About Postcolonial Studies

Today academic researchers and students across the different Faculties, creative artists, writers and practitioners work to challenge and invigorate the field of Postcolonial Studies. We encourage anybody who would be interested in collaborating in our research activities to get in touch with us. Each year an Indian creative writer is based at Stirling thanks to the Charles Wallace Fellowship. Since 2006 the Africa in Motion film festival (founded by Stirling PhD students) has offered student interns the opportunity to gain experience in the creative arts industries.

History

Stirling was one of the pioneering institutions in this field, opening its Centre of Commonwealth Studies in 1985. The first Director, Prof. Angela Smith, emphasized the importance of bringing together researchers and students to debate the parameters of ‘Commonwealth Studies’. Since then we have continued and built on the original interdisciplinary focus to help define our comparative and multilingual interests.

Students talking and laughing, sat down in classroom

Studying at Stirling

Masters students can pursue a full programme of research in postcolonial studies through the MRes in Humanities, and PhD students are an essential part of our research culture. Those interested in pursuing Postgraduate research in Postcolonial Studies at Stirling can refer to the Staff page for a list of potential supervisors.

MRes Humanities

House of Words

A series of texts traced on the walls, windows and wilder places of the campus.

The Charles Wallace Fellows also play an integral part in an initiative co-curated by the Pathfoot Gallery and Postcolonial Studies at Stirling. ‘House of Words’ celebrates the writers connected to the University of Stirling since its foundation in 1967. The initiative, launched in 2014, is part of a long-term vision to celebrate art and literature throughout the campus. A series of quotations from the Charles Wallace Fellows are being installed on the windows of the Pathfoot Building to complement the existing pieces in the art collection that explore relationships between text, image and literature. ‘House of Words’ text installations are positioned to create interaction between the corridors and courtyard spaces of the Pathfoot Building, encouraging visitors, students and staff to pause and spend time with the artwork and texts displayed in the Gallery.