University news

Professor Sarah Birch, recently appointed Chair of Comparative Politics at the University of Glasgow is one of 42 new Fellows to be elected to the British Academy.

The announcement was made at the Annual General Meeting of the British Academy, with the new Fellows being recognised for their outstanding research and work across the humanities and social sciences.

Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences said: “This is a tremendous accolade to receive. Professor Birch’s work in the fields of comparative politics, political ethics, electoral institutions and electoral integrity and environmental politics have added much to our understanding of the world we live in. On behalf of the College of Social Sciences, and indeed everyone at the University of Glasgow, I want to congratulate her on this well deserved recognition.” 

The Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Professor Anton Muscatelli added: "I am delighted that Professor Birch has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy. Election to the Academy is seen widely as a pinnacle of academic achievement for academics in the Arts and Social Sciences, and this award rightly recognises Professor Birch's world-leading reputation in the field of Politics"

Professor Birch joined the University of Glasgow in July 2013, having previously spent 17 years teaching at the University of Essex. Over the course of the past ten years her main research programme has been the comparative study of electoral malpractice. The first part of this research culminated in her 2011 monograph Electoral Malpractice (Oxford University Press) as well as a series of journal articles. She has recently embarked on a follow-on project on ‘cleaning up’ elections and a related project on electoral violence.

For the past five years she has also been working on a study of perceptions of the ethical conduct of politicians in Britain, Germany and France together with Dr Nicholas Allen of Royal Holloway. They are in the process of completing a monograph entitled Ethics and Integrity in British Politics: How Citizens Judge Their Politicians’ Conduct and Why it Matters (Cambridge University Press).

Professor Birch is currently planning a research project on popular perceptions of environmental policy options, drawing on insights from political psychology and behavioural economics.

In addition to her academic work, Professor Birch has also taken part in electoral assistance and training activities around the world, including projects for the OSCE, the UNDP, International IDEA, USAID and the UK Electoral Commission.

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, new President of the British Academy, said: “The humanities and social sciences celebrate the study of what it means to be human and how we relate to the world around us. They can also help us tackle many of the challenges faced in this country and the world as a whole. Our new Fellows, from across the UK and world, are world-class experts in the humanities and social sciences and can play a vital role in sustaining the Academy’s activities – helping select researchers and research projects for funding support, contributing to policy reports and speaking at the Academy’s public events.”

The British Academy for the humanities and social sciences was established by Royal Charter in 1902. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence and high achievement in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value. For more information, please visit www.britac.ac.uk.

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First published: 19 July 2013