In 2021, the Academy marks its 50th anniversary.
The Academy was formally incorporated on 7 July 1971 by members of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). The SSRC in turn was founded in 1942, and was replaced by the new Academy.
As Academy Fellow and Past President Professor Stuart Macintyre explains in The Poor Relation: A History of Social Sciences in Australia, the Academy was established to pursue a new vision of the social sciences; ‘sharing a common purpose and method [and] marking out a distinctive domain of knowledge… [which] met important needs and augmented national capacity’ (2010: 51). The Academy’s legacy of recognising excellence in social science research and developing sound evidence-based advice stands strong today.
Celebrating 50 years
There are a range of events and activities taking place this year to celebrate the Academy’s 50th anniversary. Keep an eye on our anniversary website and social media channels for news and updates.
- Brisbane Fellows dinner – taking place on Wednesday 7 July. Places for this dinner have now booked out, but we hope to hold more events in QLD soon.
- Canberra Birthday event. Due to the current COVID outbreak and restrictions the 50th birthday event planned for 7 July in Canberra has been postponed, and will announce a new date and time shortly. Please register your interest in attending here to be the first to receive updates.
Keep an eye out for more birthday events happening in your state later in the year.