Manuela Williams

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), widening access in higher education. I currently lead a project that investigates widening access students' transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies.

I am the Course Director of the MSc in Historical Studies.

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 a member of the steering committee of HistoryUK.

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

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

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)

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

Gabriella Gillies, ‘Gertrude Bell and Zionism’, MRes

Jordan Zanchetta, ‘British sympathies and Italian exiles: London as a home for Italian Radicals and Nationalists in the 19th Century’, MRes

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)