In an attempt to develop the skills of Egyptian curators and restorers to meet the level of their counterparts abroad, the Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs (MSAA) is to establish the first ever institute for Museology in Egypt. The Institute will train curators on the recent technology used in museums for better display, restoration and museological education. Training in the Institute will last for two years, and its curriculum will be created to meet the accreditation requirement set by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education two years after the school's foundation. This will allow the school to offer MA and PhD programs in museum studies and heritage management. Zahi Hawass, minister of state for antiquities affairs, said that such a project will be established with a $5 million grant from the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided through the Ministry of International Cooperation (MIC). Ramadan Badri Hussein, archaeological supervisor at the Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs, told Ahram Online that the MSAA Institute of Museology will seek professional collaboration with international museum organizations like the American Association of Museums, the International Council of Museums' Committee for Egyptology (ICOM) and other bodies, in order to develop curricula and training programs modelled on international standards of museum practices. In addition, the MSAA will recruit foreign and Egyptian professionals to help in the School's teaching and training programs. Hussein added that the Institute will admit trainees and students from current Ministry museum staff, as well as those who are seeking jobs in Egyptian museums. The Casdagli palace in downtown Cairo will be the home of the new Institute. It is only a few metres away from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, and a short drive to the Coptic Museum, the Islamic Museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The central location of this villa will facilitate the students' travels between the school and these museums for on-site training.
