Dr Mohamed Bashir | Assistant Professor, Department of Archaeology, University of Khartoum 

Which workshop did you attend?

I had the privilege of attending the following workshops:
1. ‘Summer School Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage’, held from June 18 to June 30, 2024.
2. ‘Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices’, conducted from March 17 to
March 19, 2023.
3. ‘Interpreting Heritage and Engaging Communities for Climate Change’, took place from December 1 to
December 3, 2023.
4. ‘Introduction to Heritage Interpretation for Site Managers’, held from November 25 to November 27, 2022.

 

Has the training contributed towards the improvement of your career?

Yes, it has enhanced my ability to engage professionally with the cultural heritage community. As a result, I have been able to work autonomously and have recently published two articles related to cultural heritage management and community engagement, one in the African Archaeological Review in 2025 and another forthcoming in Sudan & Nubia, the bulletin of the Sudan Archaeological Research Society of the British Museum.

Do you feel that your ability to perform relevant tasks has improved?

Certainly, I now feel well-prepared to address topics such as cultural heritage, interpretation, management, and community engagement within the contexts of Nubia and Sudanese Archaeology. The knowledge I gained has significantly improved my work, and I am currently developing my own research projects based on these learnings.

“Utilizing the insights gained, I created a questionnaire to gather important perspectives from the local community regarding cultural heritage, their interactions with archaeologists, and their needs for future work. This has led to the development of a research project based on their feedback.”

Following the completion of the training, has your project benefited?

My project centers around an archaeological site in the Nubian region of Northern Sudan called Kedurma, dating back to the Meroitic period from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD.

The workshops I attended have greatly influenced my work. I have been able to collaborate more effectively with local communities in my research area. Utilizing the insights gained, I created a questionnaire to gather important perspectives from the local community regarding cultural heritage, their interactions with archaeologists, and their needs for future work. This has led to the development of a research project based on their feedback, and I plan to continue involving them in my future endeavors, offering them a platform to participate and share their viewpoints.

Was the training an opportunity to enhance your connection with your peers?

Absolutely, it provided a valuable opportunity to engage with my peers, learn from them, and establish a network with experts in cultural heritage.

Would you recommend this training to others?

Absolutely, I always make a point to share information about the training with my colleagues and students.