The Institute of Art and Design of the University of Tsukuba, Japan, will launch a master of the arts program in world heritage in the 2004 academic year. The aim of the program is to cultivate specialists who can contribute to the protection and preservation of invaluable cultural heritage and assets, such as world heritage sites. Tsukuba is the first university in Asia to create a program of this kind.

The curriculum will consist of the two fields of education and research.
1) Theory and management
This field will deal with cultural, social, and international issues concerning the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. It will cover such topics as concepts of intercultural understanding and heritage preservation, the recognition and analysis of the circumstances and social conditions surrounding heritage, the establishment of international guidelines to preserve heritage, and the use and management of restored heritage sites or items.

2) Evaluation and preservation
This field will focus on the techniques of protection and preservation. It will cover such topics as examination and evaluation of cultural heritage, basic approaches and techniques to diagnose deteriorated or damaged heritage sites or items as well as to restore them, and preservation science that is the basis of restoration.

The curriculum will include on-site programs to acquire knowledge and skills with support of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and in association with the National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties in Tokyo and Nara. It will also include lectures and practical work under the instruction of professionals and technical experts actively engaged in world heritage preservation. Through the curriculum, the university aims at providing students with the opportunity to learn expertise, and expanding the network of cultural heritage preservation.

The University of Tsukuba believes that the newly-established MA Program in World Heritage will contribute in two ways. The first is education about systems to preserve and use cultural heritage, which includes analyzing the social circumstances surrounding heritage and working on issues relating to the management and use of heritage. The second is the establishment of better systems to preserve world heritage, which includes promoting understanding of the value of cultural heritage and establishing systems to preserve heritage.



Posted: 2003/12/02 10:47:56 PM
Japanese version

TAG Ecosystem , Government , Other , System/Law , University/Research institute