DPhil 2019

Our 2019 DPhil students with DPhil coordinator Professor Pepper Culpepper and our Dean, Professor Ngaire Woods.

Seven new doctoral students join the Blavatnik School today and will be with us for the next three years as they research a specific policy issue.

The DPhil at the Blavatnik School specialises in discipline-based, policy-driven research, applying rigorous social science to analysing policy issues with the explicit goal of prescribing solutions for policymakers.

Students are expected to focus their research on practical challenges facing a range of different governments and publicly-oriented agencies. As well as developing their academic expertise, they learn how to communicate findings and analysis effectively to ensure real impact on government and public policy.

The class of 2019 includes academically excellent individuals with a variety of backgrounds:

  • Harry Begg will explore how financial institutions rebuilt their credibility with regulators and political institutions after the 2008 financial crisis.
  • Gauri Chandra is interested in behavioural economics with a particular focus on evaluating initiatives that promote sanitation, health and hygiene in rural India.
  • Aung Hein has worked within the policy and think tank world and aims to focus his doctoral research on governance and on administrative reforms for public sector.
  • Robin Hsieh research interests lie in the political economy of financial regulation and central banking – he will investigate this within the Banklash project led by DPhil coordinator Professor Pepper Culpepper.
  • Lorenzo Moretti’s most recent role was working for the Italian government’s venture capital fund, and is interested in examining what policies can governments implement to support innovation.
  • Jennifer Opare-Kumi has worked in international development and migration around the world, always with a focus on improving health and education outcomes in developing nations. She is currently working at Young 1ove (the charity founded by another Blavatnik School DPhil student, Noam Angrist).
  • Adam Shindler has a military background and his research interest is international security. His DPhil research will investigate the relationship between British society and the army, and how the public’s perspective of soldiers influences the British army’s motivation and modernisation.  

The DPhil in Public Policy is one of Oxford's most selective degree courses and recruits those who are highly academically and professionally capable. Graduates will be prepared to lead on devising, implementing, and evaluating innovative policy solutions; they will be expertly qualified to conduct research – see our growing list of DPhil alumni and follow the updates on our alumni news.  

Admissions are open now for 2020 entry – visit our DPhil pages to find out how to apply. The deadline for admissions is 10 January 2020.