PhD in Comparative Literatures and Cultures in Bristol United Kingdom | University of Bristol

The Research in Comparative Literatures and Cultures program is housed in the School of Modern Languages, leveraging two key strengths: transnational studies and intermedial research. Through novel subjects of inquiry and cutting-edge approaches, we've established cross-disciplinary links across arts and social sciences, addressing pressing global issues from psychological well-being to environmental crises.

Transnational scholarship highlights both cultural distinctions and diversity while examining global interrelations and reciprocal impacts. Our work investigates cultural exchange, migration patterns, and knowledge transfer within and outside Europe across colonial, pre-colonial, and postcolonial frameworks, challenging conventional narratives of 'Western' versus 'Eastern' or 'Northern' versus 'Southern' paradigms.

Intermedial research expands upon our expertise in visual-textual analysis, cinematic and theatrical arts, sound culture, and contemporary media forms including digital games, graphic narratives, Japanese comics, mass media, environmental design, and diverse artistic expressions from video art to street murals. We additionally examine the physical aspects of written forms (poetic structures, prose fiction, personal accounts, and political discourse), investigating how literary and rhetorical traditions intersect with societal, governmental, and vocational frameworks.

The Comparative Literatures and Cultures program capitalizes on our faculty's diverse research expertise. Every doctoral candidate receives guidance from a primary advisor specializing in their research focus, supplemented by a secondary advisor often from a different discipline, tailored to the project's requirements. Advisory groups may incorporate scholars from various departments across the Faculty of Arts and other divisions, such as Classical Studies, English Literature, Theater Arts, Historical Studies, or Philosophical Inquiry.

Our graduate students become integral members of a nurturing academic environment that fosters both professional growth and personal development. We actively promote participation in departmental and university research forums, conference presentations, and scholarly gatherings. Financial support is provided for fieldwork and external academic engagements. Our program is committed to cultivating comprehensive scholarly competencies.