Introduction
This interdisciplinary program aims at preparing doctoral students for research careers in the broader fields of archaeology and cultural heritage based on scientific and technological methods. The program’s structure and content are designed to immerse Ph.D. candidates in research that lies at the crossroads between Science, Technology and the Humanities, and the Social Sciences. It focuses on preparing students to deal with significant research problems in Cultural Heritage and Archaeology that make effective use of advances in digital technologies and scientific methods.
In its essence, this program aspires to educate students in the integration of science and technology in archaeology and cultural heritage. Combining theoretical with practical aspects, the Ph.D. in Science and Technology in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage will provide a comprehensive learning experience for students who wish to advance in the field at its broadest meaning, while engaging with the most up-to-date scientific and technological techniques and research approaches. More specifically, this program will:
Prepare students to deal with significant research problems in applying digital technologies and a range of scientific methods for research in archaeology and cultural heritage, helping them to become leaders in this emerging research field.
Founded upon cutting-edge cross-disciplinary research by CyI faculty, it is the only such program in Cyprus to focus on solving archaeological and cultural heritage research questions through science and technology, while at the same time challenging science and technology to develop new methods and approaches for solving questions in archaeology and cultural heritage.
Finally, the program will provide the necessary educational setting where excellence in education and research is fostered through interdisciplinary collaboration on regional problems of global significance.
At the most fundamental level, during the program students will become independent researchers able to produce a distinct and original contribution to knowledge in their chosen field, or a substantial revision of existing views, or to the development of new methods of research and analysis.
Specifically, students will learn to critically engage with published literature, recognizing and evaluating primary data and their interpretation. Students will be able to apply scientific methods together with research approaches from the humanities in order to advance knowledge in their chosen field. Emphasis will be placed on the critical evaluation of the quality of their sources and the data generated during the research, on the appropriate documentation and publication of their own methods and outcomes of the research, and an unbiased and reasoned interpretation of such data and outcomes in view of previously existing knowledge and current thoughts.
Moreover, during their studies, students will learn to situate their research within a relevant theoretical framework or school of thought, develop an awareness of alternative models, arguments, and practices, and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the limitations and possibilities of each of these. In addition, program participants will gain a strong hands-on experience in the use of scientific and technological applications in archaeology and cultural heritage. This is a particularly important aspect of the program making use of the availability of CyI’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities as well as benefitting from a broad range of ongoing research activities.
They will learn to present their work in a variety of academic and public settings, as oral presentations and in written form, and to engage in open discussions about their own views and interpretations and those of others.
Successful students will be fully equipped for a career in academia, research, and development, or leading professional positions in their field.
