International Small Islands Studies Association

Election to the ISISA Executive Committee (2026-2030)

The new Executive Committee of the International Small Island Studies Association (ISISA) will be elected at the general meeting held at the upcoming Islands of the World conference in Shinan-gun, South Korea on 7-11 July 2026. The last election to the Executive Committee was held in Zadar, Croatia in June 2022.

The Executive Committee is ISISA’s governing body, responsible for administering ISISA as a membership association, planning Islands of the World conferences, and helping to guide the development of island studies as a research field. We wish to encourage interested individuals at all career stages and from all backgrounds to put their names forward as candidates. ISISA is a highly diverse and international association, which we hope to see reflected in the composition of the next Executive Committee.

Posts up for election

The Executive Committee consists of four office bearers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary) as well as three to five Ordinary Members. We are accepting nominations for all nine of these positions. The term of office is for four years, after which members must step down (members who step down may choose to run again at the next election). No payment or financial benefit is associated with holding a position on the Executive Committee; however, members gain the opportunity to influence the development of the association and the field, which may be said to be its own reward.

All members are expected to attend online meetings of the Executive Committee (approximately eight per year), and it is hoped that members will attend Islands of the World conferences that occur during their term. The President leads the executive with the support of the Vice President, and these two office bearers are responsible for coordinating the activities of the Executive Committee and of ISISA as a whole, both internally and together with external entities. The Secretary is responsible for taking minutes of official association meetings and for managing (or delegating management of) communication with the electorate. The Treasurer is responsible for managing the association’s accounts and its charitable status in Scotland. The Ordinary Members perform supplementary duties delegated by the President and Vice President. Finally, all members of the executive have voting rights within executive meetings. A major activity of Executive Committee members is to plan for future Islands of the World conferences.

Nominating yourself

Each candidate is only permitted to run for one position. If you wish to run for election, you must formally declare your candidacy by e-mail to the ISISA Nominating Committee by 14 June 2026 at the latest. Your declaration of candidacy must include:

• Your full name

• Your e-mail address

• Position for which you wish to run: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, or Ordinary Member

• Short statement presenting who you are, your experience in island studies, and why you wish to be elected (maximum 200 words – additional words will be omitted).

Please e-mail this declaration of candidacy to both members of the Nominating Committee: Gerard Persoon (persoonga@fsw.leidenuniv.nl) and Genève Phillip-Durham geneve.phillip@yahoo.com). In the subject line, please insert “ISISA 2026 nomination.”

Eligibility and electoral process

Election of the four office bearers will occur using the plurality voting system, and election of the five Ordinary Members will occur using the multi-member ranked choice voting system. All eligible individuals who declare their candidacy to the Nominating Committee will be included in the election (regardless of whether they are physically present at the general meeting in South Korea), and their short statements will be made available to all eligible voters. For the first time, it will be possible for all ISISA members to vote in the election, not just in person at the conference but also online.

To be eligible to run for election, you must be a current member of ISISA at the time of the election. Members include lifetime members, everyone who is attending the conference in South Korea this June, and everyone who paid membership dues sometime in the 12 months prior to June 2026. If you are unsure whether you are a member, please contact Treasurer Bobby Macaulay (bobby.macaulay.perth@uhi.ac.uk). If you have any questions concerning the election, please contact both members of the Nominating Committee.

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ISISA is a harassment-free zone, offering a welcoming and inclusive environment, where we respect each other, value diverse opinions, and speak and behave with decorum. If you should encounter any issues, please contact the President of ISISA, Dr. Laurie Brinklow (brinklow@upei.ca), at which time your concerns will be treated in confidence and with the utmost care. 

International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA), SC053127

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Next ISISA: Shinan, Korea - July 7 - 11, 2026