The Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Birmingham has ranked in the top five Russell Group departments of Classics.
The national Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise 2014 judged over 80% of research in the department to be ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.
REF 2014 assessed research publications and the public impact of research carried out in every university in the UK 2008-2014.
Professor Cory Ross, Head of the School of History and Cultures, said “We are very pleased with this recognition of the exceptional quality of our research in Classics and Ancient History at Birmingham, and we are determined to build further on this success.”
As a research-intensive University, the Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology department’s research focuses on originality and pioneering. Siren Celik, a final-year doctoral researcher at the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, has recently been awarded a prestigious Junior Fellowship at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library in Washington DC. Celik will have access to extensive library resources which will contribute greatly to her research, as she works on a new biography of Manuel II Palaiologos, the first publication that will offer a complete analysis of the emperor’s literary, philosophical and theological works.
Professor Michael Whitby, Pro-Vice Chancellor and the Head of the College of Arts and Law, added that “REF 2014 has shown that the University of Birmingham is a centre of excellence for research across the full range of disciplines in the Arts and Humanities, confirmed as one of the leading five universities in the country for these disciplines.”