We are pleased to announce updated procedures for elections to the PKES Committee and a call for nominations for new Committee members.
Five positions on the Committee will be opened for the forthcoming elections. Members who wish to stand as a candidate should send nomination statements to the PKES Secretary by 11 March 2026 at the latest, as detailed below.
As outlined in our election rules, the Committee consists of between three and twelve members in total, including a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer. Of these twelve, there may be up to nine elected ordinary members, and up to four co-opted members. Elected members must be UK residents with an affiliation to a UK higher education institution and must have maintained PKES membership and subscription fee payment for at least one year. Effective from the 2026 election, Committee members may serve for a maximum of twelve years, or for no more than twelve years starting in 2026. Committee elections will be held every three years. Starting from the 2026 election, all co-opted Committee members, as well as any Committee members who have served six years at the time of the election, must stand for election.
PKES members may nominate themselves by submitting a short biography and statement of interest (up to 300 words) within a 30-day nomination window via email to the PKES secretary : A.Kaltenbrunner@leeds.ac.uk
Please use this form to submit your nomination statement.
In line with our Code of Conduct on Diversity and Inclusion, PKES actively encourages nominations from candidates from racially and/or ethnically minoritised groups and candidates of minoritised genders, including women, recognising that some of these groups are currently under-represented on the PKES committee. Each nomination must be seconded by the existing Committee through a simple majority vote. Nomination statements of all eligible candidates will be made available to PKES members during the election window.
Voting will take place electronically over 30 days, and members may cast votes for candidates up to the number of available seats. The committee aims to meet the following diversity quotas:
At least 40% of committee members shall self-identify as women or non-binary.
At least 10% of committee members shall self-identify as being from racially and/or ethnically minoritised backgrounds.
To meet the diversity quotas, the highest-voted unelected candidate from a group underrepresented on the Committee group may be awarded a seat in precedence to a lowest-ranked elected candidate that is not from an underrepresented group. In the event of a tie for the final seat, the winner shall be decided by the Committee.
In accordance with these voting procedures, PKES will hold Committee elections early in 2026. Five Committee positions will be opened. This reflects the fact that four of the current eleven members of the Committee will step down: Yannis Dafermos, Ewa Karwowski, Karsten Kohler and Daniele Tori. The Committee is extremely grateful to the dedicated service provided by these members.
If you are interested in standing as a candidate in the Committee election, please send your nomination statement to A.Kaltenbrunner@leeds.ac.uk by 11 March 2026 at the latest.
The nomination form solicits information which will help us to meet the Committee’s diversity quota. Provision of this information is voluntary and confidential.
Nominated candidates will be announced and elections called two weeks after the above deadline.