12 June. A four-day workshop on ‘Integrating heritage conservation in professional education in the Arab Region’, was held from 8 to 11 June 2008, at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The workshop took place with the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah. It was organized by the Government of Sharjah (Department of Culture and Information), Sharjah Museums Department, local universities (AUS, University of Sharjah), and ICCROM.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Bin Sultan Al-Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Shrajah, inaugurated the event. Also present were Abdullah Al Owais, Director of the Sharjah Department for Culture and Information; Bilal Al Budoor, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Culture; Mohammad Diab Al Mousa, Advisor at the Sharjah Amiri Court; Salem Yousuf Al Qaseer, Vice-chancellor for Public Affairs at AUS; Dr John Mosbo, Vice-chancellor for Academic Affairs at AUS; and Abdul Aziz Musallam, Director, Heritage Directorate, Sharjah Department of Culture and Information.

The workshop was the first activity of its type in the region, and the first result of a four-year Memorandum of Understanding signed recently between the Government of Sharjah and ICCROM.  Under this agreement, the Government of Sharjah and ICCROM will cooperate to promote regional education and professional development opportunities in the conservation of cultural heritage in the Arab Region.

The workshop brought together nineteen representatives of universities and training institutions, and heritage institutions, from twelve countries. Ten participants from the U.A.E., and representatives from UNESCO, ALECSO, and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture also participated.

To obtain an overview of the current situation in the field of heritage professional education, the workshop included presentations by experts from various universities and training institutions in the Arab countries as well as by students from local universities in Sharjah, group work, and visits to archaeological sites (Mleiha and Buhais) and to the historic area of Sharjah.

The workshop addressed the need to develop conservation interdisciplinary training at universities and training institutions. It also defined important areas of expertise in conservation to be integrated into university programmes at different levels, and discussed the demand for conservation skills. It identified a clear need to ensure that qualifications and skills are recognized in the region.

The meeting was also a first step towards establishing institutional networks in professional education in the Arab region. Participating institutions will jointly work to address these needs through existing organizations, networks, and various professional unions in the Arab region.

Member States represented: Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen

updated on: 27 January, 2010