BISA at 50: Reflections and perspectives – IPEG turns 54!

As part of the BISA at 50 reflections and perspectives article series, Professor Juanita Elias and other former conveners look back at the history of the International Political Economy Working Group - a BISA group that is arguably older than BISA itself!

International Political Economy has long had a presence at BISA through the International Political Economy Working Group (IPEG), which predates the Association itself. Susan Strange, a key figure in BISA’s development, was also IPEG’s first convenor. This blog draws upon recent reflections from past IPEG convenors on their time in the role, their involvement in BISA, and their thoughts on how IPE has changed (or not) as a discipline. Thanks to Matthew Bishop, Julia Calvert, Randall Germain, Paul Langley, Phoebe Moore, Ben Richardson, Stuart Shields, and Geoffrey Underhill for their contributions to this - Geoffrey Underhill’s reflections are drawn from his 2011 keynote address at the IPEG at 40 conference at The University of Warwick. Article author Juanita Elias also served as an IPEG co-convenor.

Whilst BISA is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, the International Political Economy Working Group (IPEG) of BISA is turning 54 - a point highlighted by Geoffrey Underhill, who reminds us that “The origins of IPEG lie with Susan Strange and a small group of others, a transatlantic group I might add, and the four-day Cumberland Lodge Conference”. Since those early days, IPEG has been a lively and welcoming space for scholars of IPE. In the early years of IPEG, Underhill notes that IPE was often viewed as somewhat marginal to the mainstream IR scholarship of the time: “IPE as a separate concern was never quite accepted by mainstream IR scholars, who assumed the subordinate status of IPEG while knowing little of the history. At that time much of IR hung upon strategic debates, international security and debates about bipolarity and the balance of power”.

IPEG underwent a process of revitalisation in the early 1990s, when Barry Buzan encouraged its revival within BISA and Geoffrey Underhill took on the role of convenor. Growing interest in the field meant that the group quickly became one of BISA’s largest and most active working groups with its own newsletter and workshop, and later added a listserv, working paper series, and, in 2006, a book prize celebrated through a keynote lecture. IPEG’s growth was supported by the rapid expansion of interest in IPE more broadly, with master’s programmes and undergraduate modules proliferating throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and a growing number of PhD students working in the field.

Randall Germain, who took over as convenor in 1997, recalls the warmth and collegiality that have always characterised IPEG gatherings. One moment stands out vividly for him: “At the 1997 IPEG meeting in Newcastle (also my first as convenor), Susan Strange, who was sitting beside me, leaned over and said, and I quote: ‘Damn fine book you just published (International Organization of Credit), everyone should read it!’. I almost fell out of my chair”. Another highlight: “Early in 1999 Chris Hill, then president of BISA, asked all convenors to recommend potential scholars to deliver the plenary lecture at that year's upcoming BISA meeting. I recommended Bob Cox, who in fact delivered that address (subsequently published in Review of International Studies as ‘Thinking About Civilizations’). Very proud moment!” Matthew Bishop, shares a similar experience of warmth and encouragement: “I remember going to my first BISA workshop and, as someone without a big-name supervisor or powerful networks, I was genuinely shocked at how friendly and inclusive the group was. It gave me a sense of belonging and made me realise I could be part of this community”.

Over the years, IPEG has developed into an intellectually open and dynamic group, a quality that has remained one of its core strengths. Through the 2000s, IPEG continued to grow in membership and scope. Paul Langley, who convened IPEG in the mid-2000s, remembers the energy and community spirit of this period. He highlights one particular workshop in Newcastle as a special high point and notes that by then, “there was a notable diversity of approaches to political economy and also a more expansive research agenda around a broad range of topics because ‘globalisation’ and US hegemony were now largely taken for granted and became the backdrop against which analysis took place”. A wide variety of intellectual traditions emerged within IPEG. As Stuart Shields notes “I've always found it [IPEG] to be remarkably non-sectarian and methodologically pluralist in the very best sense. It has offered a fortifying mix of intellectual home and social support for the best part of 25 years”.

One message that came through clearly from the many convenors I contacted while writing this, was the enduring relevance of IPE in making sense of contemporary political-economic challenges - from the Global Financial Crisis and subsequent austerity politics, to renewed debates on financialisation, the rise of emerging economic powers, and the return of geopolitics. These broader shifts also shape the higher education sector and the experiences of IPE scholars working within it. As current co-convenor Julia Calvert observes: “The last few years have been marked by sector-wide constraints, financial crises and labour disputes”. Nonetheless, she stresses the importance of IPE in addressing critical global issues: “trade and protectionism, economic statecraft (and the economic-security nexus), reforming global economic institutions, and mobilising finance for green transitions”. Other convenors noted the continuing importance of work on labour, care and gender within IPE. 

Throughout all these shifts, IPEG has provided vital support for early-career scholars. Ben Richardson (co-convenor 2019–2021) recalls: “An early IPEG memory is getting an ‘article’ (really a PhD lit review chapter) published in the working paper series... seeing my name alongside ‘proper’ IPE scholars gave me the feeling that I might just be able to edge my way into the field someday!”. IPEG’s emphasis on pedagogical development has also been notable. The group sponsored a number of Teaching IPE workshops during the 2010s - led by Chris Clarke and Johnna Montgomerie - ensuring that IPE remained a site of pedagogical as well as academic innovation.

Julia Calvert highlights the spirit of the current convening team, “I’ve had just a great time working with James, Filippo, Kubra, Martin and Pedro. They’re just a joy to work with - it’s clear we all share a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as an interest in creating lasting, meaningful relationships in the IPE community”. Other convenors too stressed the value of becoming an IPEG convenor. As Phoebe Moore writes, “The main highlight was the sheer levels of exposure to the tacit dimensions of academia that I experienced, which helped me develop my confidence and my career, and has led to lasting friendships”. 

Fifty-four years on, IPEG stands as more than just a working group, it is a vibrant, critical, and supportive community. While IPE scholarship now flourishes in other associations and networks, IPEG remains a key space within BISA. This was particularly evident at #BISA2025 in Belfast, where three IPE scholars were awarded major prizes for their contributions: Shirin Rai won the Susan Strange Best Book Prize (ironically, one of the few IPE titles to do so), Peter Newell received the Distinguished Contribution Prize, and Erin Hannah the Distinguished Contribution to Teaching Prize. These recent recognitions remind us how far IPEG has come and how deeply it has shaped the field of International Political Economy and International Studies more broadly.