BISA at 50: Reflections and perspectives - Finding our voice and bridging the gap

As part of our 50th anniversary reflections and perspectives series, we asked some #BISA2025 delegates to share their reflections of the 50th anniversary conference which took place in Belfast. Here we share reflections from Assala Khettache, a PhD student at Aberystwyth and chair of the Postgraduate Network, and Eve Harrison-Taylor, undergraduate student at Sheffield and BISA communications intern. 

Assala Khettache - Finding our voice at #BISA2025: The role of ECRs in shaping the discipline

As Chair of the Postgraduate Network, I came to BISA’s 50th Anniversary Conference in Belfast with a sense of anticipation, not only about the big questions the discipline would ask of itself, but about how ECRs and PhDs would find their place within those conversations. For many, this was their first time at BISA, and we in the PGN were glad to offer a space that recognised just how important those first steps can be. The Postgraduate Network and First Timers Meet-Up quickly became one of the most quietly important moments of the conference. It offered a chance to connect, to ask questions freely, and to feel — perhaps for the first time — a genuine sense of belonging within the academic community.

For those of us working in security studies, several sessions offered both direction and encouragement. The Future of Security Studies roundtable brought together leading voices to reflect on how the field has evolved, from Cold War paradigms to today’s shifting threats, and what it might yet become. The Publishing in War and Security Studies session provided equally practical insight. Editors spoke openly about the publishing process, encouraging us to know our audience, stake clear claims, and see publishing not as a gate to pass but as an ongoing conversation.

At the #BISA2025 Chair Roundtable, attention turned to the longer arc of the discipline: its turning points, tensions, and transformations. There was an honest reckoning with the risks of intellectual stagnation, but also a recognition of BISA’s vital role in sustaining intellectual diversity and creating space for critical thinking within international studies.

For those of us at the start of our academic journeys, #BISA2025 showed that the strength of the discipline lies not only in its scholarship, but in the networks of support, mentorship, and exchange that make it possible to think critically in the first place, and how fortunate we were to experience all of that in Belfast — a city where conflict, and resilience are etched into the streets, and where conversations about international politics felt especially alive.

Eve Harrison-Taylor - Bridging the gap: An undergraduate perspective on #BISA2025

Attending #BISA2025 was a truly transformative experience - not only as a second-year undergraduate studying politics and IR, but also in my role as the BISA communications intern. For three months leading up to the conference, I worked behind the scenes with the BISA team, helping prepare for what would become the most enriching events of my academic journey so far.

Before the conference I was extremely excited, but also nervous, wondering where my place might be, as an undergraduate whose longest piece of written work was the 2500 essay I had submitted the week before! However, my nerves were immediately dissipated as I quickly found out how warm and genuinely passionate the scholars attending were. My passion for IR was not only reaffirmed - it was reinvigorated by the inspiring people I met. The scholars I had long admired turned out to be as approachable as they were accomplished.

From meeting Cynthia Enloe - an academic hero of mine - who encouraged me to reach out to her any time with questions, to the 5km fun run I ran on Thursday morning where eight of us discussed everything from running watches to our favourite academic articles, everything was a space of connection.

Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment was key for the BISA team, and I’m proud to have contributed to making that vision a reality. What once felt intimidating now feels like a world I’m continually excited to be part of. And for any student wondering whether there’s a place for them at events like BISA: there absolutely is. And sometimes, all it takes is one conversation - or one 5km run - to realise that you belong.