Coveted All Souls Prize Fellowships for graduate historian

20 November 2019

Lucas Tse, MPhil Economic & Social History, has been awarded one of only two Examination Fellowships at All Souls College after successfully navigating the famously difficult entrance exam.

All Souls, the Oxford College which uniquely consists only of fellows with no students, awards two Examination or Prize Fellowships each year to recent Oxford graduates. The rigorous process, which usually has around 50 applicants, involves sitting what The Independent has described as “the world’s hardest test.” Candidates sit four three-hour exam papers – two in a chosen specialist subject and two general papers. Previous questions have ranged from “which writer, from any period, would be most dismayed by now they are viewed today?” to “should more artwork be shredded?”

Lucas will continue his research at All Souls, which investigates evolving forms of nationalism in post-WWI Republican China. Lucas’s work focuses on the understanding of the equality and inequality of nations during this period – racially, legally and economically. After finishing his MPhil thesis, Lucas is excited about the opportunities afforded by the Fellowship, saying “the Fellowship offers the financial as well as psychological support to pursue further studies and to bring research projects to completion – perhaps conversations in this new community will also push my research in new directions!”

Although he’ll be leaving Hertford for All Souls (which is admittedly just next door), Lucas will be taking fond memories of life in our graduate community. “Rowing with the novice boat last year was really enjoyable,” he says. “For every outing that was cold and wet, there was an absolutely beautiful morning, when we’d glide along the river with birds standing on the banks or flying overhead, and the mist lifting above the treetops.”

Congratulations Lucas and good luck in your new position next door!

Image of All Souls Codrington Library by Jun on Flickr.