supporting the excellent research being done on whistleblowing law and policy globally. [Keith´s thesis] was truly a fascinating thesis. It was a really tough competition, with the jury having to confer over and over. So it was absolutely fairly won”.
In his speech, Keith Brown thanked the European Whistleblowing Institute for the recognition, describing it as an encouragement to continue his research. “[EWI] gives professionals like me a way to connect research with people shaping whistleblowing protection”, said Keith Brown.
“My message to everyone in the room – and I think I am in the right room to say this – is: please continue to protect people who raise concerns from retaliation, ensure independent scrutiny, let evidence influence decisions, and give people a reason to trust again”, said Keith Brown.
Paying tribute to Professor David Lewis
The Lewis Master Thesis Award is designed to encourage and recognize students’ research in whistleblowing law and policy. This award highlights the recipient’s exceptional academic achievement and pays tribute to the groundbreaking contributions of Professor David Lewis, a distinguished scholar whose work has shaped the landscape of whistleblowing research.
Professor Lewis retired this year after 54 years at Middlesex University. Remembering his mentor, Dr Lauren Kierans said: “Professor David Lewis has really been not only a mentor to many of us here today, but he has created an area of research for us to follow”.
Honorable mentions
Derick Luong, from the University of Oxford, and Sofia Lossley Matamoros, from Maastricht University, received honorable mentions for their thesis, respectively, “The National Security Act 2023: The Burden on Press Freedom” and “Implementation of the Whistleblower Directive: The Case of Dutch Listed Companies”.
