IIC Congress Scholars 2026 Connect

With generous funding from the Getty Foundation, IIC is pleased to announce the next iteration of our prestigious IIC Congress Scholars Programme 'Connect: Global Leadership for Interconnected Heritage'.

We believe it is crucial that leaders emerge in conservation from every part of the planet, lowering barriers to participation wherever we can. The 30 places on this programme are open to conservators and conservation professionals working in Bands 2 - 4 countries with applications especially encouraged from individuals living and working in priority regions including South America + Caribbean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Asia-Pacific.

The three-month online only programme will start during the IIC Ghent Congress, 8-11 September 2026, has a variety of engaging online live events with course leaders, peer group and mentors. By the end participants will be equipped with new networks and contacts, new insights into their own leadership style - plus a certificate of participation.

The programme is designed to foster global connections, strengthen leadership capacity, encourage peer learning, and support the next generation of leaders concerned with the conservation of cultural heritage. Throughout the programme, Scholars will participate in online collaborative leadership lab, mentoring opportunities, and discussions focused on advocacy, communication, and leading change within the profession.

We warmly congratulate this outstanding group of professionals and look forward to following their journey as they build lasting international networks and contribute to the future of cultural heritage conservation.

• Abdelmoniem Mohammed Gomaa, Lecturer, Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Fayoum University, Egypt.
• Ada Kokot, Conservator Ceramics, Glass and Metal Conservation Studio, National Museum, Warsaw, Poland.
• Alejandra Lechuga Alvarez, Chief Conservator of the University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC, UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
• Almoatzbellah Elshahawi, Senior Conservator, Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt.
• Anuar Ridzuan, Textile Conservator, Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia.
• Chetan Pandey, Project Manager at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), India.
• Ebrima Jammeh, Assistant Director for Museums and Monument, National Centre for Arts and Culture, The Gambia.
• Elmontaser Elmoubark, Senior Conservator, National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), Sudan / Poland.
• Ipsita Acharya, Assistant Project Manager, World Monuments Fund, India Association.
• Kenji Terukina Arbildo, Architect (Heritage Conservation), Peru.
• Laila Fitrani, Art conservator and Co-founder Institut Konservasi, Bogor, West Java.
• Leonie-Lou Jizmundo, Researcher, Materials Research Conservation Division of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
• Lucy Carcasi, Architect (Conservation Heritage), PROLIMA, Peru.
• Manzi Dany, Founder of Rwanda History Archives, Rwanda.
• Merrin Anil, Center Coordinator, INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) Conservation Institute, New Delhi, India.
• Micaela Alianiello, Conservator-Restorer, Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno, Argentina.
• Mohamed Buya Wayu, Acting Head of Conservation Department, Fort Jesus World Heritage Site and National Museums, Kenya.
• Niki Adamidou, Conservator of Works of Art, Ephorate of Antiquities of Lesvos, Greece.
• Ömer Dabanli, Associate Professor ITU and Board Member Blue Shield International, Türkiye.
• Paromita Pal, Chief Conservation Officer at Muses' Attic, India.
• Reem Al-Omairi, Document Restoration Specialist, National Records and Archives Authority of the Sultanate of Oman.
• Rita Cavalcante, UNESCO Technical Consultant, Brazil’s National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
• Sana Durrani, Heritage Conservation Professional, Museum Curator and Art Restorer, Lahore, Pakistan.
• Sewelo Festus Fane, Chief Risk Officer, Ministry of Environment and Tourism and Acting Head of Ethnology Division at the Department of National Museum and Monuments, Botswana.
• Svetla Asenova Gradanska, Conservator-Restorer Mural Paintings Chiprovtsi Monastery, Bulgaria.
• Tejashree Lakras, Heritage Conservation Architect, India.
• Ujunwa (Uju) Rita Onah, Archaeologist, Department of Community, Culture, and Global Studies at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada.
• Valeriia Kravchenko, Co-founder UA-UK Cultural Heritage Initiative and Patrick Lindsay Conservation Fellow, National Gallery, London / Ukraine.
• Wu-Wei Chen, Associate Professor, Honorary XJTLU Associate, China.
• Yasser Ali Ahmed, Director of the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities Conservation and Restoration Department, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt.

The IIC Congress Scholars programme is kindly funded through Connecting Professionals/ Sharing Expertise: