Інститут історії України Національна академія наук України

Workshop on Academic Writing “Writer. Editor. Reader”

Centre for Applied Anthropology, Kyiv

University of St. Gallen

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Warsaw, PAS

Warsaw, 25-27 February, 2026

Deadline for applications: 1 September 2025

“Democratic stability … relies on a thoughtful and informed public”, writes Tom Nichols in his recent polemic on the death of expertise, where he identifies a core issue eroding civic trust as the presence of too many opinions in the West and not enough discernment. Deep knowledge, understanding and analysis are sorely lacking in national conversations, as citizens globally struggle to make sense of a modern, complex world. The world requires experts, though, to help guide society. To take an example close to the organisers’ hearts, with the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the importance of uncovering knowledge, dispelling myths and counteracting convincing propaganda, previously shadowed and utterly unrecognised in the Anglophone sphere, has come to light. Informing and enlightening Western audiences about realities that are too often lost in translation is a responsibility grounded in the broader decolonisation of knowledge production. In this workshop, we wish therefore to equip non-native English-speaking experts on globally-significant topics of public interest so that they may take their rightful place in this larger anglophone conversation shaping the world today. We wish to support and give voice to scholars from Ukraine and Visegrad countries previously under Soviet occupation and who have latterly been subject to the sphere of Russian neo-imperial influence and successful propaganda. We will provide core training to assist participants in speaking to audiences who are part of a broader coalition of the willing, guiding those who would gain from some basic historical and cultural touchstones. The workshop will focus on three aspects: Writing, Editing, Reading.

Part one will address writing skills in academic English as a second or subsequent language. We will teach stylistic conventions, such as discourse markers, paragraph assembly, flow, punctuation, articulation of arguments across a page and a paper, sentence and paragraph structure, the role of style, connecting and balancing ideas, merging field and archival data with theories. Part two will focus on editing as a distinct practice from writing; how to read like an editor, and what makes a good editing practice. Part three will train participants to write to targeted readerships, how and where to publish, and expectations after the final publication. We will explore building stronger theoretical bridges to bring intellectual traditions into deeper conversation with each other. That is, how to read beyond one’s own expertise to create more binding and enduring invitations to an international readership.

The workshop has been designed for early- and mid-career scholars from Ukraine and Visegrad countries who wish to improve their capacity to write academically in English. The programme will include preparatory online sessions in October-November 2025 as a short series of 2-hours online seminars, with assignments and feedback. We will gather participants in a hybrid three-day workshop on the 25-27 February (inclusive) 2026 in Warsaw, Poland.

Eligibility criteria: PhD (or candidate of sciences degree) in social sciences and humanities, no less than B2-C1 (upper intermediate or advanced) level of English, ability to work alone and in groups. The workshop is for a maximum of 10 scholars to ensure productive and effective work and skills exchange.

For those interested in taking part, please send a (1) short bio (300 words), (2) focussed CV (max. 3 pages), (3) motivation letter (500 words), and a (4) piece of academic writing in English (3-5 pages) you would wish to develop during the workshop as one pdf file to julia.buj@gmail.com and olena_soboleva@yahoo.com by 1 September 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 21 September 2025.

We will reimburse your travel (max. 300 euros for roundtrip) and 3-nights stay in Warsaw. Participation is free.