Girton College’s former mistress has been appointed president of the British Academy, the UK’s national body for the Humanities and Social sciences.

Professor Susan J Smith has pledged to use the Academy’s platform to fight for the education sector, as numerous institutions face collapse.

A current life fellow at Girton college and Emerita Honorary Professor of Social and Economic Geography at Cambridge, Smith will take up the office in July 2025 for a four-year term.

Prof Smith was mistress of Girton College for 13 years from 2009 to 2022, before being succeeded by Dr Elisabeth Kendall.

The Academy’s fellowship consists of more than 1000 scholars. Professor Smith was elected to the fellowship in 2008.

Established in 1902, the stated aims of the Academy are to “speak up for the humanities and social sciences, invest in the very best research, inform and enrich debate, ensure international engagement and make the most out of the Academy’s assets”.

The Academy has historically involved many famous British scholars such as John Maynard Keynes, C.S. Lewis, and Isaiah Berlin. Previous presidents include life peer Randolph Quirk and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour.

The body said that Prof Smith has “an international reputation for her research” in the fields of human geography and housing studies.

The Academy highlighted Smith’s work on the links between “housing, inequality, health and wellbeing” as an area deserving of praise, which has been “funded by research councils, public bodies and charitable trusts”.

Professor Smith said: “At a time of acute difficulty for UK higher education, I am determined to maintain the position of the Academy as a loud and leading voice for the sector, defending our values and harnessing our energies to inform debate and catalyse change.”

Last week, the Sunday Times reported that UK universities face a “cash catastrophe,” with three leading institutions reportedly close to collapse. The University and Colleges Union (UCU) has been holding crisis talks with Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, urging the government to save jobs.

Prof Smith also said: “The humanities and social sciences are a beacon of hope in uncertain times: it is impossible to overstate their capacity to enrich people’s lives and address the pressing issues of our age.”