DPIR’s John Helferich wins Political Studies Association’s Prize Award in International Relations

Congratulations to Lecturer in Politics at Hertford College John Helferich, awarded the Political Studies Association’s (PSA) Prize Award in International Relations.

Dr Helferich – who studied for a DPhil in International Relations at St Antony’s College - received the award for his dissertation ‘Overcoming the Community Dilemma: Defence Integration in a Post-Heroic European Union.’

In his thesis Dr Helferich examines why European states repeatedly pursue closer defence cooperation despite often struggling to achieve their stated ambitions in practice.

Looking at key moments of EU defence integration, he argues that cooperation in this field is driven primarily not by power projection, but by the need to maintain political unity and a shared sense of purpose and progress among European states during periods of heightened uncertainty about the future of the European political community. 

At the same time, the thesis highlights some of the tensions and costs that emerge when European states become overly focused on introspection and identity-building in their efforts to sustain hard-won international values.

Judges praised his manuscript for its perspective and confident voice and remarked that the dissertation ‘tackles its central themes with insight and curiosity, developing arguments that are both thoughtful and convincing.’

They went on to say that the manuscript was ‘written with clarity and energy’ and ‘reflects a high level of scholarly maturity and significant promise for future work.

Dr Helferich said: 

“I was genuinely delighted and very grateful to receive the award. More than anything, the recognition made me reflect on the support I received from supervisors, colleagues, friends, and family throughout. It is also especially meaningful to see a dissertation on EU defence integration and NATO-EU relations recognised here in the UK at a time when questions of European security cooperation have become so important in an increasingly uncertain international environment. 

“I hope the project can contribute, in some small way, to ongoing debates about how European states can work together and with international partners to support a more stable and peaceful international order.”