For 50 years, the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (ISSI) has been UC Berkeley’s home for interdisciplinary social change research. Since its founding in 1976, the Institute has served as an intellectual hub connecting scholars, students, and community partners committed to understanding and addressing structural inequality.
ISSI catalyzes transformative research that links scholarship to meaningful policy and community impact. The Institute brings together eight research centers and a broad network of faculty, students, and collaborators who examine social issues such as health disparities, political movements, racial formations, Indigenous rights, criminalization, and more.
Across five decades, the Institute has remained committed to nurturing the next generation of social change scholars. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, community-rooted research, and intersectional dialogue grounded in lived experience, ISSI fosters work that not only advances knowledge but also contributes to more just and equitable futures.
As we mark this milestone anniversary, we invite you to reflect on ISSI’s past, celebrate its present, and join us in shaping its future.
ISSI is home to: