Three DPIR academics awarded top prizes by the International Studies Association
Congratulations to DPIR Professors Patricia Owens, Laura Sjoberg and Inken von Borzyskowski, who have all been awarded top prizes by the International Studies Association (ISA).
Professor of International Relations Laura Sjoberg received the Eminent Scholar award in the Feminist Theory and Gender Studies section in recognition of ‘outstanding contributions to the field of feminist theory and gender studies’.
The award committee remarked on ‘her consistently excellent scholarship, teaching, community building and mentoring, and supporting and acting as an inspiration to other young feminist scholars.’
Professor Sjoberg said: “I am honoured and humbled by the award and hope that I can someday approximate giving back to the feminist theory and gender studies section all of the support, conversation, and community it has given me.”
Meanwhile Professor of International Relations Patricia Owens received two prizes from the ISA for her book Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men (Princeton, 2015) which examines how a field built on the intellectual labour and authority of women later erased them. The book is both a recovery history of these women and a history of a scholarly field.
The book won both the Francesco Guicciardini Prize in the Historical International Relations section and the Theory Section Best Book Award.
Professor Owens said: “I’m delighted and deeply honoured that Erased has received these two awards.
“It means a great deal to have that work recognized by peers, and I’m especially pleased to see historical and theoretical scholarship valued in this way”
And Professor in International Relations Inken von Borzyskowski won the Chadwick Alger prize in the International Organization section jointly with Felicity Vabulas for their co-authored book Exit from International Organizations: Costly Negotiation for Institutional Change (Cambridge University Press, 2025). In the book, they argue that countries leave international organisations when they are dissatisfied or diverge in preferences, using exit as a strategic tool to push for change, but that doing so carries significant reputational and cooperation costs.
The award committee remarked that they were ‘deeply impressed by the theoretical ambition, empirical depth, and policy relevance….’ and that '....Exit from IOs stands out as a landmark contribution—possibly the most significant book on international organisations published in the past decade.'
Professor von Borzyskowski said: “We are thrilled to win this book award from the International Studies Association. It is a wonderful recognition of our efforts over several years, and the kind of impact we had wanted to make.
“It is a great honour to receive the Chadwick Alger Award, as he dedicated his research to the UN system and conflict resolution, and influenced the worlds of academia and practice.”
The awards were presented at the ISA’s annual convention in Columbus, Ohio this week.
