Robert Mattes, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Strathclyde is among 74 new Fellows elected to the Academy of Social Sciences.
The autumn cohort comes from a range of research and practice areas including digital democracy, environmental sustainability, global justice, mental health and wellbeing, and social inequalities.
Their work highlights the vital role of the social sciences in understanding and helping to address some of the complex societal challenges facing the UK and the world today.
Substantial contributions
As well as excellence in research and the professional application of social science, the new Fellows have also made substantial contributions beyond academia, including in policy, public service, industry and civil society.
Professor Mattes is co-founder and Senior Adviser of Afrobarometer, a regular survey of over 35 countries in Africa. Along with colleagues at Bristol, Reading and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, he was also recently awarded a grant from the European Research Council to study the role of political parties in advancing or eroding democracy in Africa.
Professor Mattes said: “It’s very gratifying to have your work honoured in this way and also an important recognition of the place of empirical social science in Africa.”
Influential voices
President of the Academy, Will Hutton FAcSS, said: “Our newest Fellows represent some of the most influential voices in social science today. Their work is expanding knowledge, challenging assumptions and generating insights that are informing and even redefining decision making across government, business, education and civil society.
“I am delighted to welcome them to the Academy and look forward to working with them to raise the profile and impact of the social sciences across the UK and beyond.”
The Academy’s Fellowship is made up of 1,750 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors, with their practice and research helping to understand and address some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies.
The new Fellows have been elected from 38 UK organisations, including 36 universities, as well as think tanks, research institutes, public research funding bodies, and from countries beyond the UK including Canada, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and New Zealand.
All Academy Fellows are elected through an independent peer review.