(Tell el-Farkha, photograph by the JU Institute of Archaeology)

The Foundation for Polish Science has published the results of the third edition of the eNgage contest, organised within the framework of the Skills* project, the aim of which is to develop practical and theoretical skills related to popularising science and presentation of research to various recipients, including non-scientists, students and general public. The participants of the contest are not in any way restricted as to the form of the popularisation method they propose. They can, for instance, prepare a series of lectures or meetings, or design a smartphone application, board game, or a website.

One of the 11 winners of the contest is an employee of the Jagiellonian University – Dr Joanna Dębowska-Ludwin, who submitted a project entitled Warsztat archeologa, czyli jak (nie)dotykać eksponatów [An Archaeologist's Workshop, or How (not) to Touch the Exhibits]. She will receive a donation of 29,020 PLN.

The project comprises a series of workshops for high school students interested in archaeology, which is aimed to show them the everyday work of an archaeologist. The prospective scientists will participate in mock excavations (from finding an exhibit to describing it to publishing an article to presenting it on a conference).

Dr Dębińska-Ludwin's academic interest include early Egyptian burial rituals, development of Egyptian brick architecture, and early Egyptian-Levantine contact as well as teaching in archaeology. She is a long-time member of the Polish Archaeological Expedition to the Eastern Nile Delta, where she supervises the excavations in Tell el-Farkha. She participated in various research expeditions in Poland, Ukraine, France and Sudan. For over 10 years she has been conducting classes on the archaeology of Egypt and Middle East.

Dr Joanna Dębińska-Ludwin is the fourth winner of the eNgage contests from the Jagiellonian University. Previous winners include Agata Jurkowska (Institute of Geological Sciences), Dr Piotr Kołodziejczyk (Institute of Archaeology) and Dr. Szymon Drobniak (Institute of Environmental Sciences).

The Foundation for Polish Science informed that it will be possible to submit applications for the fourth edition of the eNgage contest until the end of March 2015.

*The Skills project is co-funded by the EU within the framework of the European Social Fund.