Philosophy grad’s success highlights the value of diverse studies
Jack Jacobs has built an impressive academic and career record after graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 2020 and winning the Wentworth Medal in 2019 for his essay on crowd theory and social media.
His work as a gender equality advocate, promoting respectful relationships and preventing sexual misconduct among young men, highlights his commitment to social reform. "I am motivated by the belief that young men can be inspired, without shame and by way of example, to take gender inequality seriously as an issue of critical importance," says Jack.
Jack Jacobs
Jack's diverse career experiences include serving as a speechwriter for Elizabeth Broderick AO during her culture review of the University of Sydney’s residential colleges, co-founding a mentoring program in NSW schools to build leadership capabilities in students, and being part of the Australian Human Rights Commission team that conducted the landmark review of the Australian Parliament’s workplace culture in 2021.
When he is in Australia, he works as a Yindyamarra Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University, supporting Stan Grant with the emerging Yindyamarra Trust project, which looks to reimagine Australian democracy and identity.
Jack has just graduated with distinction from a master's degree in Intellectual History at Oxford University, fully funded by a Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship. He will begin his PhD in History at Oxford in October 2024.
His academic journey to Oxford is deeply rooted in his Philosophy studies as part of his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the University of Sydney. “I encountered powerful ideas within my philosophy major for thinking about politics and how to deepen my approach to institutional and cultural reform,” he says.
Jack Jacobs at his graduation at the University of Sydney with his father Jeff Jacobs.
Reflecting on his time at the University of Sydney, Jack explains, “The University of Sydney provided me with a rich intellectual and social landscape in which I encountered ideas that changed my perception of the world and the sense of the role I wanted to play in it. It allowed me to take my studies in philosophy, political theory, history, and literature concurrently.” This helped him “develop a muscular and agile mind capable of addressing a diverse range of subjects without necessarily having subject-matter expertise... the very kind of mind which a BPPE degree at the University of Sydney would seek to cultivate,” he says.
The newly introduced Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (BPPE) degree at the University of Sydney aligns perfectly with Jack’s interdisciplinary approach.
“I would have relished the opportunity to study a BPPE degree at the University of Sydney. Whilst my Bachelor of Arts was deeply fulfilling, I effectively constructed the degree as a BPPE degree – combining my study of political theory with that of philosophy and modern political history,” says Jack.
The BPPE, which encourages students to consider philosophy, politics, and economics in tandem, is uniquely designed to prepare students to interpret the complex and evolving world in which we live. This makes for a particularly powerful and dynamic way for thinking about politics and what is to be done about present problems.
Looking to the future, Jack aspires to be a writer, broadcaster, academic, and advocate, working at the intersection of universities, think tanks, and the media to shape political discourse. “My studies at Oxford in the history of political thought will hopefully prepare me for such work and lay the foundation for a career across these arenas of intervention,” he shares.