Source: Newstrackindia.com New Delhi , Tue, 19 Mar 2013
New Delhi, Mar 19 (ANI): To enhance cultural exchanges between India and the United States of America, the Union Ministry of Culture and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (MMA) today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) here.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Venu Vasudevan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and Thomas P. Campbell, Director, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch was present during the signing of the agreement.
Through the MoA, the Ministry of Culture and MMA agree to cooperate in the areas of conservation, exhibition, academic research, information sharing, public education, promotion and publicity, publications, museum management, and short and long-term loans. Such cooperation may take the form of exchange, training, and/or visits undertaken by museum professionals on both sides.
Also, the Ministry of Culture and MMA agree to exchange certain publications (including books and periodicals) and other academic materials on an annual basis. Details on cooperation and exchange programs as described above are to be worked out in specific agreements on the basis of this MOU.
Further, as a part of this MoA, the Ministry of Culture will collaborate with the MMA and Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg (SRAL) in the Netherlands and with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (the Mellon Foundation) to organise an “Indian Conservation Fellowship Pilot Programme.”
The goal of the programme will be to provide a rich residency experience for young Indian professionals, better preparing them to care for the collections at their home institution, and to build a larger and stronger conservation community in India with links to an international network of professionals in the field.
It is hoped that out of the experiences and lessons of the pilot program, and with the continued support of the Mellon Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, the pilot program will develop into an on-going conservation fellowship program expanded to include additional museums and conservation centers in North America and Europe.
The programme will aim to better prepare participants to care for collections at their home institutions and to establish a larger and stronger conservation community in India with international links to professionals in the field.
A total of 16 fellowships of approximately 3-6 months each will be sponsored by MMA, SRAL and Ministry of Culture (12 fellowships by the MMA and SRAL and 4 by the Ministry of Culture) over a two year period 2013- 2015, under the pilot program.
In between the training programme, seminars in India will be organized to allow Fellows to convey their experiences to a wider audience, to provide a forum for discussion of the Pilot Program and for the exchange of ideas on common conservation issues. (ANI)
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