Sinéad O'Connor

I completed my PhD at University College Cork, Ireland in 2016. My work explores the geographies of encounter, the politics of difference, migration, and the internationalisation of Higher Education. I'm currently a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences here at Aberystwyth and I am the programme leader for our integrated foundation year schemes. 

My work investigates 'encounters' taking place between diverse social groups in different public and private spaces, examining the meaning of these interactions for individuals' sense of belonging or exclusion in the city and university.Through the experiences of international students, I also engage with the role of internationalisation in shaping the university itself and international students' experiences. I have a strong interest in issues of diversity, intersectionality, racism and prejudice, and how these are articulated in the everyday geographies of peoples’ lives. The consequences of internationalisation strategies are a particular aspect of my research, as student mobility becomes an increasingly significant feature in Higher Education. At the moment, I'm looking at the ways in which digital technology is shaping discourses around the body through an intersectional lens. 

Foundation Year Programme Leader