Simeon Goldstraw awarded Oxford Nicolas Berggruen Prize for best doctoral thesis in Law, Philosophy and Politics

Congratulations to DPIR DPhil in Politics student Simeon Goldstraw who has won the Oxford Nicolas Berggruen Prize for the University of Oxford’s best doctoral thesis in Law, Philosophy and Politics for his dissertation ‘Establishing a Political Claim to Leisure.’ 

The acclaimed award, funded by Nicolas Berggruen of the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles, recognises a doctoral dissertation that is excellent and transformative, in theory or in practice. 

We caught up with Simeon to ask him all about his award and what it means to him: 

Can you explain what your award-winning thesis is about? 

My thesis focuses on citizens’ entitlements to leisure. When we think of the most politically pressing questions of our day, people rarely think of leisure. Why should we worry about whether people enjoy arts, sports, or beaches when we face huge political challenges surrounding democracy, inequality, and technology? But leisure is a crucial part of a happy and flourishing life and, as my thesis shows, is politically important for all sorts of reasons. The thesis claims that we ought to treat a lack of access to leisure, or unequal access to leisure between people, as a political problem that requires political attention. Governments have a responsibility to ensure that people have adequate leisure opportunities, and this responsibility should not fall by the wayside. 

How do you feel to have won the award? 

I am pleased and honoured to have won the award. It is recognition both of the hard work I put in as a student, and the thesis's overall aim, which was to draw attention to the political importance of leisure - something which is too often overlooked. 

What does this mean to you and your future studies? 

I was exceedingly fortunate to have two excellent and attentive doctoral supervisors, Cécile Laborde and Paul Billingham, both of whom conduct really interesting and important research in their respective areas of interest. They influenced the thesis immeasurably, and I hope that my thinking may have influenced their work a little too. 

Can you tell us what you are currently working on? 

I have started working in Parliament, taking a particular interest in policy surrounding technology, AI and the creative industries. Each of these topics are touched upon by the thesis, and more broadly, demand that policymakers take an ethically-informed approach, so I am looking forward to employing the skills I developed during my DPhil to make a contribution to the future of AI, tech and the creative industries, both in the UK and globally.