At the National Eisteddfod, the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol announced the names of the first students to be awarded the bursary in memory of the late Dr Llŷr Roberts, who died suddenly in June 2023 aged 45.
Dr Llŷr Roberts was a lecturer in Management at Bangor University and as a Welsh-medium lecturer in Business, Llŷr received national acclaim for his work.
The bursary is for undergraduate students studying through the medium of Welsh to sponsor an educational tour related to their degree. It is being offered for the first time this year by the Coleg in collaboration with Llŷr’s family and Bangor University.
It was announced that six students will benefit from this year's bursary at the Coleg’s annual reception at the National Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Three students studying Midwifery at Bangor University, Hana Jones, Mia Owen and Seren Mai, will travel to Sri Lanka to experience working at the hospitals there.
Gwernan Brooks, who is studying Welsh at Cardiff University, will travel to Patagonia to compare Patagonia and Wales from a linguistic and sociolinguistic perspective.
Norway was Megan Broom’s choice. Megan is studying Physical Geography at Aberystwyth University and thethe bursary will contribute to her year in Bergen looking at the physical geography and special landforms of the country.
Shayla Virgo, who is studying Law at the University of South Wales, will travel to America to explore the legal system and improve her understanding of common law principles there.
Dr Dafydd Trystan, Registrar of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol said,
"Llŷr was a very dear friend and colleague. He has made a wide-ranging contribution to Welsh medium higher education in Business at the University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University and most recently, at Bangor University.
"He was passionate about the Welsh language, about business studies and marketing, about music and travel.
"His legacy is clear, and it is fitting that we offer this bursary to support the next generation of students with their Welsh medium studies. Congratulations to the six who have been accepted this year."
Llŷr was a man with very broad horizons, and one who did so much to innovate in the field of higher education through the medium of Welsh. It is therefore extremely fitting that the travel bursary established in his name is going to enable three female students studying Midwifery through the Welsh language here in Bangor to gain experience of working in Sri Lanka.
