University of St Andrews Professor elected as Academy of Social Sciences Fellow

Professor Gurchathen Singh Sanghera,  Professor of International Relations, is one of 74 new Fellows elected to the Academy of Social Sciences from 39 UK organisations, comprising 35 Higher Education Institutions, as well as think tanks, non-profits, civil service, and from countries beyond the UK including Australia, the Czech Republic, Finland and Ireland.

Professor Sanghera’s research explores the complexities of social justice and examines the ways in which different forms of discrimination intersect (for example caste, class, gender, geographic, sexual and religious) to shape people’s everyday lives, and how people respond to such processes. Much of his research has focused on human rights, children’s rights, living rights, and the politics of race and ethnicity across research sites such as India, Liberia, Haiti, England and Scotland. More recently, his research has explored experiences of death, dying, mourning and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on his nomination, Prof Sanghera said: “It is a great honour and privilege to have been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. At a time when societies around the world are facing profound challenges, there is an urgent need for the social science community to address pressing issues relating to conflict, inequality, racism, the rise of authoritarianism, and the climate crisis.”

Head of the School of International Relations at St Andrews, Professor Fiona McCallum Guiney said: “Professor Sanghera’s fellowship is richly deserved. It is wonderful to see his outstanding contribution to the discipline honoured in this way.”

President of the Academy, 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 including working with Indigenous communities in the Arctic to better understand climate risk, memory retrieval processes in legal contexts, social inequalities, economic policy and tackling hate crime. We look forward to working with them to further promote the important role the social sciences play in our daily lives.”

The Academy’s Fellowship comprises 1,700 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors. Its Fellows’ expertise covers the breadth of the social sciences, and their practice and research helps to understand and address some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies.

All Academy Fellows are elected for their excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit. Selection is through an independent peer review which recognises their excellence and impact.