Tonight (24 March) at the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Annual Congregation, three honorary fellows will be honoured. Professor Jane Aaron, Dafydd Evans, and Professor Iwan Davies will be recognised for their outstanding contribution to Welsh-medium education in the tertiary sector.
Professor Jane Aaron is Professor Emerita in the School of Humanities at the University of South Wales and a distinguished author. Recent publications include the biography Cranogwen, which won Wales Book of the Year 2024 in the Creative Non-Fiction category.
Professor Aaron will be honoured as a Fellow for her extensive contribution to Welsh-medium research and teaching.
Professor Aaron said:
"It is truly an honour to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol: there is hardly any educational institution in Wales today that deserves more respect than the Coleg.
"What it has achieved since its formation in 2011 to expand and enrich the development of Welsh-medium education and training in the tertiary sector deserves every commendation.
"It's a real honour to be a part of such an organisation, and I would like to thank the Coleg for electing me."
Dafydd Evans, former Chief Executive Officer of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, will receive the fellowship for his outstanding contribution to the further education sector, as well as his role as Chair of ColegauCymru during the period when the Coleg’s responsibilities were extended to further education and apprenticeships in 2017.
During his time at the helm of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Dafydd was an advocate for all aspects of education, training and skills provision, particularly in the economic context of north Wales.
Dafydd Evans said:
"It is a great honour to receive such recognition from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
"There is no doubt that the Coleg has had a hugely positive influence on the further education sector and in particular on vocational courses and apprenticeships.
"It's been an absolute pleasure to be a part of the journey."
Professor Iwan Davies will receive the Fellowship for his contribution to the promotion of Welsh-medium education at Swansea University including the establishment of Academi Hywel Teifi.
More recently he was Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University until 2022, and was a key member of the Coleg’s Board of Directors during its founding years in 2011.
Professor Davies said
"Receiving this Fellowship from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol is a special privilege.
"I have been fully committed to the mission of the Coleg since its early days, and for me this recognition is not only a personal honour, but a firm confirmation that fostering world-class scholarship through the medium of Welsh is a central part of our future as a nation."
As part of the evening, there will also be an opportunity to present certificates to PhD students for undertaking a doctorate under the Coleg's Research Scholarship Scheme.
Dr Aled Eirug, Chair of the Coleg said,
"We are very much looking forward to the Coleg’s Annual Congregation to recognise the tremendous work of individuals who have contributed to the expansion of Welsh-medium and bilingual education provision in the tertiary sector since the Coleg was founded fifteen years ago."
Dr Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of the Coleg added,
"It will be a great privilege to have the company of Professor Jane Aaron, Dafydd Evans and Professor Iwan Davies during the evening, to recognise their lifetime contribution to Welsh and bilingual education in the tertiary sector.
"Their tireless work has paved the way for the next generation of students and academics to study through the medium of Welsh in the tertiary sector."