PhD Studentship in Comparative and Intercultural Studies

Project title:  Young Refugees to Britain in the early Twentieth Century

Department/School: Department of Languages and Cultures, School of Humanities

Supervisors:  Dr Ellen Pilsworth, Dr Monja Stahlberger

Project Overview:   

2026 marks 75 years since the Refugee convention (1951) outlined the definition of a refugee and the minimum legal obligations of the States who receive them. This Convention was a response to the millions of people displaced by European conflicts in the early part of the twentieth century. We are interested in the histories of European refugees who came to Britain in the decades before the Convention, with a specific focus on the experiences of children and young people still engaged in education or training.

Governments have often viewed children as more easily assimilated and less of an economic or administrative burden than adult refugees. Yet, research shows that children’s experiences of exile are far more complex: language acquisition, identity formation, and senses of belonging can follow unpredictable paths. Studying children offers a vital lens onto the assumptions and realities of displacement.

We welcome applications interested in the British reception of Belgian refugees during and after the First World War, as well as Italian, Spanish, Polish, Czecho‑Slovakian and other refugee and displaced groups in Britain in the broader context of the Second World War. Please note, we are not accepting proposals to work on German-speaking refugees, as this group is already represented in our project. We are open to any other relevant national group(s). Projects may take a comparative approach across the period ca. 1910-1950, or choose a narrower temporal focus.

The PhD topic should be based on original historical research, using sources that could include state and personal archives, published or unpublished memoirs, and oral history. The successful student will work alongside the UKRI-funded project ‘Nation of Refuge’.

Eligibility: Applicants should hold, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree or a Merit at master’s level (or equivalent) in History, Literature, Cultural Studies, or a related Social Science discipline. Due to the nature of the funding, this studentship is open only to applicants from the UK or the Republic of Ireland.

Funding Details:   

• Starts September 2026
• 4-year award
• Funding covers Home tuition fees plus UKRI stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26)
• Additional Research Training Support Grant of £1,000 per annum.

How to apply:  

To apply click Apply for a Programme, create an account, and use the emailed link to begin your application. Please submit a CV, a covering letter outlining your interest and suitability, and a 1–2‑page research proposal.

During the application process please select the PhD in Comparative and Intercultural Studies.

*Important notes*

• 1) Please quote the reference ‘DRC26-012’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.
• 2) If the application system prompts you to submit a research proposal, please paste in the project title and move on to the next step in the application.

Application Deadline: 31^st March 2026

Further Enquiries:  

If a candidate is awarded funding, this will be confirmed in a formal studentship award letter, issued separately from any Offer of Admission and subject to standard eligibility checks.

For further details please contact Ellen Pilsworth (e.m.pilsworth@reading.ac.uk) and Monja Stahlberger (m.stahlberger@reading.ac.uk ).

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