About

Gibraltar, as one of the Pillars of Hercules, remains a point of departure for investigating the gateway between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and the crossroads between Europe and Africa. Concentrating primarily on historical, anthropological and archaeological studies, this Institute has developed authentic and non-traditional research methods to reflect the cultural, religious and geopolitical setting of this part of the world, with focus on the Strait region as the meeting point of people, polities and power.
The Associate Researchers in the Institute for Gibraltar and Mediterranean Studies will focus on interdisciplinary research into areas such as colonial and postcolonial studies, the aim being to address questions of identity, ethnicity, self-determination and nationalism. A wide interdisciplinary approach to spatial history and social geography will offer the tools with which to study the distribution and reconfiguration of domestic, public and military space.

Research into social and cultural history will also involve oral history methods, an area in which we are developing innovative techniques in bilingual interviews and transcriptions, allowing us to further understand bilingualism, code switching and Llanito traditions.

The institute is committed to the building of local research capacity and excellence in scholarship, bringing together leading academic specialists from a range of relevant disciplines. It will strive to be recognised internationally as a centre of excellence in its field.

Its main areas of activity include: interdisciplinary research in socio-cultural themes associated with Gibraltar, supervision of students, engagement with key research associations and expert platforms, seeking funding and projecting the University of Gibraltar’s research presence internationally.

The University of Gibraltar works closely with the Gibraltar Garrison Library and HM Government of Gibraltar’s Department of Heritage as Key Partners within the Institute for Gibraltar and Mediterranean Studies.

The Gibraltar National Museum, Gibraltar Garrison Library and the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens are also Associate Campuses of the University of Gibraltar and their resources, including their extensive collections, are available for study to University of Gibraltar PhD Researchers.

An Expert Team

The Institute is headed by Dr Jennifer Ballantine Perera, Director of The Gibraltar Garrison Library. Her main area of research is Gibraltar, with a focus on social and colonial history, British Overseas Territories, constitutional reform and expressions of self-determination.
Associate researchers