A group of Iraqi museum professionals departed Baghdad for the United States, where they will participate in a five-week, intensive Cultural Heritage Institute and practicum.
The Cultural Heritage Institute for Iraq aims to prepare the next generation of Iraqi stewards and to forge ongoing partnerships between Iraqi and American institutions and colleagues, stated a press release.
“These young professionals represent the future for museums in Iraq,” observes Deputy Senior Advisor for Culture for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), John Russell. “This unique program gives them an opportunity to see how other collections work, meet colleagues in a variety of museum disciplines in the US, and bring ideas back to their own museums throughout Iraq.”
The Cultural Heritage Institute for Iraq is sponsored by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The five-week program is provided through a grant to the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute will provide these Iraqis with the opportunity to build their professional skills in order to contribute to the renewal of Iraq's cultural heritage and institutions.
This Iraqi group of museum specialists will study in the United States for five weeks. The program will include lectures, discussions, practical training, and intensive interaction with US experts and professionals in cultural and historical preservation and archeology. It will be conducted at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and include visits to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia and several museums and monuments in the Santa Fe, New Mexico region.
The group is made up of 23 museum specialists, including 15 women and eight men. These individuals currently work at museums in Iraq, including the Baghdad Museum, the Museum of Najaf, the Museum of Diala, and the Babylon Museum. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
