A festive message from BISA Chair, Juanita Elias
As we approach the end of 2025, I want to extend my warmest thanks to all BISA members and trustees for your continued dedication to our association and to the discipline of International Studies. This has been another remarkable year for BISA, and I am grateful for the energy and expertise you all bring to the BISA community - thank you!
2025 was our 50th anniversary year – celebrated at our Belfast conference and in a series of blog posts and other events. You can watch recordings of 'New dimensions, 50 years on: Reflections on continuity and change in global politics' and '50 years and counting: reflecting on the discipline and profession of International Studies' if you missed them.
It has been fascinating to look back at BISA’s history and how it has evolved as an association. We are certainly bigger, more diverse and more international than ever before. At the same time, much remains the same: our commitment to supporting our members to pursue and disseminate field defining research, and to develop as educators; our efforts to further the links between academia and policy communities; and the value we place on the scholarly networks that make our association so vibrant.
We are already looking ahead with excitement to the 2026 conference in Brighton, where we will continue to build on this momentum and create further opportunities for intellectual exchange. Please keep an eye out for the conference programme which will come out mid-January 2026. We also have some other new and exciting initiatives on the horizon that you will be hearing more about soon!
I of course recognise that this message comes amid a challenging time for the higher education sector, and I want to provide reassurance that BISA remains steadfast in defending our discipline and supporting our members through these difficulties. We will continue to advocate for the conditions that enable critical, independent scholarship to flourish.
As we move into the new year, I wish all members and trustees a restful and peaceful break, and I look forward to working with you all in 2026.
Photo by Frede Langlois on Unsplash