I don’t think it was a coincidence that the Glasgow programme was created in 2004, the year of EU expansion when ten new languages joined the Union. The programme has been housed within the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and not as a sister department to English Literature unit which has been a predominant pattern for many Comparative Literature programmes elsewhere in the world.  The strong linguistic foundation of our offerings is unquestionable and one that has shaped our Glasgow ‘intellectual DNA’ profoundly.   

The School’s linguistic expertise is reflected in the texts we teach but we also follow some well-established patterns when designing our Comp Lit curriculum at both UG and PG levels. In doing so we stress intercultural awareness (‘to be human is to be intended toward the other’), we discuss the losses and the gains of reading literature in translation, we debate the ways texts and theories are said to travel, we draw richly on such sister disciplines as cultural studies, translation studies, postcolonial/postcommunist studies, intercultural gender discourses, performance studies, medical humanities, blue humanities and broader eco-critical readings. Our reading lists (besides literary genres) include films, operas, graphic novels, posters, design art, social media and other related ‘visual texts’ such as photography and visual essays.  We see ourselves as a programme which enhances intercultural communication, fosters mutual respect and understanding of the other while increasing the capabilities of individuals to lead valuable lives. We are very proud to score 100% of students’ satisfaction twice during the last 20 years. We are delighted to have nearly 150 visiting students every year since the pandemic who come from overseas to take our courses, and we are greatly honoured that the number of our Single Honours students tripled since 2022. 

Our celebratory panel has been designed to showcase current research of our selected staff members, variety of their expertise, diverse languages and cultures. It consisted of the presentations by Drs Mirna Solic (who joined the Programme in 2010), Paul Castro (who joined in 2018) and Julia Hartley (who joined in 2023).  Dr Elwira Grossman (who has been Programme’s convenor since 2004/5) chaired the panel and thanked all Comparative Literature colleagues, students and friends from CoAH for making the existence of the programme such a spectacular success.

Long Live Comp Lit!

Michael Syrotinski, MAE
Marshall Professor of French and Comparative Literature

First published: 5 August 2025

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Staff and students from the Comp Lit department celebrate the programme's 20th anniversary at a restaurant

In recognition of the programme reaching its 20th year, Comparative Literature staff and students convened for a celebratory panel (pictured above). The panel showcase a diverse range of research from selected staff members within the programme.