Luxor Part 1: Research training underway
For the past few days, Essam and I have been in Luxor visiting two archaeological missions and organising for the delivery of my first research skills in Egyptology workshop - which, I can now proudly say, took place in the Karnak Temple complex today (pictured below)! Alhamdulilah! Around 20 local inspectors, archaeologists and students gathered in the lecture hall of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) conservation lab for a 2-hour workshop focused on what is research, the importance of sound research, researching step-by-step, structuring a thesis, the qualities of a good researcher, the nuances of Egyptological research and key online and hard copy reference tools every Egyptologist should know in order to succeed at an international level.Ā
I must admit, I was a little apprehensive beforehand. Although I have been trying to develop an understanding of where the existing gaps and weaknesses are in Egyptological training and research in Egypt, I am also aware that every audience is different and comes with their own individual knowledge base and set of experiences. I was also concerned about peoplesā level of English. Would they be able to follow me? Would they understand the value in what Iām saying? And, would they be able to practically apply what Iām teaching them to their own research practices?Ā Therefore, itās not simply a matter of their English. Itās also my responsibility to deliver the content in a friendly and accessible format. That is, through the use of images, giving practical examples, encouraging conversation (a useful gauge to see if you and your audience are on the same page), while also ensuring to speak slowly, clearly and without any Aussie slang!
As my role here in Egypt is very much an experimental one, which will shift and grow as our understanding of Egyptian Egyptologistsā needs improves, I have also developed an evaluation form for every workshop participant to complete. This captures information about the participantsā gender, age, education level, profession, whether or not theyāve undertaken research, or presented at a conference, overseas before, the types of training they feel they need (on a 1 to 10 priority scale), personal opinions on the way Egyptology is currently taught in Egypt and what role Egyptians think foreign institutes can play in making a positive difference to their professional development. I have also asked them specific questions around my research skills presentation and delivery style. I am looking forward to presenting the preliminary results of this, and my overall Fellowship experience, at the upcoming GARDEN conference in Cairo on February 27.
