History: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Studentship in History with Museum Wales

About the Project

Key Information

Open to: UK and international applicants

Funding Providers: Arts and Humanities Research Council

Subject Area: History

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

*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.

Supervisors:

• Professor Martin Johnes, Swansea University
• Dr Mari William, Bangor University
• Nasir Adam, Amgueddfa Cymru
• Robert Phillips, National Library of Wales

Aligned programme of study: PhD in History

Mode of study: Full time or Part time

Place of study: Swansea University (Singleton Campus)

Project description:

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, National Library of Wales, and Swansea and Bangor Universities are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative doctoral studentship from 1 October 2026 under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme.

The PhD will investigate the history of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in Wales, 1945-1994, working with material and archival collections held at Wales’ national museum and library.

The student will be based at Swansea University, Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales and the National Library of Wales. Additional supervision and support will be provided from Bangor University.

The anti-apartheid movement in Wales was a coalition of different interests. It included members of the Black community and representatives of faith groups and the Labour and Welsh-language movements. But its activities also brought it into conflict with organisations and individuals across the spectrum of Welsh society. Responses to the campaign revealed deep divisions within Welsh society over race, international politics and methods of protest and campaigning. This PhD will examine the makeup, strategies and impact of the anti-apartheid movement in Wales. It will investigate what the movement reveals about wider Welsh society and anti-apartheid politics in the UK.

Research questions:

1. Who was involved in the anti-apartheid movement and what were its tactics and strategy?
2. What do the dynamics of the movement reveal about race in Wales?
3. How did the movement encourage and contribute to wider anti-racism work within Wales?
4. Was there a uniquely Welsh dimension to the anti-apartheid movement?
5. Did the movement have longer-term political impacts and ramifications?

The project will be overseen and hosted by a partnership of Bangor and Swansea universities, Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales and the National Library of Wales (NLW). This will give the student access to a wide range of resources, expertise, training and support. Amgueddfa Cymru and the NLW both hold unique collections related to the movement and the student will help both institutions interpret and present their collections. The final stages of the research will involve knowledge transfer activities to ensure the research’s key messages are disseminated. This will include creating learning resources for schools in conjunction with the education departments of NLW and Amgueddfa Cymru. As such, the PhD represents an opportunity for a student not just to make a significant contribution to the history of Wales but also to learn invaluable skills in professional settings that will support their future career aspirations.

Eligibility

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’. Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis.

Note for international and European applicants:

English Language: IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

Details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.

Funding Notes

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for October 2026).