IIC International Training Centre for Conservation

Mid-career training for conservators with the Palace Museum, Beijing

IIC is pleased to announce the renewal in 2024 of its fruitful collaboration with the Palace Museum, Beijing, celebrating nearly a decade of partnership for the IIC International Training Centre for Conservation (ITCC).

With the idea originally founded in 2014, the IIC-International Training Centre for Conservation (IIC-ITCC) is an initiative of the IIC and Palace Museum, Beijing, that offers mid-career conservation professionals the opportunity to promote research and international exchange in the region. Since then, 117 participants from 37 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, America and Oceania have benefited from training workshops held in Beijing, covering topics such as preventive conservation, non-destructive analysis, textiles, paper and photography, archives and photography, and a fifth workshop in 2019, ‘scientific approaches to ceramics and glass’. The global impact and positive contribution of the ITCC training workshops has been recognised and celebrated in ‘Mid-Career scientific training for 21^st century conservators: Methodology, research, and practice at the IIC-International Training Centre at the Palace Museum, Beijing’.

The course themes for the next three years have been chosen to fit with the evolving needs and changing landscape of the profession and will include:

• the conservation and restoration of metals
• the conservation and restoration of paintings (including wall-painting, thangkas, oil paintings and traditional Chinese paintings)
• the conservation and restoration of furniture.

About the courses

Each course has a specific theme, chosen annually to fit with the evolving needs and changing landscape of the profession. Courses include lectures, case studies, practical sessions, presentations and site visits, and benefit from the rich collections, resources and expertise of the Palace Museum. There are many chances to network and share ideas. Participants also have opportunities to explore possible solutions to their own problems as they learn the best practices and theories of conservation.

• Disseminate the best practice in conservation, especially to the developing countries
• Stay in touch with other participants, to develop a professional network with the potential for future collaboration
• Provide teaching resources to be spread through our website
• Share IIC’s values, missions and activities with the heritage and conservation community in Asia.