An Edinburgh academic has been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy for their distinguished contribution to research. Alvin Jackson, Sir Richard Lodge Professor of History, joins a highly prestigious community of scholars who have been recognised for their significant achievements in the humanities and social sciences.Professor Jackson, based at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, is one of 86 outstanding academics from the UK and all over the world who have been honoured with a fellowship this year.Research expertiseProfessor Jackson’s research interests lie in the fields of modern Irish, Scottish and British history, and particularly in the Irish and Scottish unions, and the histories of multinational union states. The British Academy buildings in Calton Terrace, Westminster He is the author of eight books, including The Two Unions: Ireland, Scotland and the Survival of the United Kingdom, 1707-2007 (2012), and he has edited The Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish History (2014).His most recent work, United Kingdoms: Multinational Union States in Europe and Beyond, 1800-1925 (2023) was highlighted in the Times Literary Supplement as a Book of the Year. Professor Jackson is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Member of the Academia Europaea, and an honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy. He also holds an honorary doctorate from University College Dublin.The British Academy has long offered indispensable support for my research – and that of many others working in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The Academy's particular association with the University of Edinburgh has been sustained and important - and the tradition of its fellows here is formidably distinguished. It's a huge, if daunting, honour to be joining Edinburgh's community of British Academy Fellows.Professor Alvin JacksonSchool of History, Classics and ArchaeologyOf the new Fellows elected this year, 52 were elected from 21 universities across the UK and 30 International Fellows were elected from universities overseas. The British Academy was founded in 1902. As the UK’s national academy for humanities and social sciences, the Academy provides an international forum for debate and engagement for the world’s most brilliant academics. It is also a funder of both national and international research.We are delighted to welcome this year’s cohort of Fellows, and I offer my warmest congratulations to each and every one. Since the Academy was created in 1902, our Fellows have been the lifeblood of the organisation, representing the very best of our disciplines – and we would not have the impact we have 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.Professor Julia BlackPresident of the British AcademyProfessor Jackson and the other new Fellows join a community of more than 1700 distinguished academics.Current Fellows include the classicist Professor Dame Mary Beard, the historian and China expert Professor Rana Mitter and philosopher Professor Baroness Onora O’Neill. The Academy also counts Professor David Olusoga, Baroness Brenda Hale, and Professor Gary Younge among its Honorary Fellows.Related links The British Academy School of History, Classics and Archaeology Publication date 23 Jul, 2024
