Three SIS Faculty Receive ISA Distinguished Scholar Awards
Three professors from 麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 School of International Service have been awarded prestigious Distinguished Scholar Awards from the International Studies Association (ISA), which recognize the lifetime contributions of exceptional scholars in their respective fields.
At the annual conference of the International Studies Association, held in Montreal in mid-March, Mohammed Abu-Nimer received the Peace Studies Section Distinguished Scholar Award; Amitav Acharya the Global International Relations Section Distinguished Scholar Award; and Miles Kahler the International Political Economy (IPE) Section Distinguished Scholar Award.
Although each of the awards is given each year, it is very rare for a single school to receive three such prestigious awards in a single year. 鈥淭his is a tribute to the School of International Service and its outstanding faculty. I was thrilled to learn the unprecedented news of our 鈥榯rifecta鈥 of superb career awardees,鈥 said Professor Matthew Taylor, interim associate dean of research at SIS.聽
The Distinguished Scholar awards are lifetime achievement awards that are given each year to a scholar in each of ISA鈥檚 sections who has a substantial record of research, practice, and/or publication in their field.
In the Peace Studies section, the selection committee noted in its award letter that it was deeply impressed by the breadth and quality of Abu-Nimer鈥檚 work on interreligious conflict resolution and faith-based peacebuilding, interfaith dialogues, and on incorporating peace and forgiveness into pedagogy in the Muslim world, as well as his expertise in conducting interfaith dialogue workshops and trainings globally.
The Global International Relations section committee named Acharya its inaugural Distinguished Scholar, praising his inspiring, rigorous, and intellectually challenging contributions to the field鈥檚 scholarship, as well as his exceptional mentorship of emerging scholars. During his Presidency of the ISA in 2014, Acharya also pioneered the call for global international relations and the selection committee emphasized how he has been a champion of the field.
Kahler was recognized by the International Political Economy section as an outstanding senior scholar whose influence and path-breaking intellectual work will continue to impact the international political economy field for years to come. The IPE selection committee especially noted his careful empirical research and original explication of major concepts including the political economy of debt, global governance, and regionalism.
Dr. Shannon Hader, dean of the School of International Service, noted how impressive this accomplishment is, stating, 鈥淪IS faculty are leaders in their respective fields and disciplines. As an interdisciplinary school of international relations, I鈥檓 so pleased to recognize three scholars who have received honors from their home disciplines. Their scholarship, drawing on and merging different disciplinary traditions, is a key reason our school is a leader in the field of international studies.鈥