Program for Conservation of Culture

Assessing Conservation Training in India

September 2019

Following the Museums & The City workshop, CSMVS and the Mittal Institute partnered to hold a daylong focus group aimed at assessing conservation training in India by examining current models of conservation training programs and collectively identifying points for future enhancement of training. The focus group was made up of conservation scholars and specialists, and focused on the theories and practices of conservation in India. 

The focus group grappled with the possible components of conservation training, stressing the importance of balance between theory and practice and knowing what to do, how to do it, and why it’s worth doing. This led into a discussion on interdisciplinarity in training and including actors and specialists from art history, studio art, the sciences (and more) to come together in these trainings and exchange knowledge and best practices. This process takes an extensive amount of time and, as the system currently stands, it takes between 6-8 years to produce a fully independent conservation professional, from securing a degree to placement in the field.

The participants discussed a tentative plan to create a program that engages with experts from around the world to create a “global” model of best practices, in addition to the existing programs offered in universities.