[lg policy] Scotland: Soillse project names new Research Professor

Sat Jun 26 14:56:26 UTC 2010

Soillse project names new Research Professor
by EO03JS — last modified 25.06.2010 11:04
Issued 25 June 2010

Dr Rob Dunbar has been named as Research Professor for the national
Gaelic research project Soillse.  Dr Dunbar is currently Reader in Law
& Celtic at the University of Aberdeen and will take up his
appointment on 7 September. The Soillse project will co-ordinate and
extend research into crucial areas for the growth of the language
including the intergenerational transmission of Gaelic, language
practice and policy in Gaelic-medium education and the assessment of
Government policies on the revitalisation of Gaelic.

Dr Dunbar will lead a national network research team of four Research
Fellows, one Lecturer and nine PhD students who will be based at
partner institutions across Scotland including Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI
and Lews Castle College UHI, part of the prospective University of the
Highlands and Islands, and at the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh
and Glasgow.  The post of Research Professor will be based at Sabhal
Mòr Ostaig UHI on the Isle of Skye.

Dr Dunbar is a fluent speaker of Gaelic and is an internationally
recognised expert on minority language policy and planning, and
particularly legal regimes for the protection of linguistic minorities
in international and national legal systems. He is an Expert of the
Council of Europe, and frequently works with the Secretariat for the
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. He is a Senior
Non-Resident Research Associate of the European Centre for Minority
Issues (ECMI), in Flensburg, Germany. He has advised governments,
human rights bodies, and non-governmental organisations in a large
number of countries on language and human rights issues, and is
currently a special advisor to the Welsh Assembly on new Welsh
language legislation that is being considered by the National Assembly
for Wales.  He is a member of Bòrd na Gàidhlig and is on the board of
MG ALBA, and has played a key role in the development of Gaelic
language policy over the last decade.

Originally from Canada, Dr Dunbar graduated from the University of
Toronto (M.A.), Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B.), the London School of
Economics (LL.M.), and the University of Edinburgh (Ph.D.). He worked
in Toronto for several years at Fasken Martineau, one of Canada’s
leading law firms before moving to the UK. Professor Boyd Robertson,
Principal of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI welcomed Dr Dunbar’s appointment
saying: “We are very pleased indeed to have secured the services of
such an eminent academic to lead the Soillse research programme.
Professor Dunbar is an acknowledged international expert on language
issues and language planning and brings a wealth of experience in
socio-linguistics and in international law to the post.  Sabhal Mòr
Ostaig will benefit greatly from this appointment in terms of capacity
building for research and in increasing the College's research profile
and standing.”

James Fraser, UHI Principal said: "We are delighted to welcome Dr
Dunbar to the project and it is fitting the Soillse project has made
such a high calibre appointment. At UHI, we are committed to the
Gaelic language as an integral part of the culture of the Highlands
and Islands. Gaelic will continue to play an important part in the
development of UHI."
Dr Dunbar said: “I am delighted to be involved in a significant way in
the Soillse project, and am deeply honored to have been selected for
this important post.  My goal is to help the Soillse team to produce
work that is of real use to Gaelic communities and to policy makers
whose decisions have an impact on those communities, as well as being
of the highest academic standard and of importance internationally.”

Professor Emeritus Richard Johnstone, leader of the team which
developed the Soillse proposal, said: “I greatly welcome this
appointment. The aim of the Soillse network is to establish a
world-class research capacity which will support the maintenance and
revitalisation of Scottish Gaelic, and I am confident that Dr Dunbar
possesses the leadership and interpersonal skills that this important
post requires.”

Soillse has been established in recognition of the strategic
requirement to provide a much enhanced research capacity to inform
public policy towards the maintenance and revitalisation of Gaelic
language and culture.   If a paradigm shift is to occur in the use of
Gaelic in Scotland then it is essential that policy development and
professional practice is informed, stimulated and influenced by an
enhanced and highly coordinated national research capability.

The aims and objectives of Soillse are aligned with key Scottish
Government policies and priorities as well as with the priorities of
the National Plan for Gaelic.   Soillse is based around a partnership
approach that comprises UHI, the prospective University of the
Highlands and Islands and the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow and
Edinburgh.    The Scottish Funding Council, Bòrd Na Gàidhlig and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise are also key funding partners in
Soillse. The challenging aims and targets that have been set for
Soillse can only be achieved if full cooperation exists between the
academic and public sector partners that are participating in the
project. Central also to the success of the Soillse will be the
establishment of a meaningful partnership with the Gaelic communities
of Scotland.

The total research funding allocated to Soillse is £5.29million. The
Scottish Funding Council are investing £1.86million; Bòrd na Gàidhlig
£541,000 and HIE £400,000.  £2.49million of new and matched funding
contributions will come from the 4 Scottish Higher Education
Institutions of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and UHI that are
participating in Soillse.   Soillse represents the largest ever
investment in Gaelic-related research and a unique pooling of
resources by the key academic institutions that are involved.  It is
hoped that this approach will yield significant benefits for Gaelic
communities, for those researchers involved in Soillse and also for
the institutions themselves.

Further information is available at:
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/Rannsachadh/soilse_gd.html

http://www.uhi.ac.uk/home/archive_news/soillse-project-names-new-research-professor

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