The Humanities Faculty Emerging Researcher Award is offered in recognition of outstanding scholarly work by emerging researchers who have made significant independent contributions to research in their field.

The winner of this year’s award is Dr Ryan Nefdt from the Department of Philosophy. Dr Nefdt’s research focuses on the nature of language using various languages such as Nguni and Yupik languages as a base. He champions the view that languages are structures which are sensitive to cultural context and community ontology. In 2018, Dr Nefdt was invited to be a professorial visitor at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change at the University of Minnesota where he conducted research on the emerging force of political realism in Africa. His Head of Department remarks that: “Ryan’s research trajectory is, by any standards, quite outstanding, by the standards of the discipline of philosophy, it is breathtaking.” To get a glimpse into Dr Nefdt’s work, see here and here.