Sharjah24: Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) has announced the opening of registration for this year’s SAWA Museum Studies Program with applications being accepted until January 31, 2024.

First launched in 2015, SAWA, meaning "together" in Arabic, represents a groundbreaking initiative in museum studies. 

This collaborative program is developed by Sharjah Museums Authority in partnership with Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, and the University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW). 

Targeting early-career professionals and students in museum studies from the MENA region and Germany, the program aims to provide a comprehensive and hands-on understanding of museum operations and management.

It boasts a richly diverse curriculum, co-developed by Arab and German educational teams. This curriculum is tailored to reflect the unique museum practices in the Middle East and North Africa, offering modules on collection management, documentation, curation, interpretation, education, and cultural heritage preservation. 

Participants will be immersed in practical workshops, project development, and museum visits in both Sharjah and Berlin, supplemented by monthly online interactions.

SAWA program aims to cultivate an innovative and collaborative learning environment by equipping participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to make a significant impact in the evolving field of museology, addressing key global challenges such as social justice and climate change.

Former participants have praised the program as one of the leading international training experiences in the museum sector, highlighting the unique opportunities for professional development and cross-cultural collaboration. 

The program has received significant global acclaim, earning the Humanities Award from the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities in 2019 for its impact in the humanities field. 

Additionally, in 2020, SMA's innovative program was honoured with the ‘Best Cultural Collaboration Award’ at the Leading Cultural Destinations Awards in Berlin, highlighting its status as a premier global cultural initiative.

For more information and application details, interested individuals can visit https://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/en-US/Sawa-Academy.