The only academic to be elected from a Northern Ireland university in the 2025 intake, Prof Ní Aoláin (pictured, below right) joins 58 new Fellows from 25 universities across the UK. This year’s cohort sees an increased number of UK Fellows elected, due to new Fellowship places for candidates whose research spans more than one discipline.

There are also 30 new international Fellows spanning the United States, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, China, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and Cyprus.

Four Honorary Fellows have also been elected for 2025 in recognition of their exceptional achievements in music, art, journalism and librarianship.

Distinguished community

Among this year’s newly elected Fellows are pioneering academics Professor Lily Kong BBM, PPA, FBA, the first Singaporean woman to lead a university in Singapore, and Professor Jonathan D Jansen FBA, the first Black Vice Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State, now Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University.

They all join a community of over 1,800 scholars who share a commitment to advancing the humanities and social sciences. Current British Academy Fellows include classicist Professor Dame Mary Beard, the historian and China expert Professor Rana Mitter and philosopher Professor Baroness Onora O’Neill. The Academy also counts Professor David Olusoga, Baroness Brenda Hale, and Professor Gary Younge among its Honorary Fellows.

Commenting on the news, Prof Ní Aoláin said:

"I am really grateful for all the support Queen's has given me to undertake my research and teaching work, to achieve this honor. I hope it will enable even greater reach and impact for my work and for Queen's School of Law."

Professor Susan J Smith PBA, new President of the British Academy, added:

"One of my first acts as the incoming President of the British Academy is to welcome this year’s newly elected Fellows. What a line-up! With specialisms ranging from the neuroscience of memory to the power of music and the structural causes of poverty, they represent the very best of the humanities and social sciences. 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.

“This year, we have increased the number of new Fellows by nearly ten percent to cover some spaces between disciplines. Champions of research excellence, every new Fellow enlarges our capacity to interpret the past, understand the present, and shape resilient, sustainable futures. It is a privilege to extend my warmest congratulations to them all."

For the full list of all 92 Fellows elected in 2025, see British Academy website.

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Inquiries to Una Bradley u.bradley@qub.ac.uk