The Curious Case of Educating a Conservator

Conservation-restoration is an interdisciplinary field in the truest sense, and the studies leading to obtaining the required educational degree reflect this statement. The academic education in conservation is a unique mixture of exact sciences, social science, and humanities. Contrary to the belief, that the conservator is merely a highly trained craftsman, it is not only the manual skills one needs to master to earn the title of a conservator. The professional qualification, as defined by E.C.C.O., also requires a vast and diverse amount of knowledge – from the understanding of material science, through the social aspects of heritage and its legal protection, to the ethical and aesthetic framework of the discipline.
Conservation programmes are taught in a variety of higher education institutions. This naturally implies that the approach to teaching will vary, and the focus of the respective programmes will fluctuate to some extent. Understandably, the educators in the different disciplines would rely on teaching methods applied in their respective areas, and they themselves are most familiar (comfortable) with.
Time constraints and the fast development of science and technology provide another layer of challenges. It is accepted, that a good conservation programme consists of equal parts theory and practice. This means that the methods used to convey knowledge and transfer skills need to meet the increasing demand for efficiency.
To add another layer of complexity, the students attending conservation programmes come from different walks of life. Some lean more towards the academic, while others are more practice oriented; some have affinity towards natural and exact sciences, others - towards the humanities. This challenges the transfer of knowledge and skills on a different level, particularly when the aim is to achieve a somewhat even required outcome. To add to the variables, the current labour market requirements are also shifting, even though not so fast, and differ in the different countries.
This submission aims at presenting the multifaceted nature of conservation education and the challenges of teaching within the field. It is meant merely as a discussion starter and is based on the author’s own experience teaching in two different academic contexts.