Glasgow academics invited to join British Academy
Published: 28 July 2010
Two academics from the University were last week elected as Fellows of the British Academy
Two academics from the University were last week elected as Fellows of the British Academy.
Professor Colin Kidd and Professor Stephen White will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony in September after the new Academy members were announced on Thursday 22 July at their Annual General Meeting.
Colin Kidd is currently Professor of Modern History at the University whose recent research interests include ethnicity in the Atlantic world (1600-2000), British and American constitutional law and theory, Scottish church history and political thought (1600-2000).
Speaking about his induction to the Academy, he said: “I happened to learn the news of my election to the Academy on my birthday, and I cannot imagine ever receiving a better birthday present; but election also imposes obligations to scholarship and to the wider community.”
Stephen White is the James Bryce Professor of Politics and Senior Research Associate at the University’s School of Central and East European Studies. He is the chief editor of the ‘Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics’ and was for some time also the editor of ‘International Politics’.
His research interests focus on Soviet and post-Soviet politics, with special emphasis on elections, voting and non-voting, parties, political elites, public opinion and the media; he also works on the current politics and foreign policy of Belarus and Ukraine, on Russian foreign policy, and political graphics.
On learning of his Fellowship, Prof White said: “Election to the Academy is of course the highest aspiration of every serious scholar in the arts and social sciences. I hope my election is also an indication that the kinds of questions I have been trying to address in my work have the potential to address a larger agenda. "
The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences. Its purpose is to recognise and support excellence in these areas throughout the UK and champion their role and value. There are currently around 900 members of the Academy who are all eminent academics and world-respected authorities in their respective fields, they work to provide independent advice and contribute to public policy and debate.
Overall there were 38 new members admitted into the British Academy in this session including renowned journalist, blog-writer and classicist, Mary Beard; Director of the National Gallery, Nicholas Penny; political scientist, Anthony King; and human rights lawyer, Conor Gearty.
New Corresponding Fellows include the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank, Justin Lin, and the Academy also awarded an Honorary Fellowship to the author and broadcaster, Melvyn Bragg.
A full list of the new members can be viewed here.
First published: 28 July 2010
<< July
