Professor Nick Barton has been elected as the inaugural President of the British Institute of Libyan and North African Studies (formerly Society for Libyan Studies), a UK academic body and charitable organisation. It is part of the British International Research Institute, sponsored by the British Academy which since 1969 has fostered links between UK and North African scholars in a wide range of fields including archaeology, history, geography, the natural sciences and linguistics. The Institute conducts research and training, collaborates with overseas and UK-based partners, and provides financial, academic and logistical support to researchers.