The General Assembly elected Sacha Zala as President.
Zala is Director of the research centre Dodis (Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland) and Professor of History at the University of Bern. He joined the CISH Board as Treasurer in 2017 and served as President of the Swiss Society for History (SSH) from 2012 to 2026. He succeeds Catherine Horel of France, who was elected President of CISH in 2022.
In his acceptance speech, Zala outlined four priorities for his term:
1. Complete CISH’s institutional reform, professionalise its structures and secure the financial resources required for its long-term sustainability.
2. Strengthen cooperation among CISH members, particularly by forging closer ties with National Organisations and deepening collaboration with Affiliated International Organisations.
3. Further develop CISH’s international congresses, making them more dynamic, financially sustainable and attractive to historians worldwide.
4. Defend academic freedom and strengthen CISH’s role as the world organisation representing historians and promoting international scholarly cooperation.