I.3.11. Organization and launching of the research project: Ancient Societies in Action (ASA) – info

IDUB Programme Objective(s)

I.1. Supporting talented scientists in building their position in world science
I.2 Increasing the publication and implementation capacity for the results of research carried out at the University of Warsaw and with the participation of University employees, in the most widely recognised periodicals in the world
I.3 Support for the creation of research programmes and teams that will become future centres of excellence, including plans for their internationalisation
II.2 The implementation of a general mobility programme
II.4 The implementation of a system for communicating scientific achievements and research results
III.2 Ensuring opportunities for creating unique educational programmes (also in doctoral schools) related to research carried out under the POB
IV.1 Creating a mentoring and community support model for young researchers
IV.2 Mobility programmes for young researchers
IV.3 A grant system to support employees’ career paths

Name of POB/activity group

IV. The Humanities: Crossing Borders, Extending Capabilities

Description

Objectives

The main objectives of Ancient Societies in Action (ASA) are as follows:

strengthening the research potential of the Antiquarians of the University of Warsaw;
improving of the quality of ancient studies research conducted at the University of Warsaw, as well as communicating the results of this research;
raising the prestige of the University of Warsaw as a centre of research on ancient civilizations (by researchers at different stages of their careers, including doctoral candidates and MA students);
increasing the attractiveness of UW to researchers who are planning new projects and, consequently, leading to a greater number of international research projects on antiquity, carried out at UW.

Justification

Research on ancient history is a strength of the University of Warsaw, and the quality of our scholarly research is appreciated both in Poland and worldwide. The University’s potential in this field is based on the activities of a rather large group of historians, classical philologists, archaeologists, orientalists and specialists in Roman law, many of whom have received national and international grants and prestigious awards, and published their work in the best journals and publishing houses.

Taking the above into account, UW has a chance to join the most important European centres of research on antiquities. However, it must fully exploit its potential by strengthening its research capacity. Presently, its weaknesses include the following:

the publishing ‘strength’ of the research community as a whole does not fully match its potential;
the world generally recognises individual researchers, and not the research environment at UW as a whole;
the number of international grants does not meet the aspirations of Warsaw’s specialists;
Warsaw is relatively rarely treated as a place to conduct ancient studies research, by scholars from renowned world academic centres;
Warsaw does not attract enough ancient studies scholars (master’s and doctoral students).

Improvement of this state of affairs requires the effort of individuals as well as the academic community, all of whom will receive central support from the University through flexible but effective organisation researchers who are employed in various departments. This central structure, the Centre for Research on Ancient Civilizations (CRAC), will serve to develop research in antiquities at the University, the dissemination of the research results, the integration of the academic community, and its increased international visibility and attractiveness. The structure will constitute a Centre within the meaning of the Statute of the University of Warsaw § 13.4, and will be established by the Faculty of History of the University. The members of the Centre will remain employed in their existing departments; the administrator will be an employee of the Faculty of History. The Centre will be headed by an Activity Manager, supported by a four-member Committee, and an international Advisory Board.

Tasks and projects within the tasks

The project assumes a series of activities which will be planned and implemented by the Centre, involving individual researchers and project teams that are supported organisationally and financially by the Centre, which serves to administer funds for Ancient Societies in Action (ASA).

The Centre’s own activities include

designing, launching, maintaining and updating a website and newsletter with information on seminars, workshops, conferences, grants, publications, and other forms of community activity (Objectives I.3, II.4);
recruiting and organising postdoc visits to Warsaw for one academic year. This especially applies to postdoctoral researchers in the early stages of their careers (Objectives I.3 and II.2);
creating a mentoring system for young researchers, and peer evaluation and support for publication activities and grant applications (Objective IV.1).

In addition, the Centre will also organise four competitions every year (every 3 months) for ASA grants, financed from the budget for the activity and the POB budget, in proportions specified in the cost estimate. Their aim will be to finance projects, the list of which will include, among others, a series of international seminars, international workshops, conferences and sessions at international congresses, summer schools, study tours, short research and conference trips (including those for doctoral students), co-financing for translations, editing, acquisition of copyrights for illustrations, the publication of research papers, and ensuring publication in open access. This list is by no means complete; in cases where a project requires financing from central funds, the IDUB Centre will support applicants who are applying for such funding (objectives I.1, I.2, II.2, IV.2, IV.3).

As part of the program, there are plans to create a Master’s degree in Ancient Civilizations studies. The programme will take advantage of the unique diversity of research competencies of the scholars working at the University (Objective III.2).

The Centre will require secretarial services (part-time) in order to fulfil its objectives.

The Centre intends to multiply the effects of the funds it obtains from the IDUB programme by supporting the efforts of researchers from the University of Warsaw to obtain international grants. To achieve this goal, the Centre will need the help of Research Managers.

The Centre will also need an office and a workspace for affiliated researchers (post-docs and permanent staff of the University of Warsaw), amounting to six desks on the central campus.

Coordinating body

Faculty of History

Entities involved in implementation

Faculty of History
Institute of Classical Philology
Faculty of Oriental Studies
Faculty of Law and Administration
Faculty of Archaeology