New Program to Promote Cultural Collaboration between Iraq and United States
GW’s Museum Studies Program, part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, announced plans to launch the Iraqi Museum Residency Program to provide museum professionals from Iraq unique learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes access to some of America’s top museums. Funded by the State Department through the International Relief and Development organization, the program is slated to begin June 2011.
“Because of the war and its effects on the country side, Iraqi museum professionals have been unable to get access to professional development or travel freely to museum conferences,” said Kym Rice, director of GW’s Museum Studies Program. “Many museums had to close due to looting and fighting and are only recently reopening. Ultimately, what we are providing through this residency program is a form of cultural diplomacy.”
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will help select participants in the five-month residency program. Topics covered will include exhibition development and design, museum management and leadership and an analysis of the modern museum audience. In addition to GW faculty, guest speakers from institutions including the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian and The Phillips Collection will be invited to come to the classroom to lend their expertise. Beyond coursework, participants will explore Washington-area museums and take at least two guided field trips to either New York or Philadelphia and to Mount Vernon/Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg.
“Program participants will learn new techniques to conserve the ancient objects of the Iraqi culture and new ways to educate their museum constituents,” said Ms. Rice. “We are hoping that the skills and strategies they learn here will help restore and strengthen their preservation and exhibition work back in Iraq.”
Established in 1976, GW’s Museum Studies Program ranks among the top museum training programs in the world. The program is the largest of its kind, affiliated with more than 60 museums and cultural centers. Because of its location in Washington, D.C.—what many consider the museum capital of the world—the program provides dynamic learning experiences both in and out of the classroom and an exceptional faculty composed of both academics and practicing museum professionals. Its strong internship program has led to the placement of more than 700 alumni in museums, historic sites and houses, federal agencies and related non-profits throughout the world.
In the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of
undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.
www.gwu.edu