
Dr Stuart Davis
College Officer, Fellow, Director of Studies
Even though Girton is a large college, we are a close-knit community. Both the History and Modern Languages Fellows are committed to providing a supportive, intellectually stimulating environment: what one student describes as ‘a safe place to be intellectually daring.’ Girton is a place where we go the extra mile to ensure that everyone can fulfil their academic potential.
All the historians at the College meet together regularly for informal ‘current research’ sessions and social occasions, like dinners in Hall and the summer historians’ garden party. Language students enjoy a start-the-year party to welcome new students and those returning from their study abroad, as well as informal seminars on cultural and literary theory, designed to support their work in Tripos papers. Girton also has an active History Society that has organised talks by such prominent local figures as Professor Richard Evans, Professor Orlando Figes, Professor Quentin Skinner, and Professor Tim Blanning. Virginia Woolf’s essay ‘A room of one’s own’ was originally delivered to the Girton History Society (known back then as the ‘One damn thing after another’ Society).
For more on History at Girton see here and for more on MML see here.
The joint degree in History and Modern Languages combines the best of both subjects. It offers the opportunity to develop near native-speaker skills in a foreign language while studying a range of papers relating to the culture and history of the relevant language area; options in some languages also include film, linguistics and contemporary politics. Students will also develop analytical skills in History through a wide range of topics in British, European, American and World history, as well as the history of political thought. There will be opportunities to work with historical sources in foreign languages. Like other language students, those who take this course will spend their third year studying or working abroad, thereby immersing themselves in the language, culture, history and politics of a foreign country.
The languages available for study post-A level (or equivalent) are: French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish. Languages available to study ab initio (from scratch) are German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish.
Both faculties are regarded worldwide as leaders in their respective fields. The History Faculty is one of the largest in the United Kingdom and is consistently ranked as the best in research and teaching assessments. It has internationally recognised experts in all relevant fields of study. The Modern Languages Faculty is the largest in the United Kingdom and is also consistently rated as one of the best. It offers an unrivalled range of courses taught by leading scholars. The library resources in Cambridge, which support teaching and research in both Faculties, are world-class. The University also has extensive collections of films in all relevant languages, with Girton one of the few college libraries to stock loanable DVDs.
It has always been my dream to become an agent of change, hence why I decided to study International Development…Coming from one of the most underdeveloped regions in the world, in Venezuela, I have become invested in the idea of finding ways to tackle poverty and establish communities that thrive. The Maria Luisa de Sanchez and Irene Hallinan Graduate Research Scholarships, have enabled me to pursue my passion in ways I never thought imaginable. Thank you Girton for investing in me and helping me to recognise my own potential.