Ulman Lindenberger International Fellow of the British Academy
Recognition for outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences
Ulman Lindenberger, Director of the Center for Lifespan Psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, has been elected an International Fellow of the British Academy. The honor was conferred during this year’s Annual General Meeting of the Academy and represents the highest distinction the British Academy bestows on scholars residing outside the United Kingdom.
With this election, the Academy recognizes Lindenberger’s outstanding scholarly achievements in the humanities and social sciences. The German-Italian psychologist and neuroscientist has studied the interplay of maturation, learning, and aging. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of individual differences in cognitive development across the human lifespan. Lindenberger has published over 475 scientific papers and has received numerous honors, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Most recently, he was also elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society. He is furthermore a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Founded in 1902, the British Academy is the United Kingdom’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It brings together over 1,800 leading minds in these disciplines and is dedicated to supporting outstanding research and fostering dialogue between science and society. Fellows of the Academy—from both the UK and abroad—play a central role in its work: they contribute to research funding, advise policymakers and the public, support early-career researchers, and help shape public discourse on socially relevant topics, for example through events.
This year, 58 new Fellows have been elected from 25 universities across the United Kingdom, alongside 30 International Fellows from institutions in the United States, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, China, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and Cyprus. Four Honorary Fellows have also been elected in recognition of their exceptional achievements in music, art, journalism and librarianship.
Professor Susan J. Smith PBA, new President of the British Academy, said: “One of my first acts as the incoming President of the British Academy is to welcome this year’s newly elected Fellows. What a line-up! With specialisms ranging from the neuroscience of memory to the power of music and the structural causes of poverty, they represent the very best of the humanities and social sciences. They bring years of experience, evidence-based arguments and innovative thinking to the profound challenges of our age: managing the economy, enabling democracy, and securing the quality of human life.”
Election is regarded as a mark of exceptional scholarly excellence.
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