Professor Cristina G. Stefan elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
We’re delighted to announce that Professor Cristina G. Stefan has been named a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to social sciences.
Professor Cristina G. Stefan, Professor of International Relations and Global Governance in the School of Politics and International Studies, has been announced as one of the outstanding social scientists the Academy of Social Sciences welcomed to its Fellowship in its spring 2026 cohort.
Professor Stefan will join the Academy’s distinguished Fellowship, which comprises 1,700 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors. All Academy Fellows are elected through independent peer review for the excellence of their work and their outstanding contribution to the social sciences. The Fellows’ expertise covers the breadth of social science disciplines, and their practice and research helps address some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies.
In announcing the new Fellows, the Academy said:
Our spring cohort of new Fellows are elected for their significant contributions to social science, which highlight the relevance of the social sciences in understanding and addressing the many varied societal challenges facing the UK and the world today. As well as excellence in research and professional applications of social science, our new Fellows, who are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, disciplines and professions, have also made significant contributions beyond academia, including in industry, policy and higher education.
Professor Cristina G. Stefan is a leading expert in international relations, who is internationally renowned for her expertise in international peace and security, global governance, and international norms of human protection. Professor Stefan’s work explores the international politics, processes, and norms on atrocity prevention and the responsibility to protect, the Women, Peace and Security agenda, the United Nations, global governance, and feminist leadership. Her work seeks to blend theory and practice, especially when it comes to global responsibilities to prevent and protect from atrocities, which has led to collaborations with EU institutions and the United Nations. Her impactful research on human protection was acknowledged with the University of Leeds Vice-Chancellor’s “World Changer” recognition in 2021.
Professor Cristina G. Stefan said:
Becoming a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences is a mark of enormous distinction, and so I am incredibly humbled and honoured to have received this recognition. The Academy provides a powerful platform to further champion the social sciences and work collaboratively to find solutions to today’s global societal challenges. This becomes absolutely critical as we witness the erosion of international norms, increased militarisation, gender backlash, institutional paralysis, disregard for international law and rising numbers of conflicts and harm against civilians. I look forward to working with peers, through bridging the theory and practice of international relations, to advance the role of social sciences in tackling these pressing global challenges.
The President of the Academy of Social Sciences, Will Hutton FAcSS, said:
I’m delighted to welcome these leading social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship this spring. Their substantial contributions have furthered knowledge and our understanding in tackling a wide range of societal challenges… We look forward to working with them to further promote the important role the social sciences play in our daily lives.
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