Roger James Goodman CBE (born 26 May 1960) is a British social scientist and academic, specialising in Japanese studies. He is the Nissan Professor of Modern Japanese Studies at the Nissan Institute for Japanese Studies at the University of Oxford,[1] and the sixth Warden of St Antony's College, Oxford.[2]
Goodman became president of the Academy of Social Sciences in January 2020.[3] He was also head of the Social Sciences Division of Oxford from 2008 to 2017.
Goodman was born on 26 May 1960 to Cyril Joshua Goodman and Ruth Goodman (née Sabel).[4] He was educated at Rugby School, a then all-boys private boarding school, and at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, then an all-boys state grammar school.[4] He studied at Durham University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1981.[4] In 1982, he matriculated into St Antony's College, Oxford, to undertake postgraduate studies in social anthropology.[5] He completed his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1987 with a thesis titled "A study of the Kikokushijo phenomenon: returnee schoolchildren in contemporary Japan".[6]
In August 2016, Goodman was announced as the next Warden of St Antony's College, Oxford.[7] He became sixth Warden in October 2017 in succession to the retiring Margaret MacMillan.[5]
Goodman was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to social science.[8]