Professor Susan J Smith becomes thirty second President of The British Academy

Professor Susan J Smith FBA is today elected as the thirty second President of The British Academy, the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences, succeeding Professor Dame Julia Black FBA after a four-year term.

Formally taking office during the Academy’s Annual General Meeting, Professor Smith paid tribute to her predecessor’s vision and achievements, thanking Professor Black particularly for leading the Academy out of the Covid-19 pandemic, overseeing the completion of a major capital redevelopment at the Academy’s London headquarters, opening up the Academy – literally and metaphorically – so that a wide range of stakeholders can engage more fully with its work, and inspiring a new Early Career Research Network, due to operate in all regions of the UK by the end of 2025.

Professor Smith is Emerita Honorary Professor of Social and Economic Geography at the University of Cambridge where she is also a Life Fellow (formerly Mistress) at Girton College. Elected to the British Academy Fellowship in 2008, she has an international reputation for her research, both as a human geographer and in the interdisciplinary world of housing studies.

She commented:

“I am honoured to serve as the thirty second President of the British Academy, and delighted that my first formal undertaking was to propose a heartfelt vote of thanks to my predecessor, Professor Dame Julia Black. The legacy of her inspirational leadership and tireless energy is no less than a thoroughly modern Academy of immense public relevance – a trusted source of original thinking, reliable evidence and big ideas.

“It is exciting to be part of a step-change in the work of Academy, as we expand our grant-giving activities, grow support for young scholars, widen our international reach, and extend our wide-ranging impact into key policy circles.

“But these are pressing times for the SHAPE disciplines, as well as for UK higher education. Cuts and contractions are putting scholars under pressure, compromising research capacity and, for the humanities and social sciences in particular, creating regional “cold spots” of provision, further eroding capability in subjects that are crucial for the future.

“It should be no surprise that I am deeply committed to challenging these trends. What could be more important than improving lives, averting the risk of catastrophe and building sustainable futures? Those are just some of the imperatives that the Academy’s work engages with. The present is already losing out, but the future is unimaginable and unattainable, without a flourishing agenda for the humanities and social sciences. In a fractured and uncertain world, recognizing, supporting, celebrating and applying the value of our subjects in the broadest possible way has never been more important. That is what I hope my Presidency will be about.”

Professor Smith’s tenure as President begins today and will run until 2029.