New PhD students doing applied research

The Centre for Nordic Studies is delighted to welcome two new PhD students, who have each been granted an Applied Research Collaboration Studentship.

Andrea Blendl is moving to Orkney from Germany, having previously gained an MLitt in Viking Studies with the Centre for Nordic Studies. During her time in Kirkwall, she will collaborate with the Orkney Museum in researching runic inscriptions from the western Viking diaspora

Catherine McCullagh will be based in Orkney and Shetland and is a joint supervision with Heriot-Watt University and the Shetland Museums and Archives. She comes to us from the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. She will be looking at maritime heritage in the context of highly vulnerable environments, focussing on how it can be interpreted and utilised to foster sustainable community development and create museum products while preserving it as a resource. Cait was previously a student with UHI on the Scottish Cultural Studies programme and went on to a masters in Archaeology at the University of Oxford so we are very happy to welcome her back!