Dr Manuela Williams

Principal Teaching Fellow

History

Personal statement

I joined Strathclyde in September 2002. My research and teaching interests lie in the field of international history, and in particular the history of the Middle East (the interwar period, the history of the mandates, Arab nationalism and the emergence of nation states, pan-Arabism and post war conflicts), propaganda and political communication, twentieth century Europe (Italian Fascism and post-war European political history). Since 2017, I have developed a strand of pedagogical scholarship activities that have focussed on widening access in higher education looking at the experience of transition through and out of university; graduate employability and inclusive pedagogy (curriculum and assessment design).

I am Director of Teaching in the Department of Humanities

I am Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I am Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

I was awarded the Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Award 2015.

I am member of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and co-chair of their subgroup looking at identity (Grand Challenges for SoTL 4).

Expertise

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Area of Expertise

Expertise

The political history of the Middle East
The history of propaganda and information
Twentieth-century Europe
Widening Access in Higher Education
Employability in Higher Education
Inclusive pedagogy

Postgraduate supervision

I welcome postgraduate applications in any areas of 20th Century history of the Middle East, history of propaganda and 19th and 20th century Italian history.

I have supervised, and currently supervise

Gianluca Fantoni, ‘Red Screens: the cinematographic and television production of the Italian Communist Party’, Ph.D. (completed)

Ben Quail, ‘The Great Society and War: The Propaganda of Lyndon B Johnson’s Presidency’, Ph.D. (completed)

Alessandra Magrin, ‘The Buffalo Bill Wild West tours of Italy in the 1890s and 1900s’, Ph.D. (completed)

Ewan Hearns, 'Narrative Dissonance and the Prevention of Peace: How conflicting narratives amongst the Zionists and the Palestinians surrounding the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948, hindered the success of future peace processes in the region', Ph.D.

Rebecca Lupton, 'Japan's decision to join the Axis Powers and the possibility that World War II began in the Far East', MRes (completed)

Gabriella Gillies, ‘"I could not serve a government in whose policy I did not believe". Gertrude Bell, Zionism and the Foreign Office', MRes (completed)

Grants and awards

QAA Scotland - Resilient Learning Communities Enhancement Theme (2021)

QAA Scotland - Student Transition Enhancement Theme (2015)

The Carnegie Trust Research Grant (2007)

British Academy Small Research Grant (2006)

British Academy Small Research Grant (2003)

Prize And Awards

Senior Fellowship of HEA: Recipient; 2021
Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Award: Recipient; 2015
The Carnegie Trust Research Grant: Recipient; 2007
British Academy Small Research Grant: Recipient; 2006
British Academy Small Research Grant: Recipient; 2003

More prizes and awards

Publications

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Publications

Biology wet lab e-learning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic : a review of student learning and experiences: Maglio Cristina, Williams Manuela, Camponeschi Alessandro; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education (2025); https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21897
Students as Assessors : Peer assessment and the benefits to students and staff: Cummings Joanne, Marshall Jacqueline, Murphy Bronagh, Robertson Elizabeth, Williams Manuela; (2024)
History, Pedagogy and EDI Project Report: Holland Sarah, Budd Adam, McGuire Coreen, Williams Manuela, Peplow Simon; (2023)
Very qualified for the future : history graduates' employability and earnings: Williams Manuela; (2022)
Trends in History in UK Higher Education: Pringle Yolana, Barker Sara, Holland Sarah, Laqua Daniel, Sennis Antonio, Tingle Elizabeth, Williams Manuela, Wood Jamie, Brown Gareth, Harvie David; (2022)
The Pandemic Pedagogy Handbook: Cooper Kate, Creechan Louise, Matthews-Jones Lucinda, Merrydew Aimee, Pringle Yolana, Williams Manuela, Wood Jamie; (2020)

More publications

Teaching

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Teaching

Undergraduate

Modern Europe
Propaganda and War in the Twentieth Century
Conflict in the Middle East 1900-1973
Living under a Dictator: Politics and Society in Fascist Italy
History Work Placement
The Scramble for the Middle East: Arab Nationalism, Zionism and European Colonial Powers, 1914-1939
The Power of Persuasion: Media, Propaganda and the State during 20th-Century Conflicts

Postgraduate

Nationalism and nation-states in the Arab Middle East: 1900-1945
Transatlantic Influences: The US and Europe after 1958
Work Placement in History
Research Skills, Sources and Methods for Historians

Research

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Professional Activities

International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (External organisation): Member; 8/2024
Advance HE’s Students as Co-creators Symposium 2024: Speaker; 31/1/2024
External Examiner: Examiner; 1/9/2023
QAA Scotland’s 5th International Enhancement Conference ‘Shaping the Student Experience Together: 20 Years of Enhancement’: Speaker; 14/6/2023
Using reflective assessment to embed employability in History: Speaker; 8/10/2022
ENHANCEMENT CONFERENCE 2022: RESILIENT LEARNING COMMUNITIES – INCLUSIVE, FLEXIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE: Speaker; 8/6/2022

More professional activities

Projects

Widening Access student transition into Postgraduate Education - implementation phase: Williams, Manuela (Principal Investigator); Funded by QAA Resilient Learning Communities Enhancement Theme, this project will implement the findings of the 2019 research into Widening Access students transition into postgraduate studies. It will create online repositories of information on services and facilities, and academic skills.; 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2022
Widening Participation students through their undergraduate years.: Williams, Manuela (Principal Investigator); Funded by QAA Transition Enhancement theme, this project examines the experiences of Widening Access undergraduate students of History at Strathclyde University; 02-Jan-2015 - 31-Jan-2016

More projects

Contact

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