Christ Church Academics Elected to British Academy

Founded in 1902, the British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It is a Fellowship of over 1400 of the leading minds in these subjects. Each year the Academy elects to its fellowship up to 52 outstanding UK-based scholars. Current Fellows include classicist Mary Beard, historian Simon Schama, philosopher Onora O’Neill and sociologist Tariq Modood. Professors Carol Harrison and Gregory Hutchinson of Christ Church are also current Fellows.

Professor Cross said: “I am deeply honoured by this recognition from the British Academy, but I am also the first to acknowledge that this could not have been achieved without the collaboration and support of colleagues in College and Faculty, to whom I am immensely grateful.

I look forward to working with the Academy to continue to help raise the profile of and argue for the value of the humanities in all aspects of our national life.

He added: “I am also delighted that this honour will bring renewed attention to the Oxford Ertegun Humanities Graduate Programme as I take up its Directorship for the next three years.”

Professor Edwards said: “I am honoured and flattered by this award, and grateful above all that the British Academy continues to support the smaller subjects in the Humanities, without which there could be no serious research in the major disciplines, and consequently no advance in public thinking in the sciences, politics or medicine either.”

Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome yet another outstanding cohort to the Academy’s Fellowship.

“The scope of research and expertise on display across our newly elected UK, Corresponding and Honorary Fellows shows the breadth and depth of knowledge and insight held by the British Academy. It is our role to harness this to understand and help shape a better world.”