History & Culture

Ryan’s research builds on his long-standing interest in the impact of global empires on local communities. Ryan’s research interests are late medieval religion and religious/devotional material culture, the Reformation, the Catholic Reformation, the social and religious history of Gibraltar during the Spanish and early British periods (1462-c.1783).

Jennifer’s main area of research is Gibraltar, with focus on social and colonial history, British Overseas Territories, constitutional reform and expressions of self-determination. Formerly the editor of the Gibraltar Heritage Journal, she is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Gibraltar, and a member of the Research and Research Degrees Committee.

Dr Joseph Garcia is a Gibraltarian historian and politician, and the current leader of the Liberal Party of Gibraltar (LPG) and Deputy Chief Minister of the Government of Gibraltar. Dr Garcia graduated from the University of Hull in England with a first class honours degree in history and obtained a doctorate on ‘The Political and Constitutional Development of Gibraltar’. Dr Garcia was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to politics and public service in Gibraltar.

Dr Anishka Gheewala is an anthropologist who earned her PhD from the London School of Economics, specialising in religiosity within the Pushtimarg Hindu tradition. Her research explores kinship and relationality through interdisciplinary lens, engaging with history, religious and diaspora studies. She conducted fieldwork in the UK and India, using participant observation, surveys, focus groups, and creative methods. Her work contributes to diaspora and migration scholarship, with plans to develop her thesis into a book and articles. She is interested in expanding into visual anthropology and developing projects on Hindu and Sindhi communities, including their historical and contemporary presence in Gibraltar.

Kevin specialises in historical archaeology and heritage management with interests in landscape archaeology, political ecology, ancient hydraulic technology, ancient communities, identity and frontiers, especially the impact of contact and colonisation. He has worked and researched in such diverse places as the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Borneo, Colombia, Germany, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Israel, Italy and Spain.

Dr Marta Rodríguez García is a postdoctoral sociolinguist at the University of Bern, Switzerland, specialised in multilingualism, language contact, and identity, with a strong focus on Gibraltar. Her doctoral research examined Yanito among young adults, exploring bilingualism and cultural identity. Marta aims to advance understanding of Gibraltar’s unique sociolinguistic landscape while fostering international partnerships and mentoring emerging scholars. She is committed to promoting Gibraltar as a key site for research on language, culture, and social change in global contexts.

Dr Lhoussain Simour is an Associate Professor of English and Cultural Studies at Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco.  His research focuses on cultural studies, colonial discourse, postcolonial literature, Moroccan cinema, and popular culture. Within his interests of music and cinema, Dr Lhoussain Simour is a specialist into the postcolonialism of Morocco and Moroccan Cinema. He is also actively researching migration and Morocco’s artistic encounters with 19th-century Europe and America. He has published several books, including Recollecting History beyond Borders (2014) and Larbi Batma, Nass el-Ghiwane and Postcolonial Music in Morocco (2016).

Helen’s research focuses on the evolution of British identity in Gibraltar, England, and Northern Ireland since the 2016 Brexit referendum, informed by the individual’s experiences living and working in the constituent countries of the UK and Gibraltar. As a close observer of national and regional identities, the research also aims to examine the impact of trade on identity, specifically in relation to the emergence of an all-island economy in Ireland.

Keith’s research focuses on enhancing the understanding of a fortress’s defensive capabilities by developing a system to model cannonball trajectories over topographically accurate maps from various historical periods of a fortress. He is particularly interested in creating a flexible model that allows for easy changes in variables, such as the type of gun at specific emplacements or its height above ground level. This adaptability will enable the exploration of various “what-if” scenarios and address specific research questions. Additionally, he aims to ensure accuracy by depicting artillery actions over precise maps and employing a Geographic Information System (GIS) that differentiates between different historical periods.

Christian’s research focuses on the current British Overseas Territories, which are not on paths to formal independence but are not in stasis either. It examines the processes and rates of constitutional change and decolonisation within the Territories, specifically Gibraltar, Bermuda, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Falklands, exploring the possible, probable, and preferable futures for these Territories and their inhabitants.

Rebecca’s research examined the works of Sanchez and Cruz within the context of Gibraltar’s socio-political history and evolving literary tradition. Challenging the claim that Gibraltar lacks a national literature, her thesis demonstrated that texts such as Licudi’s Barbarita and Chiappe’s Mosaic of an Unquiet Time reflect the gradual emergence of a distinct literary voice. These works articulate themes unique to Gibraltar’s people and place, reinforcing the notion of a shared cultural identity and the capacity for self-determination. In addition to her doctoral studies completed at the University of Gibraltar, Rebecca also lectures on the PGCE programme.

Elisa’s research explored how Andean relationships with the sacred landscape and ancestor cults changed during the Inca and Spanish conquests. It examined how Inca imperial expansion influenced indigenous sacred practices and how these were archaeologically manifested, as well as the strategies used by the Inca to control sacred spaces. It also investigated how Andean religious practices adapted under Spanish colonial rule. Fieldwork was conducted in the Ancash region of Peru and the Calchaquí Valley in Argentina to explore these transformations through archaeological evidence. Her broader interests included Andean archaeology, sacred landscapes, colonial encounters, and cultural resilience.