Arlene Archer
Arlene Archer is an internationally leading scholar of academic writing. She is Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and, since 1999, coordinator of the university’s Writing Centre.
She obtained her PhD in English from the University of Cape Town and University College London in 2005.
Arlene Archer’s research has gone hand in hand with the socio-political development in South Africa following Apartheid. In the 1990s, dynamic and innovative methods were required to increase inclusion in higher education in the country. Arlene Archer has been a driving force in studying and implementing multimodal pedagogical methods linked to, for example, images, video, and various artistic expressions. This in academic environments dominated by writing.
In her research, she has been able to show how recognition of means of communication other than writing can contribute to inclusion in such a diverse society as South Africa. Her pioneering research has had an impact far beyond her own country’s borders. In addition to her work on expanding literacy research to include multimodal practices, Arlene Archer has explored topics as diverse as the use of red socks in the fight against Apartheid and how “upcycling” of waste products can lead to value adding.
Arlene Archer has collaborated with Örebro University for over ten years – in particular with researchers in the subject of Swedish language. Her research and multimodal approach have inspired research as well as teaching here, not least in the teacher education programmes.
It is with great pride and joy we welcome Arlene Archer to receive an honorary doctorate.