In a special event in the Cardiff University Tent at 17:30 on Friday 10 August, Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd (Cardiff’s Welsh Speakers Students Union) will be officially established by Cardiff University’s Welsh speaking students. Meri Huws, the Welsh Language Commissioner, will join as a guest speaker.
In April 2017, it was announced that a union of students would be established within Cardiff University Students’ Union that would be responsible for representing Cardiff University’s Welsh speaking students. The name of this union would be Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd (UMCC). This announcement came after a campaign was led by the Welsh speaking students of the University, and after 87% of the union’s Student Senate voted in favour of the establishment of UMCC. This announcement was welcomed by Welsh-speaking students if Cardiff University, who saw the establishment of UMCC as the start of a new chapter for the Welsh language within the Union and the University in the capital city of Wales.
UMCC is a body that represents Welsh speakers in every aspect of their lives in the University – be it academically, socially, linguistically, politically, or with welfare matters within the Union and the University. In addition, UMCC is a body represents every Welsh-speaking student. Whether a fluent speaker or a learner. Whether a student in Cathays Campus or Heath Park. Whether someone who wishes to speak Welsh every day, or use it every now and again. UMCC represents and includes everyone.
In addition to representing the University’s students from day to day during their time at Cardiff University, UMCC has numerous goals it aims to achieve over the coming years. Some of these include:
- Bridging the gap between Welsh speaking students and the Union and University, and ensuring they do not feel isolated from the main body of students in the University.
- Ensuring that the University’s Welsh speakers receive their rights without asking and without exception, including their rights in light of the the Welsh Language Standards Regulations which are in the process of being placed on the University, and within the Union in light of Cardiff University Students’ Union’s Welsh Language Policy, that was launched in 2016.
- Ensuring there is a strong, lively and diverse community of Welsh speakers within the University, and that anyone who has an interest in the Welsh language and its culture can feel a part of that community.
- Creating a proactive and productive relationship between the community of Welsh speakers and the Union and University, to ensure that students and the University can proceed on the path to linguistic equality hand in hand with each other.
- Campaigning for linguistic equality here in the capital city, and working tirelessly to ensure that Cardiff University’s Welsh speaking students can live through the medium of Welsh.
Since announcing that UMCC would be established, UMCC’s committee has been working behind closed doors to establish UMCC, and to ensure that it is a body that will be able to represent the capital city’s Welsh speaking students effectively. By now, UMCC is ready to be an important and influential presence within the Union and University, and is ready to contribute positively to the lives of Welsh speaking students in Cardiff University.
To highlight, emphasize and promote this, they will have an official launch for UMCC on Friday 10 August at 17:30, in Cardiff University’s tent at the National Eisteddfod, in Cardiff Bay. The launch will be led by Osian Morgan, who led the campaign to establish UMCC during the 2016/17 academic year, and who was UMCC’s first president during the 2017/18 academic year. In addition, UMCC’s President-Elect, who will preside over UMCC during the next academic year, will take advantage of this opportunity to say a few words on his/her vision for the year that is to come (Elections for this role are being held over the coming week). To finish the event, Meri Huws, the Welsh Language Commissioner, will join as a guest speaker, to talk about the Welsh Language within Welsh Universities, and about the Welsh Language Standards in particular.
UMCC President, Osian Morgan, stated:
“We are extremely excited to launch UMCC during the National Eisteddfod this year. This is a perfect opportunity for us to promote the exciting developments being made to the Welsh language within the University. With the Eisteddfod visiting the capital city this year, it’s very appropriate that it’s during this Eisteddfod that we will celebrate this positive development to Cardiff University’s Welsh speakers.
“Launching UMCC will not only be a way for us to promote the fact that we are now fully ready to start campaigning for the Welsh language and its speakers in Cardiff University, but it will also be a way for us to celebrate this important step towards linguistic equality in the University of the capital city of Wales.”