French and Francophone Studies are part of the Modern Languages research cluster which provides a vibrant environment for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship. Recognised as a centre of excellence for research into the languages, literatures, histories, linguistics, visual cultures and cultural identities of Europe and beyond, the cluster is founded on a dynamic and forward-looking research ethos. Within this cluster, French and Francophone Studies aim to promote cutting-edge research and debate across a variety of areas. Both individual and collaborative projects are encouraged.
Staff, Postdoctoral research assistants and postgraduate students are strongly encouraged to participate in the School's Research Seminars and in interdisciplinary research activity in the School and beyond, notably in the Institute for Collaborative Research in the Humanities (ICRH), the Interdisciplinary Linguistics Group (ILing) and the Postcolonial Forum. Within the ICRH, the Mobilities Research Group, the International Crime Fiction Research Group and the Health Humanities Research Group are led by staff in French. All staff and postgraduates regularly participate in international conferences and we host major conferences and workshops on a regular basis.
RESEARCH STRENGTHS
Staff have an established research profile across the spectrum of fields within French and Francophone Studies. Prominent areas include:
- Linguistics (sociolinguistics, variation, corpus linguistics, discourse analysis)
- Literature and visual cultures
- Nineteenth-century novel and poetry
- Popular culture
- Postcolonial literature and theory
- Twentieth and twenty-first century French and Francophone literature and film
We also have a strong record in supervising comparative and interdisciplinary theses across the different languages represented in the School of Modern Languages and with other Schools in the University. A number of recent and current research projects have been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the EU (Horizon 2020), including a project on the digitisation of popular culture in a transnational frame, one on cultural tourism and the role of festivals and one on temporality in French and Occitan oral narrative.
"Studying for my PhD at Queen's has proven to be a great opportunity personally, socially and professionally. It has allowed me to work independently on my research with the encouraging support and contributions of supervisors, staff and other postgraduates. Despite the independent nature of a PhD, I have always felt part of a greater team of researchers."Ashley Scott Harris
final year PhD student
Career Prospects
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally. Apart from working in academia, our graduates find careers in a number of areas, including publishing, research bodies and the business world.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
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