Centre for European and International Studies Research

Research covering humanities, social sciences and the arts

REF 2014 put us in the top 10 institutions nationally for our area studies research impact and intensity

Bringing together researchers and postgraduates from across the University, the Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR) is a supportive and intellectually stimulating place. We welcome linguists, historians, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists and specialists in area studies. Our work crosses multiple fields in humanities, social sciences and the arts.

In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, 25% of our research in Area Studies was rated world-leading, and 43% internationally excellent. This placed it in the top 10 institutions nationally for impact and for research intensity.

A regular programme of events helps promote our research and nurture our culture. We host strategic research projects on topics such as EU language policy, the Transnational European Union, the History of the Jewish Press in Central Europe, Port Towns and Francophone Africa in a comparative and transnational context.

Partnerships and collaborations

We're partnered with external stakeholders and research organisations on issues of mutual interest, including Southern England Local Partners (SELP), the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), Chatham House and the West Africa Institute (WAI).

Several of our PhD students are members of the international History of European Integration Research Society (HEIRS)postgraduate research network. Founded by a group of doctoral students from Portsmouth and Cambridge, HEIRS works as an open network for all PhD and early career researchers to contribute to discussions on European integration and its history.

Funding

Our activities have been funded by major UK and European research councils, including:

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
European Social Fund (ESF)
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
European Union (EU)
UNESCO
British Academy
Various non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Our members

Dr Simon Stewart

Job Title Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Director of the Centre for European and International Studies Research
Email Address Simon.Stewart@port.ac.uk
Department School of Area Studies History Politics and Literature
Faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Research

Research groups

Citizenship, Race and Belonging

We're researching issues around citizenship and why people are considered to belong within certain nation-states.

Francophone Africa Research Group

We're researching the legacy of French colonialism and the changing relations between France and the Francophone world.

Higher Education Forum

We're engaging in research that is collaborative and diverse with the aim to impact higher education policies and practices.

Language Across Borders Research Group

We're researching what happens as speakers and writers cross the boundaries of language systems or transgress the rules within them.

Mental Health In Childhood And Education (MICE) Hub

We're promoting research and projects in the field of mental health in childhood, from wellbeing in early years to bullying in schools.

Social And Cultural History Research Group

We're researching aspects of social and cultural history in European societies, and further afield.

Sociology And Social Theory Research Group

We're researching a wide range of issues surrounding sociology with interests including culture, emotions, gender and violence.

Transnational Europe Research Group

We're researching cross-border transnational and supranational dimensions of Europe, the European Union, and the wider world.

Women and Gender Studies Research Group

We're researching women and gender issues in a wide range of historical, social and cultural contexts.

Research areas and areas of expertise

Area Studies

By studying the international relations, history, politics, economies, cultures, languages and geography across specific regions, our research aims to make sense of the world.

Development Studies

Our research is searching for new ways to tackle global issues – such as poverty, inequality, and human rights abuse – and in doing so, make the world a better place.

Education

We're working towards a better understanding of what education looks like for different groups of people around the globe, and pushing for social justice and human rights worldwide.

History

We're studying how everyday people throughout time have responded to upheaval – so we can better understand our own society, and how it may change in the future.

Young girls on a march in Eastern Europe

Linguistics

We're exploring how words are used in certain contexts, and the relationship words can have with social phenomena and identity, such as class or power.

Translators working in translation suite

Politics and International Relations

We're working with organisations, governments and individuals to deal with some of the world's most pressing issues – from reducing the impact of war, to fighting political exclusion.

Sociology

We're investigating how societies evolve and the place of individuals, communities, governments, and organisations within them – and tackling the issues of a growing global population.

Women's and Gender Studies

Our research explores women’s issues and gender issues in a range of social and cultural contexts, from women's suffrage and the first and second waves of feminism, to the intersections that exist between gender and religion and education.