PanAF Student Day

Sunday July 26th

Pan AF is excited to announce two workshops that will be presented for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Spaces are limited so sign up soon!

Morning Session – 9h00 to 12h00

Wenner-Gren Foundation Grant Workshop for Graduate Students

This three-hour Wenner-Gren Foundation workshop for PhD students, cohosted by Danilyn Rutherford, President of the Foundation, and Chip Colwell, Program Director for Public Anthropology, offers an overview of funding opportunities, followed by a focused training on preparing a competitive Dissertation Fieldwork Grant application. Drawing on their extensive experience in supporting anthropological research and public engagement, the session will cover key components of successful proposals, evaluation criteria, and practical tips. An optional third hour provides an informal Q&A for individualized guidance.

Afternoon Session – 13h30 to 16h30

Early Career Writing Workshop

This half day workshop for Early Career Researchers in archaeology and related disciplines will cover the basics of academic journal publishing and offer a chance for participants to share experiences with each other and the convenors. The workshop will discuss what makes a good academic article, examine examples of different types of article, and explore the publications process from submission to peer review. We will also consider some of the main journals in Africanist and global archaeology. Participants are invited to submit a 500-1000 word synopsis of a paper in preparation for discussion/feedback. 

The workshop will be led by Dr Matthew Davies. Matt is Deputy Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. He is currently the Series Editor of the McDonald Monographs and Conversations in Archaeology and sits on the editorial boards of the Cambridge Archaeological Journal and the West African Archaeological Journal. Matt has held several previous editorial roles and has published widely. Matt will be joined by several other experienced guest editors TBC. 

Professional Development & Academic Writing Workshop for Students

This half-day workshop for undergraduate and master’s students in archaeology and related disciplines will introduce participants to key elements of professional and academic development. The session will focus on the fundamentals of writing a scientific abstract, organizing and strengthening an academic CV, and preparing for future academic and professional opportunities. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage directly with professors and researchers during an open Q&A session focused on graduate school, research pathways, publishing, fieldwork, and career development in archaeology and the broader sciences.

The workshop is designed for beginners and aims to provide practical guidance in a supportive and interactive environment. Participants are encouraged to bring draft abstracts, CVs, or questions for discussion and feedback. The workshop will be led by Dr. Elena Skosey-LaLonde of the Universidade do Algarve ICArEHB (Portugal), Dr. Kathryn Ranhorn of Arizona State University (USA), and Dr. Yonatan Sahle of University of Cape Town, with assistance from two of ICArEHB’s recent graduates Dr. Humphrey Nyambiya (Zimbabwe) and Chafim Braga, MA (Mozambique). Together, the convenors bring experience in archaeological research, academic publishing, fieldwork, student mentorship, and international collaborative research environments.