Melanie Wasmuth

2019: Docent in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, University of Helsinki

2011: Certificate in University Didactics, University of Basel, Switzerland

2009: PhD in Egyptology, University of Basel, Switzerland
(based on PhD studies in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, Egyptology, and Assyriology at the Universities of D-Munich, A-Vienna, and CH-Basel)

2002: Mphil in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern philology and archaeology, University of Vienna, Austria
(based on combined BA/MA/Mphil studies at the Universities of D-Tübingen, UK-Cambridge, D-Munich, and A-Vienna)

– Socio-cultural history of the Mediterranean and West Asian area of connectivity (c. 1000–300 BCE)

– Cross-regional mobility and migration, cultural transfer, frameworks of living, local/global interplay, visual display, identity constructions, language diversity

– Epigraphics, iconography, cultural anthropology, historical geography, field archaeology

– Source-oriented research, cross-over of theoretical and source-oriented research, historical vs. historiographical history constructions, digital humanities, knowledge transfer

– Teaching also: cultural and social history of the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt from the Chalcolithic to the conquest of Alexander

Teaching Philosophy
Comprehensive knowledge of the ancient and scholarly sources of subjects like Ancient History, Egyptology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, or Transcultural Studies of the Eastern Mediterranean Area of Connectivity is inherently beyond the scope of a single individual.

Therefore, my major aims are to induce students early on to learn and work with the available (ancient and scholarly) sources and to support and coach them in developing their individual interests and approaches: in order to become independent thinkers, skilled teachers and innovative, effective and responsible researchers who are able to convey their enthusiasm and expertise.

This is reflected in all of my course designs as well as in my focus on highly interactive teaching, on student advice and on coaching graduate and PhD students – officially and unofficially.