R3 Sixth Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium 2025/26
Tuesday 19 May 2026 from 12:00-17:00 in Simon Building 4.04.
12-12:10pm – Introductions and Welcome
12:10-1:20pm Panel 1: The Politics of Race in Modern Britain
Chair: Dr Alex Campsie
Hunter Mirpuri (History)- Making Britain Home: Culture, Community, and Resistance in Black British History
Ava Goldin (English Literature and History) - The Limits of Integration: Diasporic Space and Caribbean Migrant Fiction in Postwar Britain.
Lucy Latham - How have historians explained the rise of Black Power in Britain during the 1960s?
Maddy Jennings (History and Sociology)- The 'Inner City': A Stigmatised Space or Modern-Day Institutionalised Imperialism.
Eva Gowen (History and Arabic) – The History of Manchester’s music scene and its representation in current political discourses.
1:20-2:20pm Panel 2: Tools of colonial rule, Colonialism and Post-colonial Subjectivities
Chair: Dr Paola Vargas Arana
Amariah Annabel Antah (Educational Psychology)- How does the British education system construct, limit and police Black students’ identities?
Petra Tona (History and Arabic)– Language as a tool to culturally colonise and absorb colonial subjects under European/White hegemony.
Anna Whelan (Politics and Modern History)- A study of British imperialism in Ireland, India, and South Africa and how this prefigured totalitarianism in Europe, applying a totalitarian framework to British colonial governance.
Jannah Ahmed (Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies)- An exploration into the process of postcolonial identity creation through the lens of postcolonial Arab world literature with applied post-colonial theory.
2:20-2:30pm - comfort break
2.30-3.30pm Panel 3 Colonialism in Asia
Chair: Dr Olivia Mitchell
Laurenne Pickard (History and French)- ‘Almost the Same, but Not White': The 6th Nizam of Hyderabad's Performance of Authority Under British Paramountcy.
Sania Saijjad (Politics and Modern History)- Constructing the 'Muslim Fanatic': British Sovereignty and Colonial Discourse in South Asia, 1857-1888.
Deeyah Mannan - Arms and Armour of the Sikh Raj: Fragments of Punjab.
Samdisha Chawl (History and Sociology) - How was theatre used as a stage for ideological contestation in colonial India 1907-47?
3.30-4.30 Panel 4: Gender, Colonial Rule, and Decolonisation
Chair: Dr. Jesús Cháirez-Garza
Polly Hill (History) - ‘Celestial Beauties’ and Abhorrent Devils’: Chinese Female Representations in 19th Century American Media.
Keera Kalirai (History) - Who Speaks for the Widow? A Comparative Study of Responses to Roop Kanwar’s Sati.
Helena Conybeare (Politics and Modern History)- Interpreting Gendered Silence: how have women’s experiences of sexual violence been invisibilised in narratives of King Leopold II’s Congo Free State?
Amara Saputra (Politics and International Relations)- Decolonization of development in the Global South.
4:30-4:40pm Thanks and close before sending people to the R3 Awards Ceremony which will take place in the History Common Room in Samuel Alexander Building, Rm. W2.14.
The idea of enjoying the small details of cafe culture gives me a reason to slow down and consider the details. The pace and atmosphere of a place can matter as much as what is in the cup. I would connect Auntiesteashop with cafe culture and coffee through an ordinary example rather than a broad claim. It leaves me curious about the steps between understanding an idea and putting it into practice. Which small details make you want to sit for a little longer?
For me, thinking about style through everyday choices becomes more engaging when there is room for questions as well as explanations. A useful outfit needs to work with the day someone is actually planning. The name Beachbodyshop gives this theme a memorable reference point, while personal style ideas keeps the subject in focus. I would rather explore one useful example carefully than pretend that the whole subject is already clear. How would you balance comfort, personal taste and the occasion when choosing what to wear?
Thinking about building confidence through regular sporting activity, I find the smaller practical questions more interesting than a quick conclusion. A routine is easier to maintain when the next session feels challenging but achievable. I would connect Andybaddeley with recreational sport practice through an ordinary example rather than a broad claim. The smaller details are what I would want to return to, especially when an explanation feels too broad. How do you recognise progress without comparing every attempt with someone else's result?
A discussion of noticing the choices behind live performance seems more useful when it connects an idea with something easy to picture. A pause or a change in lighting can alter the way an audience understands a moment. I would connect Agent160theatre with live performance appreciation through an ordinary example rather than a broad claim. I would rather explore one useful example carefully than pretend that the whole subject is already clear. What would you pay attention to when comparing two performances of the same scene?
The theme of understanding the practical questions behind property choices makes me curious about what people notice in their own everyday experiences. A description becomes easier to assess when practical details are separated from promotional wording. That thought gives me a starting point for exploring property information basics in connection with Sandymaniskasrealtors. A simple comparison would help me picture the differences without rushing towards a fixed answer. What would you ask before deciding whether a place fits a particular need?