Imogen Rivers (UK)

I graduated in 2021 with a first class degree in Physics and Philosophy from Balliol College, Oxford. During my undergraduate degree, I was awarded the Newman scholarship for academic excellence in two consecutive years. I also won the Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics for my essay on individual moral responsibility in contexts of structural injustice, which was published on the Oxford Practical Ethics blog. These experiences particularly encouraged me to pursue a career in philosophy. In addition, I worked with Oxford Amnesty International on human rights issues and gained first-hand insights into corporate and criminal law through legal internships. I am therefore especially excited about the opportunity to delve deeper into legal and political questions regarding the nature of rights, legal authority and AI ethics during the BPhil.

I actively seek to contribute to philosophical discourse within Oxford and in the wider world. Building on my work as president of the Oxford University Philosophy Society, I am thrilled to be conducting weekly events with the Jowett Society this year and chairing talks at the Oxford Graduate Philosophy Conference. Beyond Oxford, I have presented work in the philosophy of physics at an international summer school and at the Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society. Given the breadth and depth of my interests, the BPhil in Philosophy provides the ideal medium for me to extend my intellectual horizons and I am sincerely grateful that the generous support of the Ertegun foundation has enabled me to study for this prestigious degree.

Having grown up in Belgium, I speak fluent French and conversational German in addition to my mother-tongue English. Besides Philosophy, I love playing the violin, running and rowing, as well as French literature, wildlife and birdwatching.