LLC Commons: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg, Wai Weng Hew and Josie Vallely In brief Date - 3 December 2026Venue - Project Room 1.06, 50 George SquareSpeakers - Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence)Theme - Language and Minorities About the eventJoin us for the next event of the LLC Commons initiative this semester!The session brings together research around the theme of "Language and Minorities," and will feature three speakers: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence). The session will be followed by a Q&A and general discussion. Stay on for an informal pub social after.This space is to build community across the six departments in the School and hold interdisciplinary conversations among research staff and students - so come along!About the speakersSóla Ailis NicualghairgSóla Ailis Nicualghairg is an MScR student in Celtic and Scottish Studies, with supervision from Professor Robert Dunbar. She received her MA Hons degree from the University of Edinburgh in Celtic and Scandinavian Studies.Hew Wai WengDr Hew Wai Weng is Alwaleed Fellow in Contemporary Muslim Societies in the Globalised World at the Alwaleed Centre. He obtained his PhD from the Australian National University and has work and research experience in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. His research interests include the intersections between ethnicity, religiosity, class and politics in Southeast Asia. He writes about Chinese Muslim identities, Hui migration, social media and Islamic preaching, political Islam and urban middle-class Muslim aspirations in contemporary Malaysia and Indonesia.Josie VallelyJosie Vallely is a multidisciplinary Scottish artist, designer and researcher, as well as a service designer and graphic designer. She sings primarily in Scots, with a style inspired by the traditions of Scottish Traveller singers Lizzie Higgins and her mother Jeannie Robertson. Josie's experiments with composition and vocal techniques create a dialogue between pipe music and voice. Her work has a strong sense of place rooted in an imagined Scotland.How to attendThis event is free to attend, and open to all. No registration is required - just show up!About the seriesLLC Commons, coordinated by research colleagues and postgraduate research students, aims to embed work undertaken across the School’s six departments in a supportive seminar series. The initiative responds to calls from staff and students alike who have indicated that they would like more opportunities to share their work and invite feedback. The series aims to build a more integrated research culture among the School community, and to connect researchers across all its departments.Presentations might take a variety of formats: work in progress for conference papers or publications, outline plans for a chapter, a book proposal, or further research or grant plans. Tags Celtic and Scottish Studies Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Dec 03 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm LLC Commons: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg, Wai Weng Hew and Josie Vallely Join us on 3 December for the fourth event in the slate of LLC Commons Autumn events with Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence) giving presentations around the theme of 'Language and Minorities'. Project Room 1.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square This article was published on Tuesday 10 November 2026
LLC Commons: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg, Wai Weng Hew and Josie Vallely In brief Date - 3 December 2026Venue - Project Room 1.06, 50 George SquareSpeakers - Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence)Theme - Language and Minorities About the eventJoin us for the next event of the LLC Commons initiative this semester!The session brings together research around the theme of "Language and Minorities," and will feature three speakers: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence). The session will be followed by a Q&A and general discussion. Stay on for an informal pub social after.This space is to build community across the six departments in the School and hold interdisciplinary conversations among research staff and students - so come along!About the speakersSóla Ailis NicualghairgSóla Ailis Nicualghairg is an MScR student in Celtic and Scottish Studies, with supervision from Professor Robert Dunbar. She received her MA Hons degree from the University of Edinburgh in Celtic and Scandinavian Studies.Hew Wai WengDr Hew Wai Weng is Alwaleed Fellow in Contemporary Muslim Societies in the Globalised World at the Alwaleed Centre. He obtained his PhD from the Australian National University and has work and research experience in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. His research interests include the intersections between ethnicity, religiosity, class and politics in Southeast Asia. He writes about Chinese Muslim identities, Hui migration, social media and Islamic preaching, political Islam and urban middle-class Muslim aspirations in contemporary Malaysia and Indonesia.Josie VallelyJosie Vallely is a multidisciplinary Scottish artist, designer and researcher, as well as a service designer and graphic designer. She sings primarily in Scots, with a style inspired by the traditions of Scottish Traveller singers Lizzie Higgins and her mother Jeannie Robertson. Josie's experiments with composition and vocal techniques create a dialogue between pipe music and voice. Her work has a strong sense of place rooted in an imagined Scotland.How to attendThis event is free to attend, and open to all. No registration is required - just show up!About the seriesLLC Commons, coordinated by research colleagues and postgraduate research students, aims to embed work undertaken across the School’s six departments in a supportive seminar series. The initiative responds to calls from staff and students alike who have indicated that they would like more opportunities to share their work and invite feedback. The series aims to build a more integrated research culture among the School community, and to connect researchers across all its departments.Presentations might take a variety of formats: work in progress for conference papers or publications, outline plans for a chapter, a book proposal, or further research or grant plans. Tags Celtic and Scottish Studies Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Dec 03 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm LLC Commons: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg, Wai Weng Hew and Josie Vallely Join us on 3 December for the fourth event in the slate of LLC Commons Autumn events with Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence) giving presentations around the theme of 'Language and Minorities'. Project Room 1.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square This article was published on Tuesday 10 November 2026
Dec 03 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm LLC Commons: Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg, Wai Weng Hew and Josie Vallely Join us on 3 December for the fourth event in the slate of LLC Commons Autumn events with Sóla Ailis Nicualghairg (MScR, Celtic and Scottish Studies), Dr Wai Weng Hew (Alwaleed Centre) and Josie Vallely (Traditional Artist in Residence) giving presentations around the theme of 'Language and Minorities'.
