The School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study is pleased to announce its 2026–27 Members. This exceptional cohort of 21 scholars was chosen from a pool of more than 600 fellowship applications.

Half of the 2026–27 Members are pursuing projects connected to the School's annual theme, "Emerging Forces in Global Political Economy." Their research topics range from China's historical emergence as a formative actor in the world economy, to the late-twentieth-century turn away from multilateral toward bilateral economic agreements, to the socio-political consequences of accelerating global wealth concentration—dynamics that together continue to define the terms and tensions of international order.

The Institute for Advanced Study’s commitment to ambitious social science inquiry dates back to its founding years. The School of Social Science, established in 1973, carries that vision forward with critical approaches to social research—theoretical, interpretive, and empirical—and the multidisciplinary, multi-method, and multinational perspectives that make such inquiry possible. Each year the School convenes scholars from across the social sciences and related disciplines, including anthropology, economics, history, law, political science, and sociology, to pursue their research within a rich residential environment of intellectual discussion and exchange.

Learn more about the 2026–27 Members and their research.