Louis Baktash, CamPo visiting PhD candidate: Comparing public policies... and academic cultures

Louis Baktash, a 3rd year PhD student at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, just finished a four-month visiting stay at the CEE as part of the CamPo exchange scheme. He reflects on his experience in this interview.

What is your PhD thesis about?

I am working on regional policy in France and in England. I am trying to show to what extent the political events of the last few years (Brexit, the “Gilets jaunes” or “yellow vests” protests, government changes) have led to changes in public policies. And if there have been changes, to what extent have the aims, methods and instruments of these policies evolved? Has there been a policy convergence between the two countries? To answer these questions, I use electoral geography and public policy analysis.

What is your initial academic background?

After high school, I studied at Sciences Po Undergraduate College in a double major with a history degree at the Sorbonne, including a third year at the University of Oxford. I then followed the double Master programme between HEC Paris [business school] and the School of Public Affairs at Sciences Po. In the final year, in addition to an internship, we had to conduct a research project. Instead of focusing on corporate issues or economic policies, I decided to study the Brexit vote in English and Welsh coastal areas. My mother comes from a coastal town in South-East England. Despite its proximity to London, almost 60% of voters there chose to leave the European Union, more than in its hinterland. I studied this difference in voting between coastal and inland areas, which I was able to explain by the impact of public policy, both British and European. This made me want to continue studying this topic. Starting from the electoral politics of coastal areas, the topic of my PhD project shifted towards the question of place within French and British regional policy-making.

Why did you apply for the CamPo programme and why did you choose the CEE as your host laboratory for this stay? What did you expect from this exchange programme?

I heard about CamPo by accident when I received an email from the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS), to which the Bennett Institute is affiliated. I thought that spending some time in France would be useful to conduct interviews and discuss with French researchers. My supervisor, Michael Kenny, saw this as a good opportunity and advised me to contact Colin Hay, a full professor here at the CEE, with whom he had worked before. Colin Hay was interested in my project and supported my application.

What did you get out of this experience?

I was able to meet in person civil servants and politicians who had worked on regional policy in France. Here, at the CEE, I also exchanged with researchers: Philippe Bezes and Patrick Le Lidec, both CNRS researchers who provided me with some useful insights, as well as my advisor Colin Hay who gave me valuable inputs on the theoretical side. I came out of this exchange with a better understanding of the French case, which was one of the objectives.

I also found it rewarding to discover a different research environment, a different academic culture, which I discovered by observing PhD students. rWhat is interesting at the CEE is that there is a lot of exchange between the senior researchers and the PhD candidates, especially thanks to the weekly seminars. This gives the impression that we are really among colleagues and I did not hesitate to ask for advice.

Overall, I think that the CamPo programme helps to build academic links. For example, with a few PhD students from the CEE, we set up an informal group to share scientific articles and other information related to the topic of place in policy and politics. And we will pursue it even after I am back in Cambridge.

Thank you to the CEE!

Thank you Louis and good luck with your PhD work!