Colin H. Williams FLSW (born 1950 in Barry,

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, UK) is a senior research associate at the VHI, l St Edmund's College, the University of Cambridge, UK. He was formerly a research professor in sociolinguistics, and later an honorary professor in the School of Welsh at

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

Biography

Williams attended Ysgol Gymraeg y Barri and Ysgol Uwchradd Rhydfelen (renamed Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen and now Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg) before pursuing university studies at

Swansea University Swansea University () is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it chang ...

. He graduated summa cum laude B.Sc. Econ in geography and politics in 1972. He then began his Ph.D. research on 'Language Decline and Nationalist Resurgence.' The Ph.D. was awarded by the University of Wales in 1978. In November 2017 he was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by the University of Wales. In 1973, he gained an English Speaking Union Scholarship tenable at the Department of Geography, the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

, Canada and undertook field work on the challenges facing the French language in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and

Acadia Acadia (; ) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. The population of Acadia included the various ...

. Returning to Wales, he was appointed an Open University Tutor and a Demonstrator at the Department of Geography, University College of Swansea, 1974–1976, before taking up an appointment teaching in the Departments of Geography and Politics and International Relations at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, now

Staffordshire University The University of Staffordshire is a public research university in Staffordshire, England. It has its main campus in Stoke-on-Trent and four other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield, Shrewsbury, and London. History In 1901, industrialist Alfred ...

, where he was successively lecturer, principal lecturer and professor of geography. In 1993, while he was working in Toronto as a Multicultural History Society of Ontario Fellow, he was appointed a research professor, School of Welsh,

, the post he occupied until 2015. In June 2015, he was elected a visiting fellow at St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, where he specialises in aspects of peace and conflict, human rights and minority relations and comparative policy development in multilingual and multicultural polities. https://www.vhi.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/directory/williams In January 2018 he was named as a senior research associate of the Von Hügel Institute, St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, where he works on peace and reconciliation in post-conflict societies. His main scholarly interests are sociolinguistics and language policy in multicultural societies, ethnic and minority relations and political geography. He is a former

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the peopl ...

in Residence and visiting professor, The Department of Geography,

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

, 1982–83, a SSRC/SHFR Exchange Scholar (1982) and

Swedish Institute The Swedish Institute (, ) is a government agency in Sweden with the responsibility to spread information about Sweden outside the country. It exists to promote Swedish interests, and to organise exchanges with other countries in different ar ...

Scholar (1988) at the Centre for the Study of International Conflicts, Department of History,

University of Lund Lund University () is a public research university in Sweden and one of Northern Europe's oldest universities. The university is located in the city of Lund in the Swedish province of Scania. The university was officially founded in 1666 on the ...

, and an adjunct professor of geography,

, 1994 to date. In 2002 he was a visiting fellow of Mansfield College and Jesus College, Oxford University and a visiting fellow of Mansfield College again in 2010. In 2009 he was a visiting professor at the Department of Political Science, the University of Ottawa in connection with the SSHRC sponsored ARUC project. In April 2000 the

National Assembly for Wales The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

appointed him to be a member of the

Welsh Language Board The Welsh Language Board () was a statutory body set up by HM Government under the Welsh Language Act 1993. It was an Assembly Sponsored Public Body. It began its life under John Walter Jones, and its last chief executive was Meirion Prys Jone ...

, a post he held until 2011. In May 2013 he was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. He was an honorary professor of Celtic Studies at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

, until 2009 and remains an adjunct professor of geography at the University of Western Ontario, Canad

He is the author/editor of numerous books, including: *''Called Unto Liberty: On Language and Nationalism'' Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, Avon, 1994 *''The Political Geography of the New World Order'', J. Wiley, London, 1993 *A Welsh Language Board sponsored project on Community Language Planning and Policy, whose first major report was published as Williams, C.H. and Evas, J.C ''Y Cynllun Ymchwil Cymunedol'' (The Community Research Project), Welsh Language Board, Cardiff, August 1997, 3rd Edition 2000 *''Language Revitalization in Wales: Policy and Planning'' University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 2000 *''Language and Governance'', University of Wales Press, 2007 *''Linguistic Minorities in Democratic Context'', Palgrave, 2008 *Minority Language Promotion, Protection and Regulation: The Mask of Piety, Palgrave, 2013 * Co-editor with S. Pertot and T. Priestley, ''Rights, Promotion and Integration Issues for Minority Rights in Europe'', Palgrave, 2009 * Co-editor with H.S. Thomas, ''Parents, Personalities and Power'', University of Wales Press, 2012. * Language Policy and the New Speaker Challenge. Cambridge University Press, 2023. He has been involved in research projects comparing the office of Language Commissioner in Canada and Europe; and a study of Official Language Strategies in Canada and Europe
In 2022 he completed a project which focussed on the New Speaker challenge for Official Language Strategies.The New Speakers Network
His current project, supported by a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship, investigates Official Language Regimes which compares European and Canadian cases.

Affiliations

He was a member of the scientific committee of Lingua Mon,

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, 2007–2013 and of the Basque Academy's Social History of the Basque Language. In January 2008 he was appointed by the Government of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

as one of six specialists charged with preparing a 20-year strategy for the Irish language. Currently he is advising the Government of Wales on its revised language strategy.

Sources

* Language Revitalization in Wales: Policy and Planning, University of Wales Press, Cardiff. 2000. * Language and Governance, University of Wales Press, 2007. * Linguistic Minorities in Democratic Context, Palgrave, 2008. * Marquis Who's Who in the World, 2008.

References

External links

Welsh Language Board
Cambridge University; https://www.vhi.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/directory/williams {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Colin H. 1950 births Living people Academics of Cardiff University Welsh scholars and academics Alumni of Swansea University Academics of Staffordshire University University of Western Ontario alumni Academics of the Open University People from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales