Training and mobility of professionals in the field of European cultural heritage conservation
The European Commission, DG X, has published a call for proposals concerning the training and mobility of professionals in the field of European cultural heritage conservation. In the framework of the preparation and implementation of the Community action programme RAPHAEL, the Commission is launching, in 1996, several actions in favour of the conservation and development of movable and non-movable heritage. The objective of the present proposal is to contribute to the further training and mobility of professionals in the field of European cultural heritage conservation by supporting centres of excellence which provide specialized courses in the field of conservation techniques. Centres of excellence supported through this call for proposals, in the form of scholarships, could be universities, institutes, or other organizations specializing in the field of conservation techniques. A variety of sectors within the general scope of cultural heritage may be covered including: immovable and movable heritage, crafts and ethnography. Projects presented under this call for proposals should fulfil the following criteria: - European dimension: centres of excellence must provide courses which are deemed essential for the enhancement of the quality of conservation training and techniques in Europe and should provide further training opportunities to nationals from at least three countries; - Multidisciplinary approach: as conservation is a complex field and entails the cooperation of many professions, the courses provided should be geared towards professionals from several disciplines such as archaeology, architecture, crafts, ethnography, etc. Applications can be submitted by either public or private establishments specializing in the field of conservation. Consideration will be given to proposals which concern a variety of course modules (e.g. full-academic-year courses, short intensive courses, etc.). Consideration could also be given to proposals incorporating visits and/or short-time exchanges of/and between students of different establishments specialized in further training in the field of cultural heritage conservation (e.g. short joint courses, etc.). At least two-thirds of the course places offered must be for nationals of other Member States of the European Union and third countries, notably those of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union, Cyprus and Malta. The Community's support could cover all or part of the cost of the scholarships requested with an upper limit of ECU 5,000 per scholarship, and up to a maximum of ECU 10,000 for organization costs. Proposals must be presented to the Commission on the standard application forms foreseen for this call for proposals, which can be obtained from the following services: European Commission DG X - Audiovisual, Information, Communication and Culture Directorate D - Cultural Programmes Unit 200 rue de la Loi (L102 3/23) B-1049 Brussels Fax +32-2-2966974 or from the Offices of the Commission in the Member States, or its delegations in the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, Cyprus and Malta, as well as in other countries which have concluded association agreements including cultural clauses with the European Union.