Course on Conservation of Built Heritage 2023

Background

Former participants in the training course on Conservation of Built Heritage (CBH).

ICCROM is pleased to announce the seventh training course on Conservation of Built Heritage (CBH) in Rome. ICCROM has been a pioneer in organizing courses in heritage conservation since 1965, including the Architectural Conservation Course (ARC) and many others, most recently the course on Conservation of Built Heritage for six consecutive intervals between 2007 and 2016. Following a period of revision, in designing this course, ICCROM has drawn from its vast experience, reviewed evaluation results and taken into consideration the most recent international trends to produce the 2023 edition. In response to the global concerns of climate change, rapid urbanization and tourism pressures, and taking into account contemporary thinking related to the conservation of built heritage, including buildings, sites, historic settlements and cultural landscapes, the course is delivered within a sustainable development framework.

CBH aims at serving a wide range of conservation practitioners and decision makers by placing technical issues within the broader conservation context in order to link them to planning and management concerns. The first module of the course will consist of an overview of the development of conservation concepts including different approaches and emerging issues that have evolved in different parts of the world, considered within the sustainable development paradigm. The second module focuses on management systems and planning approaches for cultural heritage currently being adopted. The remaining four course modules will be devoted to looking at the technical aspects of conservation including materials and structures; documentation and diagnosis; context and treatments; management, planning and decision making. In the seventh module, using the knowledge and skills previously discussed and shared as a guide, participants will implement a series of workflows including investigation, conservation treatments and monitoring, with a focus on practice in a specific context. In the final module, participants will present the results of their practical efforts.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the course, participants will have:

• a better understanding of the conservation and management processes applied at material, building, site and territorial levels;
• improved their strategic planning skills;
• expanded their awareness, knowledge, and understanding of current principles and practices in conservation of the built heritage; and
• enhanced their skills, judgement and experience, taking into consideration the sustainability perspective.

Exercises from a previous edition of the Built Heritage Conservation course.

Methodology

Training will be based on a multiple activity model, which includes lectures, case studies, practical “hands-on” exercises, site visits, group work, and classroom discussions. Most lectures will include time for group discussion at the end. Participants will need to be active and involved during three stages: pre-course preparation, course attendance, and post-course follow-up, networking, and monitoring. During the course, participants will be considered as resources and will be expected to share their own knowledge and experiences, present case studies, participate in course discussions, and contribute to group work and “hands-on” exercises.

Participants

The course is open to a maximum of 16 participants with at least four years of experience actively involved in the conservation of built heritage. Mid-career professionals and other decision makers in conservation from different disciplines (architects, archaeologists, engineers, planners, site managers, etc.), either in a position to influence practice or having the potential to do so in the short or medium term, are eligible. Those in a position to carry the messages of the course to a broad audience (for example, trainers who are able to reach a large audience over time) are encouraged to apply.

Teaching Team

The teaching team (including ICCROM) is composed of recognized heritage conservation professionals who have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. They share the broadest possible international perspectives in their fields of expertise, and at the same time are able to bring specific knowledge in order to fulfil the aims and objectives of the course modules. The composition of the teaching team represents a wide variety of geographic regions.

Language

English is the working language of the course. Candidates must have strong communication and writing skills in English. A certificate of language will be requested if English is not your first language or if you have not carried out graduate studies in English.

Archaeological area of the Imperial Fora, Rome, Italy.

Course fee

€ 900

Travel, Accommodation and Living Expenses

Participants will be responsible for their round-trip travel costs to and from Rome. In order to cover accommodation and living expenses in Rome during the course, participants should plan for a minimum amount of € 4 000 Euros for two and half months. Candidates are strongly encouraged to seek financial support from sources such as governmental institutions, employers and funding agencies. In cases of proven financial need, and depending on the availability of funding from external sources at the time of the course, a limited number of partial scholarships may be granted. 

Certificate of Attendance

Participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance upon successful completion of the course.  Participants are expected to attend all lectures and activities over the full length of the course.

Application

Please submit your application by Wednesday, 07 Septembre 2022.

(Implementation of the course will be subjected to the situation of COVID-19.)

The application process is as follows:

• complete the online application form in English
• upload a personal photo
• upload your professional curriculum vitae (in English; maximum two pages)
• upload the official endorsement of your institution.
• upload a brief report (3-5 pages) answering the following questions:

1. Describe a conservation project for which you are or have been actively involved.  Include the appropriate contextual background (objectives, partners, support, etc.), a description of difficulties encountered, and the strategic responses developed.
2. In addition to the project described above, what other case studies might you be able to share during your participation in the course?

(Allowed formats: pdf, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg, png, tif, tiff; maximum file size of 5 MB).