Geoffrey Alderman has been elected a Life Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts

The academic and writer Geoffrey Alderman has been elected a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

Professor Alderman, who lectures on history and politics at the University of Buckingham, first became an RSA fellow in 1991, when he joined the ranks of people ranging from Karl Marx to Nelson Mandela.

Founded in 1754 with the intention to "embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve our manufactures and extend our commerce", the RSA has around 27,000 Fellows.

The author of 12 books and an expert in Jewish history, Prof Alderman has also been a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society since 1971.

The staunchly pro-Israel JC columnist is a guest professor at Ariel College in the West Bank. Last year Queen's University in Belfast made an "unreserved apology" for withdrawing an invitation to Prof Alderman to take part in a panel event on the Middle east following objections from other speakers.