We are delighted to confirm that Professor Les Back has taken up the role of BSA President, stepping up from Vice President.

Many members will know Les’s work and his long-standing contribution to sociology. He is Head of Sociology in the School of Social & Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow, and was previously Director of the Centre for Urban and Community Research at Goldsmiths, University of London.

On taking up the presidency, Les said:

It’s been a busy time taking over the BSA Presidency from Rachel Brooks. The first thing I want to say is how much I appreciate the massive amount of work Rachel has done in her time as president, diligent, quietly rigorous and honourable, in ways that are so characteristic of her, professionally and personally.

One of my priorities this year is to connect with sociology teachers in schools across the UK. In November, Paul Campbell and I contributed to the Cambridge OCR Sociology subject forum hosted by Tom Genillard. OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and Royal Society of the Arts) is an awarding organisation offering a broad portfolio of general and vocational qualifications – including GCSEs and A Levels. This year, I plan to visit as many schools as I can to speak with sociology students across the UK.

Through OCR, I have already been to Nelson and Colne Sixth Form in Lancashire, where CLR James lived in the 1930s. I’ve also just recorded a podcast with Katie Tyler and Duncan Hall for the Sociology Staffroom Podcast.

As well as supporting early- and mid-career colleagues in these difficult times in HE, I want to bring the ideas we cherish into public discussions. I’ve just written a celebration of broadcaster Laurie Taylor at 90, and the newly elected BSA Vice President and I are soon to record a conversation with Laurie on grand theory and the future of sociology for his BBC Radio 4 programme, Thinking Allowed.

I have also been collecting and reading as many Presidential Addresses as I can find from previous BSA Presidents in preparation for our 75th Anniversary Conference in April in Manchester.

We also offer our sincere thanks to Professor Rachel Brooks as she completes her term as President. Rachel has given a great deal of time, leadership and thought to the Association, and we are grateful for the contribution she has made on behalf of our members and the wider discipline.