Elin Rhys

Elin Rhys. Founder of Telesgop.
BSc Biochemistry. Class of 1978.

Back in February Pablo Josiah, President of the Students' Union, invited me, as a member of the University Council, to the Swansea Ethno Gala celebration event. And what a celebration of different cultures from all over the world coming together to enjoy themselves. All in colourful outfits - and I was in my usual plain dress!  But everyone celebrating our cultural differences.

This took me back to my days as a student at Swansea University in the seventies and reminded me of why this university is such a special place. I remember like yesterday being part of organising Swansea University's Welsh Society team to compete in the Intercollege Eisteddfod at Aberystwyth University. It was around the mid-seventies.  At that time, Welsh speakers tended to flock to Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities – as many subjects could be studied through the medium of Welsh at those Universities. So, the Swansea Gym-Gym always came last in the Eisteddfod competitions, and we felt a bit out of place with the bards and the singers!  We were much more Welsh than the rest of Swansea's students, but not Welsh enough to fit in with the Aber and Bangor crowd.  So, we decided to try and do something about it.

"This took me back to my days as a student at Swansea University in the seventies and
reminded me of why this university is such a special place"

I had a friend in Gilbertson Hall, the boys' hall adjacent to Clyne gardens, and I was in Neuadd Martin, the girls' hall, next door. Rehman Rashid was an unrivalled singer - and played the guitar in his own unique style. He was from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We’d often meet in my room to sing together – and he always showed a respect and interest for Welsh music.  I suggested that maybe including him in the line-up would be an idea – singing a song of his own composition.    He agreed to participate and raised the roof!  And then we discovered a singing group from Chile who also offered to help us - wearing their traditional dress and singing in perfect harmony.

On the Saturday night of the Eisteddfod was the legendary Noson Lawen competition. Each university providing entertainment for a quarter of an hour and competing for the coveted title of best Noson Lawen.  The Swansea University team arrived on the stage with the talented Ieuan Thomas from Pwll taking the lead. We had a few items from us Welsh, a pop group called Be Nesa (What Next!), and traditional folk dancers. But there with us on stage were Chile and Malaysia!!  For the first time ever Swansea University won the Noson Lawen competition!! There was no end to the celebrations.

Rehman Rashid was a journalist, who became a famous writer in his country. But sadly, he passed away at the age of 62 in 2017.  A huge loss.

The lesson I learned at the Inter-college Eisteddfod that year was that combining talent, and collaborating across countries with completely different cultures is valuable, and can create miracles.  This all came back to my mind on the night of the Swansea Ethno Gala. So nice to know that the University still celebrates diversity and supports different cultures.

I've been running a TV and radio company here in Wales for over 30 years now. The office is in Bay Studios, opposite the new campus.

We're a company that tries to showcase Welsh art as much as we can. It is very difficult to get programmes on the British network to show Welsh culture. But broadcasting from the Young Farmers' Eisteddfod, and the Cerdd Dant Festival is important to us. Our main series, Ffermio, reflects rural life and agriculture. And the Welsh countryside is key to the prosperity of our nation's culture.

But science is my main interest. And there's art in science, too.

My latest project is to produce a film about CERN – the largest physics experiment in the world, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Swansea University has been very closely associated with CERN right from the start. Eifionydd Jones from the physics department was the first to go there - and work on a Nobel prize-winning project.  Sadly he died young. Another scientist who went to CERN was Lyn Evans – the scientist who designed the Large Hadron Collider - the LHC.  Following him out there was a young physicist who has now become the Head of Beams – Rhodri Jones. Lyn and Rhodri are both alumni and Fellows of Swansea University.  But what I love about CERN is not the brilliant science that goes on there - although that is obviously excellent - but the way scientists from countries across the world, from all cultures under the sun, are happily collaborating and sharing their results.

I was there filming recently, and at the dinner table were Muhammad from Hebron in Palestine, Ynyr from Caernarfonshire, Monica from the United States, Livia from Italy and Smaragda from Greece. All speaking the same language - science, but all respecting each other’s culture. There is so much for our world's politicians to learn from CERN staff and structure.

70 years ago, the reason CERN came into being was that scientists wanted to work together in the name of peace. After the outbreak of the second world war, and the bombs that fell on Japan, scientists wanted to create a huge experiment where European countries could all work and share the results. And now it's open to countries outside Europe.

Back in the days of the Inter-college Eisteddfod, I learned that we would never win alone. But by bringing other, different cultures together, it was possible to move mountains. The same is true at CERN.

I try to be as outward-looking as I can – while also loving Welsh culture, its music, its poetry and its scientists!

However I worry that as a nation we will lose some of the things that are essential to our Welshness. We need to go out into the world to show our talents and to demand a level playing field on English television and radio, and around the world. It is our culture that sustains us.

For a short time in the eighties, before going into broadcasting, I worked at the Water Board – and when I left, my boss gave me a gift. Just a plain picture with words on it -

Elin -

"If you know where you come from - there's no limit to where you can go."

Wise words I keep close to my heart to this day.