10 December. Under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah, the course on Conservation and Management of Heritage: Sites and Museum Collections concluded its activities on 5 December in Sharjah. His Highness handed out certificates to the participants at a farewell event held at the Archaeology Museum. During the remaining days the participants will be on a study visit to Qatar.

The course was organized by the ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah in partnership with the Government of Sharjah (Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah Museums Department, American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah) and University College London, Qatar (UCL-Qatar), with the support of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).

The four weeks in Sharjah included the significant involvement of various international and regional experts in the field of cultural heritage conservation and management. Exercises, public lectures, seminars and field trips to local cultural heritage areas were integrated into the curriculum of the course units. The course focused on developing professional qualifications and building the capacity of conservation professionals in the Arab Region with hands-on practical work. The participants came from a variety of backgrounds including architecture, archeology, museums and museum management, while their cultural backgrounds are also diverse.

Zaki Aslan, Director of the Regional Centre said: “Over the past four weeks, the participants have been engaged in all facets of the course and have shown thorough understanding of the subjects aimed at developing critical thinking and best practice to save Cultural Heritage in the Arab States. The investment in education and cultural heritage protection embedded in His Highness' vision, highlighted the leading role of Sharjah through projects the Regional Centre has provided technical advice to, and consolidated the role of the research facilities envisaged at the Centre as well as in Sharjah partner institutions for the safeguard of Cultural Heritage in Sharjah and the region.”

During the ceremony the participants presented to His Highness the outcomes and results of the four weeks practical work and their future strategies of implementing the materials in their countries of origin.

The end of the ceremony consisted of a significant announcement from His Highness for a new diploma to be integrated within University of Sharjah’s curriculum, led by the ATHAR Regional Centre.

Member States represented: Bahrain, Canada, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Yemen

updated on: 10 December, 2012