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Conferences and workshops (ARCHON)

Vak
2015-2016

Compulsory attendance

Yes, but you can make a free choice of 5 ects per year out of 10 ects of offered workshops.

Admission requirements

Admission to the RMA-programme, and registration with ARCHON (Research School of Archaeology), see the ARCHON website.

Description

ARCHON, the Dutch research school of Archaeology, initiates, organises and supports a programme of educational activities in close collaboration with its participating institutions (University of Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, University of Groningen, Leiden University, and the State Service for Cultural Heritage). The programme includes conferences, lecture series, thematic workshops, multi-and interdisciplinary courses and skill courses for RMA-students, PhD-researchers and staff members of the participating institutions. The intent is to create a platform for inspiring academic debate on current archaeological research. By creating a stimulating inter-institutional and interdisciplinary environment, ARCHON aims to bring together its junior and senior members. Most ARCHON activities are also open to the staff of university institutes and archaeologists working outside the academic world.

Each year, ARCHON organises and coordinates about 10 ects of RMA/PhD-education. Annually, an RMA-student of the Graduate School of Archaeology needs to collect a total of 5 ects from the RMA/PhD-level education activities offered by ARCHON. The programme for the current academic year is posted on the ARCHON website and offers thematic workshops (1-3 ects), an annual ARCHON day (1 ects), skill courses (1-2 ects), short intensive courses (1-2 ects) and education at allied institutes. After the activity, reports have to be sent to the ARCHON secretary.

As an alternative to ARCHON activities, in special cases, you can also apply to the curriculum coordinator, C.G. Slappendel MPhil for permission to use an international conference (abroad) for gaining credits for conferences and workshops, provided that
a) the conference focuses on your specialisation and/or thesis topic, and
b) attendance at this conference or workshop is recommended by a staff member of your research track.
The procedure for this alternative application:

At least 3 weeks before the event you need to get permission by email from a professor or lecturer of your research track. Please include the curriculum coordinator.
In this email you
1. motivate why this conference is relevant to your programme,
2. provide information about the conference (where, when; plus internet link) and
3. Ask the professor or lecturer to confirm by email to the curriculum coordinator
a. that he/she guarantees the quality of the conference,
b. that he/she is willing to evaluate the report,
c. the deadline that is set for submission of the report (a date within four weeks after the event).

N.B. After the event you hand in your report with the person who agreed to evaluate your report and he/she sends the result to the curriculum coordinator.

Course objectives

  • Knowledge of and insight in approaches in current issues in archaeology, as presented in workshops or conferences;

  • Ability to formulate well-structured questions and arguments in oral discussions during the conference;

  • Ability to interact and network with (international) scholars;

  • Critical assessment of current research with respect to context, applicability and background;

  • Critical assessment of how the conference themes and specific papers relate to the student’s own research interest;

  • Ability to formulate well-structured arguments in a reflective evaluation report/conference review.

Course load

1 ects is awarded for workshops and conferences of one or two days, including an evaluation report.
2 – 3 ects are awarded for workshops and conferences that require reading (1 ects = 140 pages) and/or assignments (written work).
1 ects is awarded for a presentation or paper given at a workshop. Hand in the PowerPoint presentation and text. Also see the ects-accounting webpage for more details.

ARCHON is the official organiser and accreditor of the conferences and workshop events. Ects are awarded after filing the evaluation report with the ARCHON secretariat. The reports are graded by the supervisors of the RMA specialisation.
In case of “alternative” conferences (see “Description” for the conditions), the same ects distribution applies, but the ects are awarded not by ARCHON but by the curriculum coordinator after receiving the report and its grade from the supervisor of the RMA specialisation.

Mode of instruction

  • Workshops;

  • Conferences;

  • Courses.

Assessment method

  • Assignments;

  • Evaluation reports.

Evaluation reports must be submitted within 4 weeks after attending the workshop or conference.

Contact

For more information about the ARCHON workshops, please contact the ARCHON secretariat.

For more information about applying to attend alternative conferences that pertain to your own specialisation, contact C.G. Slappendel MPhil.