Latest News of Fellows

Professor Peter Hennessy, tells the story of the places where political leaders have met at moments of crisis since the Second World War for the BBC.

Professor Vernon Bogdanor gave the European Leo Baeck lecture in London on 4 March on “Keith Joseph: Ideologist of Thatcherism”, exploring the importance of Keith Joseph’s influence on Thatcherism and also New Labour.

Annette Karmiloff-Smith appeared on In Our Time talking about the development of the brain in pre-verbal infants. 

A letter that puts UK debt into historical context and urges knowledge-based economic growth was sent to the Guardian by members of the History and Policy network.

The letter was signed by twenty senior economic historians, including three British Academy Fellows; Professor Martin Daunton, Professor Geoffrey Hosking and Professor Patrick O’Brian. 

In his blog, David Firth provides some interesting new analysis of the varying impact of HEFCE's formulae for allocating research grants following the 2008 RAE exercise.

David Hand has been co-opted for a further period as President of the Royal Statistical Society.

Professor David Marquand wrote the cover story in the New Statesman on 1 March in which he takes a historical perspective on the rise and policies of Conservatives leader David Cameron.

Professor Vernon Bogdanor wrote a review in the same issue recalling his experience of teaching David Cameron at Oxford.

Dr Andrew Burnett FBA and other leading figures from the arts and humanities have written to The Observer to warn that funding cuts could damage the UK's "cultural capital".

In an accompanying article Professor Jonathan Bate FBA adds "There is more to citizenship than business, innovation and skills."

Professor Mervyn King has warned that the UK needs to "face up" to the dangers within the financial system and adapt radical reforms – or risk an "even bigger crisis next time."

Professor Ian Diamond will succeed Professor Sir Duncan Rice as Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen on 31 March 2010.

Two letters organised by British Academy Fellows have been sent to the Financial Times fuelling the debate about UK deficit spending.

Professor Lord Skidelsky (letter) and Professor Richard Layard (letter) organised separate letters.

The action comes in response to a letter sent by Professor Tim Besley FBA to the Sunday Times arguing for spending cuts to reduce the UK's budget deficit.

Professor Lord Skidelsky spoke on the Today Programme.

Professor Joseph Stiglitz has published Freefall: Free Markets and the Sinking of the Global Economy. He outlines his position in an interview with the Independent

Sir Michael Marmot has published Fair Society, Healthy Lives. The Review provides an evidence based strategy for reducing health inequalities by 2025.

Professor Nicholas Boyle has been elected a Corresponding Fellow of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences.

Lord Bingham was profiled in The Guardian on 8 Feb 2010 linked to his new book, The Rule of Law. "Iraq war was illegal, says former lord chief justice".

A conference and field-seminar in memory of Professor M.W. Beresford FBA will take place over the weekend of May 21-23 in Winchelsea (East Sussex).

Specialist lectures and discussion on ’New towns of the Middle Ages’ (like Winchelsea), will build on Professor Beresford’s ideas and work. For further information, please visit www.winchelsea.net

Sir Michael Marmot has published Fair Society, Healthy Lives. The  Review provides an evidence based strategy for reducing health inequalities by 2010.  The strategy will include policies and interventions that address the social determinants of health inequalities.

A stream of Professor Sir Marmot being interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme is available.

 Professor Nicholas Boyle has been elected a Corresponding Fellow of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences.

Lord Bingham was profiled in The Guardian on 8 Feb 2010 linked to his new book, The Rule of Law. "Iraq war was illegal, says former lord chief justice".

Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury will give a lecture focusing on the positive contribution refugees have made to the UK. The lecture is hosted by UCL on the 12 May. It is an invitation only event.

Professor Edward Luttwak (a corresponding Fellow)  writes on the lessons to be learnt from the Byzantine empire's art of war and diplomacy for the modern Afghan conflict 

Professor Julian Jackson considers the place of the Resistance in the French collective memory of the Second World War

Dr Noel Malcolm considers the mythology of the Inquisition following the opening up of the  archive of the Roman Inquisition to scholars

A conference and field-seminar in memory of Professor M.W. Beresford FBA will take place over the weekend of May 21-23 in Winchelsea (East Sussex).

Specialist lectures and discussion on ’New towns of the Middle Ages’ (like Winchelsea), will build on Professor Beresford’s ideas and work.  For further information, please visit www.winchelsea.net

Professor Robin Dunbar, has revealed (24 January) that while we may be able to amass 5,000 friends on social networking sites, the neo-cortex of our brains is capable of managing a maximum of 150 friendships and a "sympathy group" of 12 to 15 people. See extensive press reports. Or British Academy research Why Humans aren't just Great Apes

Professor Peter Hennessy appeared on Radio 4 on 29 January as a commentator on Tony Blair’s appearance at the Iraq enquiry.

Professor Rosemary Ashton appeared on Radio 4’s In Our Time on 28 January talking about Silas Marner. A podcast of the programme is available from the BBC website

Professor Sir John Hills led the report ‘An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK’, launched today by the National Equality Panel. The Panel also included two other Fellows - Professor Ruth Lister and Professor Stephen Machin. 

The report shows that the gap between rich and poor in the UK is wider now than 40 years ago. A stream of Professor Hills on the Today Programme, is available from the BBC. 

For a full copy of the report, visit the Government Equalities Office website..

President of the British Academy, Professor Sir Adam Roberts, appeared on BBC Breakfast News on 27 January morning as part of a discussion about the Iraq inquiry. 

Sir Keith Thomas will deliver the second of the 2009/10 Renaissance Seminar Series – From barbarism to civility: assumptions about social evolution in early modern England? at Queen Mary, University of London.

The seminar will take place on the 28 January in the Clinical Lecture Theatre, Francis Bancroft Building, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS

A reception will follow the lecture.

To confirm your attendance or request a copy of the series programme email events@qmul.ac.uk

Fyssen Foundation Prize
Winner Professor Chris Frith

Professor Chris Frith has been awarded the Fyssen Foundation International Prize for 2009.

This further honour follows the award last year of the Latsis Prize jointly to Chris and his wife, Professor Uta Frith. (11 January 2010)

Professor Stefan Collini and Professor Martha Nussbaum are both quoted in an article in this week’s Times Higher Education on the challenges facing humanities in higher education.

It follows Professor Collini’s article in the Times Literary Supplement on 13 November 2009 questioning how notions of impact assessment can work for the humanities.

Professor Nussbaum's forthcoming book Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities speaks of  "a worldwide crisis in education" where "the humanities and arts are being cut away". (11 January 2010)

Fellows honoured

The British Academy is delighted to announce that three of its distinguished scholars have been acknowledged in the 2010 New Year Honours List:

Professor Paul Mellars, Professor of Prehistory and Human Evolution, University of Cambridge was awarded a Knights Bachelor Knighthood for services to Scholarship;

Professor Christopher Skinner, Professor, Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute, University of Southampton was appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Social Science; and

Professor Timothy O’Riordan, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Sustainable Development.