The appointment to the Jesus Chair of Celtic, which supports the scholarship and preservation of Celtic languages, literature and history at the University of Oxford, has been made for the sixth time in its distinguished history to Dr David Willis.

The Jesus Chair, established in 1877, is the only Professorship in Celtic at an English University. Dr Willis will be taking a position with a distinguished history and a unique place in the University. Dr Willis, who was formerly a Reader in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, is well placed to lead the next phase of the Chair’s history. He has written extensively, focusing on historical linguistics and how structural change occurs in Celtic languages. Commenting on the announcement Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford said,‘” I am delighted that we have secured the appointment of David Willis to the Jesus Chair of Celtic. I am confident he will continue an outstanding tradition of scholarship in a subject of historic significance at the University.”

 

One of David’s interests is exploring how the Welsh language is evolving in the present day. He uses digital resources such as Twitter to examine how the language is used across Wales. By gathering spoken material from different parts of the Welsh-speaking population he has been able to make unique and fascinating comparisons of language change across time and space. Welcoming the appointment, Professor of Linguistics Aditi Lahiri said ‘On behalf of the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics may I add that we are delighted that Professor David Willis is joining us as the new Jesus Chair of Celtic.  We are not only gaining a world famous Celtic scholar but also a first class linguist.  It will indeed be an honour to welcome him as a member of our Faculty.’

Dr Willis’ appointment comes following an eight-year hiatus and a £3.35m fundraising campaign to permanently endow the Chair. Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Principal of Jesus College, said ‘The enthusiasm and generosity of donors to restore the Chair illustrates that Celtic scholarship remains central to our cultural identity and intellectual life’. The long standing connection between Wales and Jesus College in the field of Celtic and Welsh Studies was reflected in the decision of the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David to support the campaign as part of a strategic alliance to foster new opportunities to promote Celtic and Welsh Studies.

Interest is undiminished from current and prospective students as illustrated by current Jesus College student Fleur Snow, who is reading English and Modern Languages and took a Celtic paper .’I am so grateful to the work of the tutors who have made it possible for me to take this paper and shown me that the University is a place that doesn’t follow the trend of ignoring all that is small. So far, I have seen it protect culture, language and literature that are important, beautiful and in danger of being lost’. Jesus College is pleased to safeguard the advancement of Celtic scholarship for generations to come.