THE Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics has more than 100 academic Fellows for the first time.

Following the appointment of eight new members this month, the group, which aims to 'pioneer ethical perspectives' on animals, now boasts more than 100 academics from ten countries.

The new appointments include Oxford University visiting academic and animal ethics researcher Dr Violette Pouillard, as well as experts from Croatia, Korea and the United States.

The eight new Fellows are:

  • Professor Boris Bakota (Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Croatia), Fellow
  • Sidney Blankenship (Independent Scholar), Associate Fellow
  • The Revd Dr Susan Bubbers (Center for Anglican Theology in Orlando, Florida), Fellow
  • Professor Alice Crary (New School for Social Research, New York), Fellow
  • Professor Keri Cronin (Brock University, Canada), Fellow
  • Professor Kumju Hwang (Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea), Fellow
  • Dr Violette Pouillard (University of Oxford), Associate Fellow
  • Steven M. Wise (Nonhuman Rights Project), Fellow
  • Also Dr Natalie Thomas (Evans) (University of Guelph and the University of Guelph-Humber, Ontario, Canada) Fellow transfer from Associate Fellow

The Fellowship, founded ten years ago, draws together academics from both the humanities and the sciences.

Centre director the Revd Professor Andrew Linzey said: "All these individuals are pioneering new work in animal ethics – helping to press the envelope in terms of new thinking and the Centre extends its warmest congratulations to them."

He went on: "The Centre’s Fellowship is a prestigious academy that pioneers ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching and publication.

"We started ten years ago with just a handful of academics, and now we have exceeded one hundred from 10 different countries."

Under the rules, appointment is offered only once to successful individuals within their lifetime, and appointment is by invitation or nomination only.

Only a small proportion of those nominated are eventually selected. The process of selection is rigorous, painstaking, and frequently lengthy, and individuals appointed have to have made (or be capable of making) an outstanding contribution to the field.