Felicity Vabulas Wins Second International Award for New Book on International Relations

Felicity Vabulas, the Blanche E. Seaver Professor of International Studies at Seaver College, has received a second award—the Hedley Bull Prize—for her recent book publication, Exit from International Organizations, coauthored with Inken von Borzyskowski, professor of international relations at Oxford University. This annual prize, given by the European Consortium of Political Research, celebrates a book that makes a substantial and original contribution to theory and/or applied international relations studies.

“Receiving the Hedley Bull award is a real celebratory moment in the long arc of studying this topic. It's a very meaningful moment in my career,” says Vabulas. “Research can sometimes feel slow and drawn out—like pouring cold molasses. Researching and writing Exit from International Organizations took many years. Each breakthrough required immense patience and grit.” 

Addressing a basic yet previously understudied question in international relations, the winning book examines why and when states leave international organizations. Key findings reveal that withdrawal and suspension are recurring features of international politics, with numbers of withdrawal remaining consistent over time since the beginning of the 20th century. 

Often these exits from international organizations, Vabulas explains, serve as strategic tools through which states and international organizations pursue institutional and political change. To reach this conclusion, Vabulas and von Borzyskowski tracked the interactions of 198 countries with 530 intergovernmental organizations through a century of history beginning with World War One.

With regard to her book’s central message, Felicity explains in her own words: "Withdrawal is one tool that countries use to negotiate institutional change.” She continues, “Countries often find international institutions to be mismatched with their power and interests as they evolve over time.” 

Yet, Exit from International Organizations highlights that in the majority of cases, countries return to these organizations. “While they are often imperfect, international organizations continue to be essential convening venues to wrestle with important problems in world politics," Vabulas concludes. 

Since joining the Seaver College faculty in 2017, Vabulas has conducted research focusing on international organizations and foreign policy, while teaching courses on various topics related to international studies. She was awarded the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019 and has served as a devoted faculty advisor for student-led organizations such as Model UN and undergraduate international moot court. 

This March, Vabulas and von Borzyskowski’s book received its first award, the International Studies Association (ISA) Chadwick F. Alger Prize. While representing the significance of Vabulas’s research, these awards also reflect the devoted scholarly efforts of Seaver College faculty who contribute to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.