Jason Harris

Jason Harris is a Lecturer in Early-Modern History at the School of History, University College Cork (UCC), and serves as Director of the Centre for Neo-Latin Studies. He has been a core academic staff member since 2006 and holds a Ph.D. in History from Trinity College Dublin. His academic work bridges the disciplines of history, classics, and linguistics, with a strong focus on Latin as a medium of intellectual exchange during the Renaissance.

• Primary Degree: English/Drama, Trinity College Dublin
• Ph.D.: History, Trinity College Dublin (focus: Abraham Ortelius and humanist networks)

His research centers on early-modern intellectual culture, particularly the use and style of Latin in Ireland and northern Europe between 1400 and 1750. He employs linguistic, stylistic, and anthropological methods to analyze Neo-Latin texts, examining how Latin functioned in religious, scholarly, and political contexts. His interests include Renaissance humanism, the Republic of Letters, Irish Neo-Latin writers, and the pedagogy of spoken Latin. He is currently writing a monograph on humanist Latin style and preparing critical editions of historical texts.

His recent scholarly contributions reflect a strong trend in Neo-Latin textual analysis, Renaissance pedagogy, and the cultural significance of Latin in early-modern Europe. His work often explores stylistic nuances, manuscript traditions, and the interplay between Latin and vernacular languages, demonstrating a deep engagement with both philological rigor and cultural history.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Principal Investigator, Third Tongue Project (Irish Research Council, 2012)
• Principal Investigator, Irish Writers Project (UCC Strategic Research Fund, 2012)
• Principal Investigator, Historia Project (Irish Manuscripts Commission, 2011)
• Principal Investigator, Ad Fontes Project (IRCHSS, 2009)

Jason Harris has supervised numerous postgraduate students in areas such as Irish Neo-Latin literature, Renaissance historiography, and classical reception. He has been actively involved in grant-funded research projects and has contributed to academic governance through roles on the School of History Research Committee and CACSSS committees. He also leads the Spoken Latin Summer School (Schola Latina), promoting immersive Latin education.

He is affiliated with the Centre for Neo-Latin Studies at UCC, where he directs collaborative research initiatives including the Ad Fontes, Historia, and Third Tongue projects. These efforts involve interdisciplinary teams focused on recovering and interpreting Latin texts from early-modern Ireland and beyond.