Our history

BISA was proposed by the British Coordinating Committee for International Studies (BCCIS) in 1973. An inaugural meeting was held at the 14th Bailey Conference on International Studies at the University of Surrey, where a draft interim constitution was agreed upon. The first interim executive committee was:

• Professor A Buchan (University of Oxford): Chairman
• RJ Barry Jones (University of Reading): Secretary
• Susan Strange (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Treasurer
• Professor PA Reynolds (Lancaster University)
• Professor GL Goodwin (London School of Economics)
• Professor D Wightman (University of Birmingham)
• Dr CM Mason (University of Glasgow)
• Dr T Taylor (North Staffordshire Polytechnic)
• Professor A James (Keele University)
• Professor JE Spence (University of Leicester)

The Interim Committee proposed that BISA should serve the needs and reflect the interests of those engaged in research and teaching of international studies at advanced levels. The following members were co-opted onto the committee at the first Executive Committee meeting in January 1974:

• Professor I MacGibbon (University of Edinburgh)
• Professor Colin Cherry (Imperial College London)
• Professor DN Dilks (University of Leeds)
• Dr M Nicholson (Richardson Institute)
• P Oppenheimer (University of Oxford)

The first BISA conference was 'The New Dimensions of Foreign Policy' and was held at Lincoln College, Oxford.

On 2 January 1975, the first AGM was held and BISA was formally founded. Our first journal the British Journal of International Studies was established under the editorship of Professor JE Spence and published by Longman. The Interim Constitution was amended and adopted, and the Interim Executive Committee was elected for a further year.

By the second AGM, held during the BISA conference at Birmingham in December 1975, we had acquired charitable status. In addition, membership had increased from 80 members in January 1975 to 170 in December 1975.

You can find out more about our history, and the state of IR in the UK before BISA, in a summary article by Professor Barry Buzan.

Past officers

Past Chairs

• Professor Ruth Blakeley (University of Sheffield) 2020 - Present
• Professor Mark Webber (University of Birmingham) 2018-2020
• Professor Richard Whitman (University of Kent) 2017
• Professor Nicola Phillips (University of Sheffield) 2015-2016
• Professor Theo Farrell (King's College London) 2013-2014
• Professor Inderjeet Parmar (University of Manchester) 2011-2012 
• Professor Stuart Croft (University of Warwick) 2009-2010 
• Professor Colin McInnes (Aberystwyth University) 2007-2008 
• Professor Caroline Kennedy-Pipe (University of Hull) 2005-2006 
• Professor Paul Rogers (University of Bradford) 2003-2004 
• Professor Richard Little (University of Bristol) 2001-2002 
• Professor Christopher Hill (University of Cambridge) 1999-2000 
• Professor Chris Brown (London School of Economics) 1997-1998
• Professor Ken Booth (Aberystwyth University) 1995-1996 
• Professor Trevor Taylor (Cranfield University) 1993-1994
• Professor John Groom (University of Kent) 1991-1992
• Professor Barry Buzan (London School of Economics) 1988-1990
• Professor Jack Spence (King's College London) 1986-1987
• Professor Peter Nailor (University of Lancaster) 1984 -1985
• Professor Alan James (University of Keele) 1980-1983
• Professor David Wightman (University of Birmingham) 1977-1979
• Professor P Reynolds (Lancaster University) (Acting Chair) 1976
• Professor A Buchan (University of Oxford) 1974-1975

Past Secretaries

• Professor Toni Haastrup (University of Stirling) 2021 - present
• Professor Kyle Grayson (University of Newcastle) 2017 – 2021
• Dr Bela Arora (University of South Wales) - 2016
• Professor Ruth Blakeley (University Of Kent) 2011 - 2015
• Professor Richard Jackson (University of Aberystwyth) 2009-2011
• Dr Donna Lee (University of Birmingham) 2006 - 2008
• Dr Justin Morris (University of Hull) 1997 - 2005
• Dr Roger Carey (Glasgow Polytechnic) 1988 - 1996
• BA Roberson (University of Warwick) 1983 - 1987
• J Vincent 1980 - 1982
• Dr T Taylor (North Staffordshire Polytechnic) 1977 - 1979
• RJ Barry Jones (University of Reading) 1974 - 1976

Past Treasurers

• Dr Danielle Beswick (University of Birmingham) 2019 – 2022
• Professor Roland Dannreuther (University of Westminster) 2015 - 2019
• Professor David Galbreath (University of Bath) 2013 - 2014
• Dr Hugh Dyer (University of Leeds) 2010 - 2013
• Dr Stephanie Carvin (Royal Holloway, University of London) 2009 - 2010
• Dr Kim Hutchings (London School of Economics) 2007 - 2008
• Dr Neil Cooper (University of Bradford) 2004 - 2006
• Dr Inderjeet Parmar (University of Manchester) 2002 - 2003
• Dr Theo Farrell (King's College London) 1999 - 2001
• Dr Jenny Edkins (Aberystwyth University) 1996 - 1998
• BA Roberson (University of Warwick) 1988 - 1995
• Professor R Tooze (Nottingham Trent University) 1985 - 1988
• F Pinter 1981 - 1984
• R Kent 1977 - 1980
• Susan Strange (Royal Institute of International Affairs) 1974 - 1976