Modern Languages, History: Maintaining difficult conversations whilst caring for the nation's memory: how to relate to the story of Y Wladfa in the context of anti-racist Wales (RS920)

Funding Providers: Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Swansea University's Postgraduate Research Office through its central equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) funding.

Subject Areas: Modern Languages, History

Project Start Dates: October 2026 **Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates

Supervisors: Dr Geraldine Lublin, Dr Gethin Matthews, Dr Dafydd Tudur (National Library of Wales)

Aligned Programme of Study: PhD in Modern Languages

Mode of Study: Full-time / Part-time

Project Description

The year 2025 marks the 160th anniversary of the landing of the Mimosa on the shores of Porth Madryn, an occasion that offers an opportunity to re-examine this history from a fresh perspective. Although institutional attitudes in contemporary Wales have changed significantly since the Welsh Government published the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan in 2022, and despite the profound shifts in public discourse prompted by the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement since 2020, it remains evident that the narrative surrounding the ‘little Wales beyond the sea’ on the other side of the Atlantic is far from straightforward.

As part of the anti-racist actions expected of public institutions, efforts have been made to increase genuine diversity by reflecting Wales’s varied population and seeking a range of expertise, experiences, and viewpoints. The Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (2024) prioritises key areas relating to Culture, Heritage, and Sport – namely, “celebrating diversity, the historical narrative, and learning about our cultural diversity” (p.31), alongside a “focus on decolonising museum collections” (p.31). Furthermore, it emphasises “ensuring that the study of Welsh history in all its diversity and complexity takes place” (p.19). The Curriculum for Wales similarly aims to provide a broad spectrum of perspectives in educational resources available to schools, with the goal of creating “ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world,” one of the curriculum’s core purposes.

Despite numerous changes in approaches to challenging aspects of Welsh history – such as Wales’s role within the British Empire or the legacies of slavery – the story of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia is still too often told in much the same way as when Saunders Lewis drew attention to it in his 1962 lecture Tynged yr Iaith, describing Michael D. Jones’s venture as a “heroic experiment in Welsh settlement in Patagonia”. The focus remains on the role of Welsh pioneers in preserving the language while cultivating the land and sowing the seeds of progress and civilisation, overlooking the experiences of the indigenous Tehuelche and Mapuche communities who inhabited these territories prior to the settlers’ arrival.

In addition to supporting the objectives set out in the National Library of Wales Strategic Plan 2025–30, this project seeks to contribute to the Welsh Government’s efforts to create an anti-racist Wales and to align with the framework and vision of the new Curriculum by promoting a fairer and more inclusive approach to history. This will be achieved by exploring questions such as:

1. In what ways can revisiting and reinterpreting historical collections relating to the Welsh settlement in Patagonia support the key areas prioritised in the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (2024) concerning Culture, Heritage, and Sport?
2. How can updating and adding a critical dimension to the traditional narrative of the settlement – presented in educational resources – and incorporating a broader range of experiences and perspectives help advance the framework and vision of the new Curriculum and current efforts to approach history in a fairer and more inclusive manner?
3. How can engagement with the National Library’s significant collections on Patagonia contribute to the institution’s Strategic Objectives to “preserve and develop the nation’s memory” (Objective 1) and “connect communities,” while “prioritising voices and lived experiences that have been underrepresented in the Library’s collections and activities and committing to an anti-racist Wales” (Objective 3) (National Library of Wales Strategy 2025–2030)?

The project will employ Critical Archival Studies methodologies to re-examine the National Library’s materials from a contemporary viewpoint, considering approaches such as reflective close reading, ethical engagement, and interpreting instances of silence. (Given the nature of these collections, Spanish language skills would be desirable but are not essential for completing the work.) Critical Pedagogy and Design-Based Research (DBR) will inform the pedagogical design aimed at improving relevant educational resources. By revisiting historical narratives and presenting a wider range of experiences and perspectives on one of the key milestones in Welsh history, the proposed project will also align with the principles and values of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This is considered particularly timely in light of the ongoing efforts of the Welsh Government and the National Library.

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA (Full list of categories for HE in Wales)

PhD - You should hold a minimum of an upper second-class honours degree (2:1), or equivalent, and you should hold or expect to achieve a master's degree in a related subject.

If English is not your first language you will need an acceptable pass in an approved English Language qualification to make sure you get the full benefit from studying at Swansea. We consider a wide range of qualifications, including the Swansea University English Test, the British Council IELTS test (with a score of at least 6.5 and 6.5 in each component). A full list of acceptable English Language tests can be found here.

Note for international and European applicants: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

This scholarship is funded jointly by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Swansea University's Postgraduate Research Office through its central equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) funding for three years and commences in September 2026.

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780 for 2025/26).

Additional research expenses of up to £500 per year will also be available.

*Please note that the ability to speak and write in Welsh is essential. *

To apply, please complete the entire application form

In order to be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required.

1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS920

2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory)

i. In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input both:

• the RS Code, RS920 and
• the scholarship title.

ii. Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank

iii. Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank

iv. In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload?*’(Mandatory) Please select Yes

v. Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf)

3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case:

1. Apply for the same course with the next available start date (e.g., select January if October is unavailable).
2. Email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with your student number and the relevant scholarship RS code, requesting the start date be amended to match the advert.
3. Admissions staff will then update your application accordingly.

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.  

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted.

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):

• CV
• Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)
• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.
• One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.
• Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).
• Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable)
• Confirmation of EDI form submission

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact: Dr Geraldine Lublin g.lublin@abertawe.ac.uk  

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.

** In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed.