Professional Training and Specialization in Conservation: An ICOMOS Viewpoint

Abstract

Concern for the built heritage, its conservation and management, has emerged as a recognized field of expertise and knowledge, but remains isolated at professional level because the work is spread across a range of disciplines. ICOMOS Guidelines, Education and Training in the Conservation of Monuments, Ensembles and Sites, adopted in 1993, is widely used in the United Kingdom both as a basis for the content of conservation courses and also as a benchmark for the accreditation of conservation professionals. Conservation and management of the built heritage is being undertaken by architects, archaeologists, surveyors, town planners, engineers, historians, managers, and other disciplines. There is a rapid rise in conservation courses as demand is triggered by an increase in heritage-related work. While international conservation organizations have emerged, professional organizations with regulatory powers at national level have not been established. This paper discusses the difficulties of quality control in specialist education within the multidisciplinary framework of cultural heritage, and investigates the accreditation process from an ICOMOS viewpoint.