Emeritus Professor Hartley Dean and Professor Hyun Bang Shin (left to right)
Two LSE academics have become Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Emeritus Professor Hartley Dean and Professor Hyun Bang Shin are among 64 distinguished Fellows who have been elected to the Academy this spring.
The Academy of Social Sciences is the national academy of academics, practitioners and learned societies in the social sciences. Fellows are recognised for excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit. Selection is through an independent peer review which considers excellence and impact.
Emeritus Professor Hartley Dean, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy was elected to the Academy for this key work on poverty, social justice and welfare rights.
Commenting on his nomination, Professor Hartley Dean said: “It is humbling yet gratifying to have been conferred a Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences. It is 40 years since I was first drawn from my experiences as a front-line welfare rights worker into academia, and to academic Social Policy as a quintessentially multi- and interdisciplinary social science subject.
“I became, and am now more than ever, convinced of the importance of all the social sciences when it comes to a theoretical understanding, and the practical pursuit, of social justice, whether at a local or the global level. So, I am proud to be associated with a body that seeks urgently to promote the relevance of social science as a whole to the rapidly changing, and in many respects perilous, age through which we currently live.”
Professor Hyun Bang Shin, from the Department of Geography and Environment, was elected in recognition of his pioneering contributions to critical urban studies and urban geography.
By problematising conventional perspectives and established paradigms, Professor Shin has contributed to profoundly reshaping the understandings of contemporary urban transformation, foregrounding the socio-political dynamics of cities in rapidly developing world regions. His work on gentrification, urban growth politics, urban struggles, and the circulation of urbanism manifests his dedication to addressing pressing urban challenges, advancing critical urban scholarship, and advocating social justice.
Commenting on his nomination, Professor Hyun Bang Shin said: “I am deeply honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. This recognition affirms the importance of critical and grounded perspectives in understanding the dynamics of urban change, especially in rapidly transforming world regions of East and Southeast Asia.
“My work seeks to (re-)interpret the urbanising experiences of these regions, shedding light on the intersections of state power, global/domestic capital, and urban inequality. I’m grateful to my colleagues, collaborators, and students around the world who continually inspire me. This fellowship is not only a personal honour but also a reflection of the collective effort to bring about more just and inclusive urban futures.”