The British Institute at Ankara (BIAA) was founded in 1947 and incorporated in the 1956 cultural agreement between the Republic of Turkey and the United Kingdom. It is internationally renowned for conducting world-class research in Türkiye and the Black Sea region in the humanities and social sciences.
The BIAA is one of the eight British International Research Institutes (BIRI), which operate with the support of the British Academy and core funding, administered through the Academy, from the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
The BIRI play a vital role in conducting and supporting world-leading research, connecting researchers in the UK with academic and non-academic communities across the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and southern Europe, Africa, Türkiye, the Middle East, Iran and Central Asia.
The BIRI support students and scholars at all stages of their careers through a wide range of grants and opportunities, and organise varied programmes of online and in-person events in the UK and overseas.
As one of the British International Research Institutes (BIRI), the BIAA facilitates the work of UK-affiliated academics in Türkiye, and promotes collaborations with scholars based in Türkiye and the Black Sea region. It has offices in Ankara and London, and a dedicated staff of experts from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The objectives of the Institure are as follows:
The BIAA is a registered UK Charity, observed by a Council of Management in the UK. Its premises in Ankara are maintained by a small administrative and research staff, providing a Centre for Research Excellence for postdoctoral fellows, research scholars and visiting researchers. Archaeologist Dr Lutgarde Vandeput has been the Director of the BIAA since 2006.
To access the BIAA’s Articles of Association and most recent accounts, please follow the links below:
The Institute uses its financial, practical and administrative resources to support and conduct high-quality research focused on Turkish history, society and culture from prehistory to the present day. Particular attention is paid to the idea of Türkiye as a crossroads, to Türkiye’s interactions with the Black Sea region and its other neighbours, and to Türkiye as a distinctive creative and cultural hub from a global and regional perspective.
The BIAA supports a number of projects under the auspices of its Strategic Research Initiatives, which reflect current research concerns within the international and UK academic communities.
The Institute also offers a range of grants and fellowships to support research from postgraduate level onwards.
The Institute organises academic events (public lectures, round tables, workshops and conferences) on a regular basis in both Türkiye and the UK.
The BIAA’s research programme is overseen by a research committee comprised of UK-based academics from a range of fields in the humanities and social sciences.
