In discussion: New Voices in Cultural Relations Prize 2026 winner - Megan Green

The joint BISA and British Council prize – New Voices in Cultural Relations — is for a Master’s dissertation which provides new scholarly insight and/or offers a new policy direction that makes an original contribution to international relations.

In 2026 Megan Green won the prize for her dissertation “We're a School of Sanctuary and what that means is, we could have a refugee family tomorrow, we will welcome them, we will treat them as equal.” An exploration of how Schools of Sanctuary support asylum-seeking and refugee pupils.

In this interview with BISA CEO/Director Juliet Dryden, and British Council Director of Research Christine Wilson, Megan explains what a school of sanctuary is, how she became interested in them, and her prize-winning dissertation. She also talks about how schools can provide holistic academic development to help integrate asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. Examples include providing a conversation buddy, celebrating cultural identities and showcasing refugee role models. Find out more by watching the interview and then reading Megan’s dissertation: https://doi.org/10.57884/fk51-4249

The judges said of Megan's dissertation:

"This is an outstanding dissertation that draws upon extensive original primary research. Focused on Schools of Sanctuary, it offers timely and important insights with real potential to inform practice and shift attitudes towards refugee children’s education. The work is both empirically rich and, at points, genuinely moving, telling a rare story of hope. With further development of its theoretical framing for publication, this research has the potential to make a major contribution. Overall, it stands out as an exceptional and impactful piece of MA scholarship."

The judges also awarded Special Commendations to Anna Kama Ligęzowska (Loughborough University London) and Elina Kurylova (Anglia Ruskin University).