The Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) has launched a new initiative to support museums and cultural institutions across Africa.
The move will establish a new network of leaders, educational programs, and strategic partnerships with universities and global institutions.
According to Charlotte Ashamu, the Director of International Programs at IPCH, the goal is to cultivate a new generation of skilled practitioners in the culture and heritage sector, who will preserve and promote the continent’s rich collections.
“This initiative will develop vibrant programs to promote a deeper understanding of the world’s cultural heritage and create a unique platform to foster learning, creativity, and innovation within the field,” Ashamu said.
A crucial component of this initiative is the launch of the Yale Directors Forum, an 18-month fellowship program tailored for leaders of museums, cultural centers, libraries, archives, and heritage sites drawn from across Africa. Participants would get the opportunity to work with leading experts at Yale and across the globe, and receive personalized executive coaching and advisory services on the preservation and care of collections.
Yale University President, Peter Salovey, who established the Yale Africa Initiative in 2013, said the new program underscores Yale’s commitment to prioritizing and expanding its engagement with Africa through robust partnerships, scholarly activities, and contemporary dialogues.
“I am honored to welcome the first cohort of the Yale Directors Forum,” Salovey said.
“This program will strengthen connections between members of the Yale community and exceptional leaders working in the culture and heritage sector across Africa.”
The first cohort consists of 17 fellows from 12 African countries. This diverse group includes Chao Tayiana Maina, an award-winning historian from Kenya; Michaella Rugwizangoga, Rwanda’s Chief Tourism Officer; and Makhosi Mahlangu, a chef and specialist in indigenous foods from Zimbabwe.
“This fellowship is an exciting opportunity to learn and contribute to contemporary discourse around the preservation of cultural heritage,” said Seun Oduwole, Co-founder and Director of Living Objects who is one of the selected fellows.
“It is an honor to join a distinguished network of peers and practitioners in Africa and globally.”
The Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) was established in 2011 as the collaborative hub of preservation and conservation expertise across Yale’s extraordinary libraries, museums, and special collections.