Introduction to a special issue in memory of Bob Deacon: Where do we stand in global social policy studies?

On 1 October 2017, after a long and hard fight against cancer, Bob Deacon, emeritus professor of the University of Sheffield and honorary professor of global social policy (GSP) at the University of York, passed away, aged 73. When I saw him for the last time, he was already somewhat ‘between the worlds’. There was a pile of MA theses still to be marked; we discussed my job issues, research, the GSP journal and politics. Bob insisted to go for a walk – we managed about 10 metres. Just a meeting like so many others, but so different as his body had clearly reached its limits and no longer allowed him access to his desired energy and enthusiasm.We are left with a rich account of writings, ideas, and memories of a great colleague and friend whom we miss a lot! However, Bob’s contributions to GSP and the many connections he made between disciplines and different worlds of scholarship and activism will continue to guide GSP research in many ways.This double special issue has been compiled and written in Bob’s honour and memory. It intends to provide a state of the art of GSP research, and a selection of contributions following his approaches by a number of Bob’s closest colleagues. Instead of a topical Forum, it combines shorter pieces of acknowledging Bob’s work in different contexts, with six full articles that go deeper into theories and research inspired by Bob’s concepts and approaches. The variety and diversity of contributions show what Bob represented in academia as well as his work and impact within international organisations.