Pantheon-Assas Paris II University - Goldman Award for Doctoral Dissertations

Goldman Award for Doctoral Dissertations (Prix Goldman)

For an outstanding doctoral thesis in law, you will receive a cash prize (the exact amount is not disclosed). The prize is awarded by the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, one of France’s leading law schools. It is named after Berthold Goldman, a scholar of international commercial and private law who taught there. The prize is awarded every two years for a doctoral thesis on private international law, i.e. the rules governing legal cases that have a cross-border dimension.

Who can apply

• Degree: You have written a doctoral thesis (thèse de doctorat) at the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas.
• Field: Your dissertation deals with private international law.
• Result: Your doctoral examination was awarded the highest mark: ‘Très honorable avec félicitations’ (with the highest distinction and the examination board’s congratulations).
• Timing: You defended your doctoral thesis in an odd-numbered year, as the prize is only awarded in those years.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.

How to apply

You do not need to apply yourself. The professors on the university’s Research Committee nominate outstanding final-year dissertations from the previous year. The university’s Academic Council then assesses the candidates the following spring and selects the winner.

How realistic are your chances?

It is a single, prestigious award presented every two years to a single final-year dissertation; the field is therefore small but clearly defined. Only a final-year dissertation in the field of private international law from this one university, which has been awarded the highest mark, is eligible. This rules out most people, but it also means that very few candidates meet the criteria. If your thesis is on a relevant topic and has been awarded the highest distinction, a nomination from a professor gives you a genuine chance of winning the prize.