Members Approve New BRISMES Membership Fees for 2027
BRISMES members have approved new BRISMES membership fees for 2027, following a vote at the Society’s 2026 Annual General Meeting.
Over recent years, BRISMES has significantly expanded its work, to include more outreach events, academic freedom and advocacy initiatives, prizes, and support for early career scholars. This expansion has required increased staffing, while our costs have also risen as a result of inflation. Yet, BRISMES’ membership fee structure has remained the same since 2021. Meanwhile, our community of members has changed considerably over the past 5 years. As of late 2025, almost half of the Society’s members were students or had graduated within the previous two years. This is a positive reflection of the engagement of the newest generation of Middle East scholars with BRISMES, but it also has implications for the Society’s income, given that this section of the membership pay lower membership fees.
The new fees will come into effect on 1 January 2027 and will help BRISMES maintain a sustainable financial foundation.The new annual membership fees will be:
| Membership Category | 2027 fee |
| Earning £80,000 or more | £175 |
| Earning £60,000–£79,999 | £145 |
| Earning £50,000–£59,999 | £120 |
| Earning £40,000–£49,999 | £110 |
| Earning £30,000–£39,999 | £80 |
| Earning below £29,999 | £65 |
| Retired | £65 |
| Students or recently graduated (within 2 years) | £45 |
| Unwaged | £45 |
BRISMES’ membership structure remains progressive, with members on higher incomes contributing more through their membership fees. The 20% discount for scholars based in the Global South and the 10% discount for members paying by standing order will also remain in place.
All members will still receive a subscription to the flagship BRISMES journal, the British Journal of Middle East Studies, the monthly newsletter with content exclusive to BRISMES members, and priority invitations to BRISMES events and access to early career development funds.
We are grateful to all BRISMES members for their continued support. Membership enables the Society to continue developing its programme of activities and to support the community of scholars and researchers working across the field of Middle Eastern Studies.