Catz Fellow awarded prestigious international prize for new book

Professor Inken von Borzyskowski, Fellow and Director of PPE at St Catherine’s College, has been awarded the 2026 Chadwick Alger Prize by the International Studies Association for her recent book, Exit from International Organizations: Costly Negotiation for Institutional Change (Cambridge University Press), co-authored with Professor Felicity Vabulas.

The prize recognises the best book published in the field of international organisations in the previous year and is named after Chadwick Alger, a leading twentieth-century political scientist and peace researcher.

In Exit from International Organizations, Professors von Borzyskowski and Vabulas examine why states leave international organisations, whether through voluntary withdrawal or forced suspension, and what the consequences of those decisions are. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset spanning 198 states, 534 organisations and more than a century of history, the book develops a unified theory of exit, arguing that withdrawal is not simply disengagement but a strategic tool used by states to negotiate institutional change. The research highlights that while exit can signal dissatisfaction, it is often costly and carries significant reputational and diplomatic consequences.

The award committee praised the book’s ambition, rigour and impact, noting:

“The Committee was deeply impressed by the theoretical ambition, empirical depth, and policy relevance of Exit from International Organizations.

The book develops the first unified theory of exit from international organizations, covering both voluntary withdrawals and forced suspensions, and conceptualizes exit not as disengagement but as a strategic bargaining tool for institutional or domestic change. The authors advance a rational equilibrium theory that demonstrates the paradoxical nature of exit: while it is a costly signal of dissatisfaction, it rarely delivers efficiency gains and often leads states to rejoin after renegotiation.

Methodologically, the book represents a major empirical achievement. The authors compile a comprehensive International Organization Exit Dataset covering 198 states and 534 IOs over more than a century (1914–2022). This dataset is a genuine public good that will benefit the IO research community for years to come, allowing scholars to study exit dynamics systematically rather than relying on anecdotal cases.

The Committee also appreciated the book’s fit with Chadwick Alger’s legacy. Alger emphasized the interconnections between international institutions, domestic politics, and civil society. Exit from IOs captures this interaction by showing how IO membership decisions are influenced by domestic political contestation, and how suspensions and withdrawals affect not only states but the broader ecosystem of cooperation and legitimacy in global governance.

In the Committee’s collective view, Exit from IOs stands out as a landmark contribution, possibly the most significant book on international organizations published in the past decade.”

This latest recognition builds on Professor von Borzyskowski’s wider body of work in international relations, including her previous book, The Credibility Challenge: How Democracy Aid Influences Election Violence.

St Catz warmly congratulates Professor von Borzyskowski on this recognition, highlighting the impact of her research and the depth of academic work within the College.

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Find out more about Professor von Borzyskowski, here.