International collaboration in wooden cultural heritage conservation: academic activities in Slovenia
This week, students from the Objects Conservation and Restoration study programme at the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution, together with their lecturers Eglė Aleknaitė and Rolandas Vičys, are participating in academic activities in Slovenia. The students have actively joined the blended intensive programme (BIP), while the lecturers are taking part in the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Teaching programme at the Wood Technology School Maribor.
The lecturers are delivering lectures and holding academic discussions on the preservation of cultural heritage, with particular attention given to wooden cultural heritage objects and their materials.
During the lectures, topics include the typology and historical development of wooden objects, traditional wood-processing technologies, material properties, stylistic and material analysis of artefacts, as well as environmental and social factors influencing the preservation of wooden heritage. Ethical principles and international guidelines in conservation practice are also discussed. In addition, considerable attention is given to contemporary challenges related to sustainability and climate change within the field of cultural heritage.
‘International experience not only allows us to deepen our knowledge about the preservation of wooden cultural heritage objects, but also to establish new collaborative relationships with colleagues from abroad and to share good practices and insights. Such programmes broaden our horizons and encourage a creative and responsible approach to our work,’ says lecturer E. Aleknaitė.
This visit provides students and lecturers with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, gain international experience, and strengthen their competences in the field of cultural heritage preservation.
