PAMA International Residential Internships 2026

1 November 2026

An invitation to curious undergraduate students and above, from across the ancient maritime world and beyond.

Bridging the Past, Present and Future through the Balancing of AUPP

The PAMA Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Archaeological Sciences invites undergraduate and postgraduate students from India and across the world to its Winter and Summer International Residential Internship Programmes in Kerala, India.

The programmes will be based at the PAMA Centres in Aluva and Pattanam, in the Periyar Delta, with an additional option for archaeological explorations in the Upper Periyar Basin (Kurinji Thinai) of Idukki district.

Archaeological evidence from Pattanam, a site associated with the ancient Muziris region, suggests connections with nearly forty cultural regions extending from the Atlantic and Mediterranean through the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to the South China Sea.

Students from these historically connected regions are particularly welcome, alongside curious young minds from everywhere.

Internship Seasons

Winter: December 2026 – February 2027
Summer: March – May 2027
Minimum duration: One month
Advance applications and reservations are welcome.

What is PAMA?

PAMA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan and minimally hierarchical educational trust committed to inter- and transdisciplinary research and learning.

Inspired partly by the Sramana traditions of the Sangam Age, PAMA explores the balancing of Anbu, Unmai, Patru and Pakutharivu (AUPP)—approximately humility, inner integrity, cosmic affection and critical reasoning.

These are inclinations to explore and question, not doctrines to impose.

Learning Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

Each intern will develop a small research project combining:

Field learning: Archaeological landscapes, material evidence, environmental settings, heritage sites and community engagement.
Library and research learning: Archaeological reports, historical texts, scientific studies, digital resources and interdisciplinary methods.
Community learning: Conversations with local communities and traditional knowledge holders.
Creative engagement: Artistic expression, collaborative initiatives, entertainment and entrepreneurial experimentation.

Students from archaeology, history, anthropology, natural and physical sciences, environmental studies, literature, linguistics, art, architecture, digital humanities and other disciplines are welcome.

Additional Field Option: Upper Periyar Basin

Interested interns may participate in archaeological explorations in the high-range landscapes of Idukki district (Kurinji Thinai).

A central research question is whether Iron Age settlements contemporary with the emergence and flourishing of the ancient maritime centre associated with Muziris can be identified in the Upper Periyar Basin.

This option offers opportunities for surface surveys, landscape studies, environmental observations and interdisciplinary field research, subject to necessary permissions and field conditions.

Excavations are not normally undertaken during the winter season.

Preparation Before Arrival

Selected applicants completing admission formalities in advance will receive digital reading materials and research resources.

They may begin developing research questions, preparing presentations and interacting with the PAMA Team before arrival.

Residential Facilities and Fees

For Indian applicants:

Regular residential internship: ₹10,000 per month.
Upper Periyar field exploration option: ₹15,000 advance per month.

For the field exploration option, actual expenses will be assessed transparently. If expenditure can be managed within ₹10,000, the balance of ₹5,000 will be refunded or may be voluntarily contributed to PAMA.

For non-Indian applicants:

Minimum US$200 per month, subject to reconsideration based on merit-cum-need, the applicant’s country of origin, and the distance and cost of reaching the PAMA Aluva Centre.

Fees cover shared accommodation, food, Wi-Fi, mentorship and programme-related learning facilities and activities. Each intern, as a Sramana pilgrim in the making, is encouraged to practise simplicity and minimalism in everyday living.

Travel and personal expenses are excluded.

Financial difficulties need not discourage applicants. Those requiring assistance or reconsideration of fees are welcome to discuss their circumstances confidentially with a PAMA Research Officer (RO).

Application and Admission

Applicants should submit:

A brief CV with educational background.
A short note on their interests, curiosity, creative impulses or a research question they wish to explore.

Formal training in archaeology is not essential.

Selection will consider academic background, curiosity, creative potential and willingness to engage in collaborative learning.

Selected applicants may complete admission formalities and advance payment to reserve their places.

Your First Contact with PAMA

Applicants may randomly choose any one of the WhatsApp numbers below. The Research Officer responding to that number will become their first point of contact with PAMA, assisting with applications, academic enquiries, financial concerns and arrangements for arrival.

Location and Contact

PAMA RTKN Creative Academic Centre
Aluva, Ernakulam, Kerala, India

Additional activities at Pattanam in the Periyar Delta and the Upper Periyar Basin, Idukki district.

Aluva is accessible from Aluva Railway Station and Cochin International Airport.

WhatsApp Contacts — Within India

Contact Persons — Outside India

Website: www.pama.org.in

An Invitation

Come not merely to study the past, but to question how the lives, knowledge, technologies, environments and human relationships of earlier generations might help imagine a more affectionate and sustainable future.

More importantly, come to explore what it might mean to live as a Sramana pilgrim in the making, drawing inspiration from the ways of life and thought that may have shaped ancient India and the Sangam Age of South India.

PAMA Team
1 November 2026

Bridging the Past, Present and Future through the Balancing of AUPP

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