Organizers
- Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia
- SEAMEO SPAFA - Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts
- ICCROM
Partners
Why
CollAsia former participant.
Our world faces many serious challenges - climate change, loss of biodiversity, inequality and intolerance. Without action, people and nature cannot thrive. What is the role of heritage collections, and the organizations that care for them, in this critical transformation towards a sustainable future? How can our museums, libraries and archives improve their operations and unlock the full potential of their collections to contribute more towards improving social cohesion, climate action, livelihoods, and well-being? This groundbreaking international course aims to accelerate, increase and amplify activities that support sustainable development within the context of collections-based work. By participating in the course, professionals and organizations in charge of heritage collections will be better equipped to make a genuine difference in the global race to address pressing environmental and social issues. Conservation has a central role to play in this process, by ensuring that collections are in good condition, accessible and ready to use.
What
The course will boost the sustainability literacy and capacity of participants and their organizations, concretely connecting collections-based work and the conservation of heritage collections with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Explain ‘sustainable development’ and the need for adopting sustainable development approaches.
- Understand in detail the objectives and contents of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, as the main international blueprint for sustainable development until 2030.
- Recognize and articulate how their work with heritage collections can make concrete contributions towards the SDGs.
- Recognize and articulate the key role of conservation as an enabler of sustainable development through collections-based work.
- Plan different types of collections-based activities to increase positive contributions and minimize negative impacts to sustainable development.
- Identify sustainable development opportunities within and beyond the heritage sector to support their collections-based work.
- Strengthen and promote the role of collections-based organizations in sustainable development within and beyond the heritage sector.
Where
The course is originally planned to take place at the Angkor Conservation Office in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Depending on the global COVID-19 situation at the time, however, the training might be converted into online. Should this happen, the course duration and dates will be adjusted to fit the online modality.
How
The course will be delivered through highly interactive lectures, engaging plenary and practical sessions including group work, hands-on exercises, and study visits. An interdisciplinary, multicultural course team will provide an enabling environment, ensuring effective communication and participation. The interface between collections, conservation, and sustainable development will be explored throughout the course, taking advantage of ongoing collections-based activities and sustainable development initiatives in the local context. Participants’ contributions will include presentations of case studies from their own institutions, sharing of relevant experiences from their countries, and submission of a project proposal to tackle a concrete issue related to the course topic in their organizations.
Who
The course will have up to 20 participants, of which 16 from the Asia-Pacific region, and 4 from other regions. Participants must have at least three (3) years of experience working with heritage collections and/or sustainable development in the cultural and creative sectors, including collection managers, curators, conservators, scientists, designers, cultural-policy makers, educators, creative industry developers, and sustainable development officers.
Course fee
Selected candidates will not be required to pay any course fee.
Scholarship
A number of scholarships will be available for selected candidates, kindly provided by CHA-Korea for professionals from the Asia-Pacific region, and by ICCROM for professionals from other regions. Priority will be given to selected candidates from ICCROM Member States. Scholarships will cover round-trip travel, accommodation and meals in Siem Reap during the course. Should the course be converted into online because of the COVID-19 situation, scholarships will no longer be foreseen.
To apply
Please use the course application form.
Please note that your personal statement in the application form is a fundamental requirement. You are expected to send approximately 500 words on: “How can we connect heritage collections with sustainable development?”
In order to finalize your application, the following digital files will be required when completing the online form:
- Portrait photo (allowed formats: gif jpg jpeg png tif tiff with a maximum file size of 3 MB)
- Official endorsement (allowed formats: pdf doc docx jpg jpeg png tif tiff with a maximum file size of 5 MB)