Inken von Borzyskowski and Felicity Vabulas awarded our 2026 Hedley Bull Prize

Inken von Borzyskowski (opens in a new tab) is Professor of international relations at Oxford University, a member of the Department of Politics and International Relations, and a fellow at St Catherine’s College. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her research focuses on the domestic politics of international relations with an emphasis on international organizations and their effect on domestic conflict and elections. Specifically, her research falls into three areas: international democracy assistance; election violence; and international organizations’ membership politics. In her first book, The Credibility Challenge: How Democracy Aid Influences Election Violence (Cornell University Press 2019), she develops and tests a theory of how international organizations can influence election violence by changing election credibility. In her recent co-authored book, Exit from International Organizations: Costly Negotiation for Institutional Change (Cambridge University Press 2025), she examines state exit from international organisations (withdrawals and suspensions). Her research is also published or forthcoming in Perspectives on Politics, British Journal of Political Science, International Studies Quarterly, Review of International Organizations, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Journal of Peace Research.

Her work has been supported by the British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship, the Philip Leverhulme Prize, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the World Bank, and the Swedish government’s Folke Bernadotte Academy. Previously, her research has received awards and prizes from the American Political Science Association, International Studies Association, and European Consortium for Political Research. She serves on the International Studies Quarterly Editorial Board, and as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Global Governance.

Felicity Vabulas (opens in a new tab) is the Blanche E. Seaver Associate Professor of International Studies at Pepperdine University where she also serves as the Faculty Advisor for Model United Nations. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2013.

Her research focuses on the political economy of international cooperation. Specifically, she is interested in when and why states change how they cooperate internationally and the implications this has for international relations. Her research includes examining states’ exit from international agreements, states’ engagement in informal modes of global governance, and states pushing for different foreign policy strategies through foreign lobbying.

Her research is published in the Review of International Organizations, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, Global Perspectives, Global Policy, European Journal of International Relations, International Politics and multiple edited volume chapters. She has been awarded a Seaver College Endowed Professorship and the Howard A. White Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her research has won prizes and awards from the American Political Science Association, International Studies Association, British International Studies Association, and the European Consortium for Political Research. Her research has been supported by the World Bank, the National Science Foundation, and the International Studies Association. She serves on the editorial boards for Journal of Politics and the American Journal of Political Science. Her recent public-facing scholarship includes publications at the United Nations University, Good Authority, Duck of Minerva, New Books in World Affairs Podcast, and the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage.