The ISRS Annual General Meeting, Savannah, Georgia 25th April 2026 – Report

On the occasion of the next Alone Together conference, the Annual General Meeting of the Society was held, open to those interested in joining.

At the outset, the President, Professor Julian Stern, recalled the history of the founding of ISRS and its activities to date. He emphasized that the aim of the ISRS is to support research and researchers concerned with solitude, and what makes the organisation distinctive is that it has members working across a very wide range of academic disciplines and professional contexts, as well as having members or activities from many countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia.

He then invited all ISRS members to contribute ideas regarding conferences, online seminars, monograph projects, journal initiatives, and more.

The results of the elections were also announced—to elect a President and a Vice-President (also responsible for the activities of the Secretary as well as those of the Vice-President) for a two-year term, roughly aligned with the conference cycle. As Julian Stern and Małgorzata Wałejko were the only nominees for President and Vice-President, they were duly elected to these positions. Elections will be held every two years, broadly coinciding with the biennial conference cycle.

The location of the next Alone Together conference, to take place in two years, was also discussed.

ISRS General Meetings will be held annually—virtually in non-conference years, and both virtually and in person in conference years.