SMU President Professor Lily Kong has been elected a Fellow of The British Academy – the United Kingdom’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. The recognition celebrates her long-standing scholarship in social and cultural geography, her urban research, and her outstanding leadership in higher education. The Fellowship is considered one of the highest honours, a “mark of distinction”, as only a very small number of scholars in any field are elected.
Founded in 1902, The British Academy Fellowship is awarded to distinguished scholars worldwide who have made exceptional contributions to advancing our understanding of the human experience and shaping more resilient and sustainable futures. This year, 58 new Fellows from 25 UK universities, and 30 International Fellows from across the globe join a prestigious international community committed to advancing the humanities and social sciences through innovative research and thought leadership.
Prof Kong’s election holds special personal significance. “I had the great privilege of being mentored by wonderful advisers in Britain during the years I worked on my PhD. I have had the great pleasure of collaborating and co-publishing with other British scholars in the ensuing decades. This great honour of election to The British Academy is a tribute to all those who have been part of my intellectual journey from around the world, and especially from Britain, where it all began for me.”
Prof Kong’s research addresses diverse phenomena including intercommunal relations, identities and social cohesion; cultural politics, cultural policies and industries; creative economies, creative and smart cities; as well as natural and cultural heritages. Her scholarship has particularly illuminated Asia’s dynamic social and cultural transformations, demonstrating how the humanities and social sciences can meaningfully inform societal change and sustainable development.
In addition to her role as SMU President, Prof Kong serves as the Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Social Sciences and is concurrently appointed at SMU’s College of Integrative Studies. Her interdisciplinary and integrative approach exemplifies her commitment to leveraging scholarly insights to address societal challenges.
Professor Susan J. Smith, President of the British Academy, warmly welcomed the new Fellows, stating, “They bring years of experience, evidence-based arguments, and innovative thinking to the profound challenges of our age: managing the economy, enabling democracy, and securing the quality of human life.”
Elected alongside eminent scholars from prestigious universities globally, Prof Kong joins the ranks of current British Academy Fellows such as renowned classicist Professor Dame Mary Beard (University of Cambridge), historian and China expert Professor Rana Mitter (University of Oxford), and Professor of Law Anne Davies (University of Oxford); International Fellows such as Professor of Business Administration Mats Alvesson (Lund University), Judge Hilary Charlesworth, Professor of International Law (Melbourne University), and Professor Amy Finkelstein (MIT) whose work focuses on applied economics, with particular emphasis on healthcare and health insurance. The Academy also includes among its Honorary Fellows distinguished figures such as Baroness Brenda Hale, formerly President of the UK Supreme Court, and Mr Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation.
Besides Prof Kong, this year’s new International Fellows include, for example, historian Ann M Blair (Harvard University), professor of economics and global affairs Pinelopi Goldberg (Yale University), and anthropologist Sarah Green (University of Helsinki).
Prof Kong’s Fellowship recognises her impact as a scholar and leader who bridges academia and practice, Asia and the world, reflecting the enduring significance of the humanities and social sciences in navigating global change.
For more information about the new Fellows, please visit: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/.
