The Centre for Minorities Research (CMR) is delighted to announce the release of the first episode of My Life In…, our new podcast series exploring the professional journeys of individuals working with minorities and vulnerable communities. In this inaugural episode, Dr Stavroula Pipyrou, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology and Founding Director of CMR, is in conversation … Read more
The Centre for Minorities Research is excited to launch My Life In…, a new public seminar series that highlights the professional journeys of individuals working with minorities and vulnerable communities across diverse sectors. Designed to reach beyond academic circles, the series offers an open and accessible platform for audiences to engage with real-world experiences and reflections from practitioners whose … Read more
We are delighted to introduce Polina Vekchina, who has recently joined the CMR team. Born in the United States and raised just outside London, Polina brings an international perspective and a passion for interdisciplinary learning. She is currently completing an MLitt in Legal and Constitutional Studies at the University of St Andrews, where she continues to explore a … Read more
Event Details: The UNESCO Chair on Applied Studies of Intangible Cultural Heritage (University of Tartu, Estonia) is launching a new series highlighting global research and initiatives on intangible cultural heritage — and everyone is welcome to join! We’re delighted that the first hybrid meeting features our very own: Rory James Cassie (University of St Andrews)“You … Read more
Event Details: This event will explore the histories and human experiences of displacement across the twentieth century, examining how forced migration and resettlement have shaped identities, communities, and nations. Whether through war and conflict, ideological division, or the search for new opportunities, displacement leaves intelligible marks on the human experience. Through film viewing, talks, and discussions, … Read more
Researcher and CMR Associate, Rory James Cassie, a PhD candidate in Social Anthropology, has been awarded the Estonian National Grant for Researchers and Academic Staff 2025. This prestigious and highly competitive scholarship is provided by the Estonian Education and Youth Board. The funding will enable him to spend this semester with the Cultural Institute of … Read more
CMR intern Sophie Cooper recently completed a project at the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) exploring how digital storytelling can be used to promote intercultural dialogue among national minorities in the Denmark–Germany border region. This border region — home to Danish, German, and North Frisian minority communities — is one of Europe’s most unique … Read more
The CMR Team is happy and proud of all involved in another successful season of the CMR Podcast. Season 4 ends with the topic of accessibility in heritage spaces—a critical and timely conversation for everyone in the field. There has been a longstanding belief from both academics and the public that the goal of historical … Read more
We are pleased to announce that the first Seminar Series, Minorities in Times of Scarcity and Conflict, will be featured in Routledge Advances in Minority Studies Series. Edited by Antonio Montañés Jiménez, Camila Ferreira Marinelli, and Stavroula Pipyrou, this volume places scarcity as a defining aspect of minorities’ collective experience and as a tool to … Read more
How does a group’s identity change if it is subject to two vastly different conditions? How has Sahrawi identity developed in exile and under occupation? In this episode, Maarten Weinrich, a postgraduate student in Strategic Studies with a background in conflict transformation and peacekeeping research, explores how decades of conflict, exile, and occupation have led … Read more