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12 – 30 January 2015, Sarawak Museum Department, Kuching, Malaysia

With over 40 specialists from Asia-Pacific and beyond, the CollAsia international course on Handling, Packing and Moving Collections is taking place 12 – 30 January 2015 in the Natural History Museum, Sarawak Museum Department, Kuching, Malaysia.

Organized by the Sarawak Museum Department and ICCROM, with the support of the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), the course aims to improve scientific literacy and critical thinking skills among the diverse professionals caring for Southeast Asian heritage collections.

The course focuses on scientific principles underlying past and present systems for managing museum objects, materials and work practices, as well as the manufacture, use and conservation of collections. Participants are encouraged to share traditional collections conservation practices used in their countries. The course identifies, reviews, discusses and compares living cultural practices and current conservation principles and approaches relevant to the theme of the course. It also encourages further research into developing innovative solutions.

The intensive training activity consists of lectures and interactive sessions, both in the classroom and around Sarawak, with practical exercises.

Underlining the significance of the museum course venue at the Sarawak Museum complex, CollAsia and ICCROM project manager Ms. Katriina Similä says: “It is a great privilege to be able to organize CollAsia events and training in heritage institutions in different parts of Southeast Asia. To be able to discuss issues of sound work practice in a real-life context improves the quality of the shared learning experience. The rich culture of Sarawak and its extraordinary museum tradition provides a perfect setting for a CollAsia activity. The commitment of the international professional community of ICCROM to learning together is the essence of our work, also within the CollAsia programme.”

The Korean Cultural Heritage Administration, in addition to providing crucial financial support for the course, is also heavily involved in its implementation. Restoration Technology Division Director and course team member Yu Jae Eun sees the course as an opportunity to support working partnerships among conservation professionals: “The Korean heritage sector is committed to engaging in a meaningful way with colleagues around the world, especially within the Asia-Pacific region with whom we share many cultural values.”

“The Sarawak Museum Department is delighted to be able to welcome all these colleagues to our institution in Kuching and share our pride in our heritage with them,” remarks Ipoi Datan, Director of the Sarawak Museum Department. “This training course is indeed very timely for the staff of the Sarawak Museum, as we are embarking on the physical implementation and construction of our new Museum Campus. Likewise, I am sure that the CollAsia course will be of immense value to the development of new museum collections in the new millennium, especially in the ASEAN region.”

Member States represented: Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chile, Finland, Italy, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam