Materials Science and Technology

Japanese Paper Conservation Course Held in Tokyo

The 2018 edition of the International Course on Japanese Paper Conservation (JPC) took place from 27 August to 14 September in Tokyo, Japan. This highly specialized, threeweek event brought together 11 heritage professionals from 13 countries (some participants had dual citizenship) to develop a better understanding of Japanese paper conservation traditions, enabling them to make better decisions concerning the care of Japanese artefacts in their collections.

Since 1992, the JPC course has benefited more than 200 international participants. Course partners include ICCROM and the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo.

Mexico Course Brings Japanese Paper Conservation Techniques to Latin America

Interest for Japanese paper conservation tradition has been growing within the Latin America paper conservation community, as well as in Portugal and Spain. The International Course on Paper Conservation in Latin America: Meeting East course, held in Mexico City, Mexico, 28 May–13 June, shared Japanese paper conservation concepts, materials, tools and techniques with 11 participants from 8 Latin American countries. The course also helped build bridges between Japanese and Western paper conservation traditions and allow participants to share their experience.

Mexico’s Coordinación Nacional de Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (CNCPC-INAH), the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in Japan and ICCROM have jointly offered this for the past six consecutive years.

Longstanding Wood Conservation Course in Norway Employs Distance Learning

The 18th International Course on Wood Conservation Technology (ICWCT), held in Norway from 9 April to 29 June, promoted understanding and research in the field of wood conservation. Its aim was to establish a basic knowledge of wood properties, including its structural and decorative processing and use, together with techniques for diagnosing wood deterioration and selecting the most appropriate conservation methods.

For the first time, the initial part of this course (9 April to 11 May) was carried out through distance learning. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) learning platform allowed participants to prepare themselves in advance through readings and assignments. ICWCT also allows participants to gain university course credit and take a final exam. In the future, these distance-learning strategies will help better connect the three wood courses that ICCROM now offers in Norway, Russia and Japan.

ICCROM offered this course in partnership with Riksantikvaren and NTNU.