First Workshop Successfully Held at ICOM International Training Centre in Beijing

The first training workshop of the ICOM International Training Centre (ICOM-ITC) was held from 4 to 12 November, 2013 at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China, where the Centre is located.

Officially launched on 1 July 2013, ICOM-ITC takes advantage of ICOM’s professional network to offer quality training programmes in Museum Studies to regional and international museum professionals, especially to ICOM members from emerging countries.

The theme of this first workshop was Best Practices in Museum Management in a Diversified and Changing World. ICOM President Prof. Dr Hans-Martin Hinz and a number of outstanding international experts gave lectures and conducted discussions on new concepts of museum management, museums ethics, exhibition theories and practices as well as strategic planning and building partnerships. In addition, several field studies and excursions to renowned cultural heritage sites and museums in Beijing concluded the workshop, showing the practical application of the workshop’s theme. Participants appreciated this opportunity to exchange views on the challenges faced by museums in the developing world.

ICOM-ITC trainings target middle-management museum staff of all fields and all museum types. Some 30 trainees participated in this first edition, half of whom were Chinese museum professionals. Other participants came from the Asia-Pacific region and developing countries around the world. To enable their participation, travel grants were offered by ICOM, ICOM China and the Palace Museum.