skip to content

Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)

Read more at: New Book: Dr James Wood explores the 'Polycentric Innovation State' in the US
States of Innovation Driving the American Economy in the 21st Century news release

New Book: Dr James Wood explores the 'Polycentric Innovation State' in the US

18 December 2025

The Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) is pleased to announce the publication of a new book by Dr James Wood , Associate Teaching Professor in Political Economy, titled States of Innovation: Driving the American Economy in the 21st Century (Bristol University Press). In 'States of Innovation', Dr Wood...


Read more at: Dr Philip Towle (in memoriam)
Philip Towle in memoriam

Dr Philip Towle (in memoriam)

2 December 2025

We are sorry to announce the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend, Dr Philip Towle. Philip retired from Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies in September 2012, but remained active in the Department through the examination of theses. Philip joined the then Centre of International Studies in...


Read more at: Dr Ilias Alami Wins Prestigious 2025 BISA-IPEG Book Prize
Congratulations to Dr Ilias Alami, the winner of the 2025 BISA Prize

Dr Ilias Alami Wins Prestigious 2025 BISA-IPEG Book Prize

12 November 2025

Dr. Ilias Alami , Assistant Professor in the Political Economy of Development at the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded the British International Studies Association (BISA) – International Political Economy Working Group (IPEG) 2025 Book Prize for his...


Read more at: Professor James Mayall (in memoriam)
James Mayall Tribute Header

Professor James Mayall (in memoriam)

6 November 2025

We pass on the sad news of the death of Emeritus Prof. James Mayall (14 April 1937 - 5 November 2025). James was the first Sir Patrick Sheehy Professor of International Relations at Cambridge, 1997-2004, after having been Lecturer and then later Professor of International Relations at the LSE from 1966. He was instrumental...


Read more at: The 2025 R.A. Butler Prize winners have been announced
2025 Butler Prize Winners Congratulations photo

The 2025 R.A. Butler Prize winners have been announced

16 September 2025

The R.A. Butler Prize for essays in politics and international studies is an annual competition open to students in Year 12 or the Lower 6th. Established in memory of the former Master of Trinity College, Lord Butler, who most famously served as Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer, and who was responsible for...


Read more at: Antoine Sander Wins 2025 Lisa Smirl PhD Prize
Congratulations to Antoine Sander header

Antoine Sander Wins 2025 Lisa Smirl PhD Prize

5 August 2025

The Department of Politics and International Studies is delighted to announce that Antoine Sander is the 2025 winner of the Lisa Smirl PhD Prize for the best PhD thesis completed in the previous academic year. Antoine's winning thesis is titled "Social Media, Radical Democracy, and the Popular Public Sphere: Digital...


Read more at: Announcing the Winners of the 2025 PhD Fieldwork Photography Competition!
Winners of the 2025 PhD Fieldwork Photography Competition Announced

Announcing the Winners of the 2025 PhD Fieldwork Photography Competition!

30 July 2025

The Department of Politics and International Studies is thrilled to announce the winners of this year's PhD Fieldwork Photography Competition ! Each year, this competition celebrates the incredible visual work our PhD students capture during their fieldwork, showcasing the diverse and profound ways they engage with their...


Read more at: Professor Duncan Kelly Appointed as Professor of Politics
Congratulations Professor Duncan Kelly

Professor Duncan Kelly Appointed as Professor of Politics

30 July 2025

The Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge is delighted to announce the appointment of Duncan Kelly as Professor of Politics (effective 1 July 2025). His election to this position marks a significant new milestone in Professor Kelly's distinguished career at Cambridge, where...


Read more at: Cambridge PhD Student Honoured for Exceptional Contributions to Access and Widening Participation
Cambridge PhD Student Abii-Tah Bih Honoured for Exceptional Contributions to Access and Widening Participation

Cambridge PhD Student Honoured for Exceptional Contributions to Access and Widening Participation

7 July 2025

Abii-Tah Bih, a PhD student in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded for her outstanding work in widening participation for aspiring African postgraduates. Ms. Bih received a prestigious Cambridge SU Award for Contributions to Access and Widening...


Read more at: Farhana Afrin Rahman Honoured with L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize for "After the Exodus"
Dr Farhana Afrin Rahman Winner of the 2025 BISA L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize

Farhana Afrin Rahman Honoured with L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize for "After the Exodus"

24 June 2025

We are thrilled to announce that Dr Farhana Afrin Rahman has been awarded the prestigious L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize at the 2025 BISA Awards for her ground-breaking work, After the Exodus: Gender and Belonging in Bangladesh's Rohingya Refugee Camps (Cambridge University Press). The L.H.M. Ling Outstanding...