Iberian and Latin Amercian Languages: Unit of Assessment 55
The majority of research in UoA 55, Iberian and Latin American Languages is officially classified as world-leading, internationally excellent or recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour, having been placed in the three highest categories for quality in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
| Quality Level | 4* | 3* | 2* | 1* | Unclassified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % of research activity | 15 | 35 | 45 | 5 | 0 |
UoA55 is based in the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies section (SPLAS). Our research is strongly oriented towards the interdisciplinary study of Latin America, complemented by linguistic and cultural expertise in relation to the Iberian Peninsula. Since 2001 we have used staffing policy to increase the coherence of our research landscape. Our sub-areas now include:
- History, Politics and Culture (Hentschke, Howard, Morgan)
- Linguistics (Howard, Mackenzie)
- Film (Davies, Gutiérrez-Albilla)
The appointment of Howard (2005), with expertise in anthropology and sociolinguistics, has provided a natural bridge between the linguistic and cultural strands of our activities. Morgan, a specialist of Colombia and Venezuela who joined us in 2007, links together our interests in the central Andes and Atlantic South America. His work also gives impetus to our long-standing programme in the history of ideas (hitherto associated primarily with Hentschke).
SPLAS is one of four sections within the School of Modern Languages ( SML). While our researchers aim at consolidating the UoA’s unique and distinctive profile, we also actively collaborate with, and benefit from, the School’s Fields of Study. Moreover, we engage with larger Faculty groupings such as:
- the Research Group in Film and Media
- the Americas Research Group
- the cross-Faculty Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Sciences (CRILLS), directed by Myles (UoA52)
- the Developing Areas Research Network (DARN).
- the Newcastle Institute for Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (NIASSH), which has provided financial und clerical assistance for the organisation of conferences and advised us on grant applications and the implementation of pilot projects.
Our research activity is energised by a lively SPLAS seminar series, featuring prominent UK and overseas scholars. The Instituto Camões-funded Centro de Língua Portuguesa (CLPIC) has developed its own dynamic programme, bringing prize-winning artists and leading academics to Newcastle. In addition, we have hosted or co-hosted national and international conferences such as the 2001 Conference of the AHGBI, 2002 Conference of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Carmen Conference, International Conference on Popular Musics of the Hispanic and Lusophone Worlds, 2007 SLAS Conference, and the International Round Table of the European Network for the Study of Andean Languages. More than 500 delegates from over 20 different countries have attended conferences hosted by SPLAS.
A variety of mechanisms exist to promote an ethos of grant-funded research, from the discussion of first ideas for funding proposals in the Fields of Study to support from the Faculty’s Peer Review College and Research Grants and Contracts team. Research funded by the AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, and Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies has led to significant outputs, among them no less than nine monographs.
