Professor John Arnold elected Fellow of the British Academy

Our warmest congratulations to Professor John Arnold, Fellow in Medieval History at King’s, who has been made a Fellow of the British Academy.

John is among the six Cambridge academics and 92 distinguished scholars elected to the British Academy’s Fellowship in 2026 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences. Find the full list here.

Part of this year’s cohort too is Professor Rebecca Cassidy (Department of Social Anthropology), who has just been elected a Bye Fellow at King’s. 

Welcoming the new intake, the President of the British Academy, Professor Susan J. Smith, said:

"At a time when society is grappling with radical uncertainty in the face of technological, economic and environmental change, the humanities and social sciences have never been more important. Insights from economics, geography and political studies help us navigate geopolitical tensions, while literature, history and philosophy... fuel our creative industries and help people to better understand themselves and each other."

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The British Academy, founded in 1902, is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It is a Fellowship consisting of over 1,800 of the world's leading minds in these subjects, acting as both a major funder of national and international research and a forum for public debate.