Six academics from the University of Cambridge have been made Fellows of the prestigious British Academy for the humanities and social sciences.
It is an honour to join such a long line of distinguished scholars.
Ayse Zarakol
They are among 86 distinguished scholars to be elected to the fellowship in recognition of their work in fields ranging from medieval history to international relations.
The Cambridge academics made Fellows of the Academy this year are:
Professor Elisabeth van Houts (History Faculty; Emmanuel College)
Professor Tim Harper (History Faculty; Magdalene College)
Professor Rosalind Love (Department of ASNC; Robinson College)
Professor James Montgomery (FAMES; Trinity Hall)
Professor Ayse Zarakol (POLIS; Emmanuel College)
Professor Tim Dalgleish (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit)
Founded in 1902, the British Academy is the UK's national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It is a Fellowship consisting of over 1700 of the leading minds in these subjects from the UK and overseas.
Current Fellows include the classicist Professor Dame Mary Beard, the historian Professor Sir Simon Schama and philosopher Professor Baroness Onora O'Neill, while previous Fellows include Dame Frances Yates, Sir Winston Churchill, Seamus Heaney and Beatrice Webb. The Academy is also a funder of both national and international research, as well as a forum for debate and public engagement.
In 2024, a total of 52 UK Fellows, 30 International Fellows and 4 Honorary Fellows have been elected to the British Academy Fellowship.
Professor Ayse Zarakol said: "I am absolutely delighted to be elected a Fellow of the British Academy in recognition of my interdisciplinary work at the intersection of international relations, global history and historical sociology. It is an honour to join such a long line of distinguished scholars. I very much look forward to working with the Academy to advance research on the big questions of our day and to ensure that UK remains a hospitable environment for social sciences and humanities research that attracts the best talent from around the world."
Professor Rosalind Love said: "As a grateful recipient of one its Postdoctoral Fellowships, I have always revered the British Academy and am deeply humbled by this honour. It shows that the Academy values the teaching of Medieval Latin, and research in that area, at a time when the subject faces cuts elsewhere. I'd like to express sincerest gratitude to the teachers who gave me a solid grounding and to all who have supported me over the years: they made this possible. I look forward to working with other FBAs to shape the future of the Humanities."
Professor Tim Harper, Head of Cambridge's School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, said: "It is an honour to be elected a fellow of the British Academy. As a historian, I am very aware of the challenges and opportunities for the humanities and social sciences that we collectively face. I look forward to continuing to strive to strengthen their position."
Welcoming the Fellows, President of the British Academy Professor Julia Black said: "We are delighted to welcome this year's cohort of Fellows, and I offer my warmest congratulations to each and every one. From the Academy's earliest days, our Fellows are the lifeblood of the organisation, representing the very best of our disciplines - and we could not do all that we do without their expertise, time and energy. I very much look forward to working closely with our new Fellows - the breadth and depth of their expertise adds so much to the Academy."
