Translation and Transcultural Studies (Research)

Our approach centres on cultures of, and in, translation. We are interested in how translation is theorised and practised in artistic, political, and social contexts and in different media. We also use translation as an analytical and interdisciplinary tool to illuminate processes of migration, displacement, cultural production, transfer, language policy and intellectual histories.

Before you arrive, you will be matched to one or more of our expert supervisors and during the course. You will meet with them frequently for guidance on the conceptualisation, research and writing of your Dissertation. This will include reading and discussion of draft material.

You will also be expected to participate in the research culture of the School, for example by attending research seminars.

This programme comprises two distinct routes: (i) a theoretical/academic route and (ii) a practice route. The theoretical/academic route involves demonstrating a significant and original contribution to knowledge in the field of Translation Studies.

The practice route advances knowledge principally by means of practice – by the submission of a translation – but also by requiring the student to demonstrate a critical awareness, informed by relevant scholarship in Translation and Transcultural Studies, of the issues – stylistic, cultural, sociological and/or ideological, among others – involved in the translation of the work and to display this critical awareness in the form of a translation commentary.

The two elements of the PhD should nonetheless form an organic whole. The practice route is distinct from a standard scholarly PhD in that significant aspects of the claim for the doctoral requirement of an original contribution to a significant field of knowledge are demonstrated through the translation. The accompanying commentary demonstrates doctoral levels of contextual knowledge and powers of analysis and argument, displaying the same intellectual discipline as a traditional PhD.

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply.