LAUNCH OF ANU INSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN THE HERITAGE AND ARTS - 5 ARCHAEOLOGISTS ON THE BOARD

peter.veth@anu.edu.au

On Wednesday 22nd October the Hon Peter Garret MP launched the ANU Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts

The launch was extremely well attended by executive from national collection institutions and government departments with responsibility for heritage and the arts (e.g. DEWHA) as well as myriad heritage professionals and faculty from ACT and interstate campuses.

Five archaeologists sit on the Board of 9 - overseeing the development of this cutting-edge ANU initiative.

The Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts is an Institute of the Research School
of Humanities linking professional practice in private enterprise, the public sector and in academia.
The Institute will have a national and international focus that reflects its location in the nation’s capital,
and will be strongly connected to national cultural institutions.
The Institute will reflect contemporary demands, interests and professional development needs of
those working in the heritage and arts sectors. It recognises that professional practice increasingly
involves individuals pursuing flexible career options, including private consultancy practice and
mobility within and across industry, academic and government environments. The Institute aims to
concentrate on activities that support the interaction of heritage and arts professionals across these
environments.
Utilising the intellectual resources of a range of experienced professionals from complementary
disciplines, the Institute aims to create a broader perspective of the heritage and arts sectors that is
greater than the sum of its parts. It will stimulate the development of improved approaches to
professional practice that can flow back into industry performance, public sector administration and
academic teaching.
The Institute will have a focussed, national and international outlook on contemporary heritage and
arts practice. It will seek to identify and support a range of current projects and activities that reflect
innovative and insightful approaches to the challenges of heritage and arts professional practice.
The Institute will develop with the fundamental partnership of key institutions, government
departments and private sector organisations. It will encourage membership and fellowship to enable
people from a wide variety of backgrounds to be supported in their ongoing professional development.
The Institute will also provide an important bridge for early career professionals and post graduate
students to gain greater exposure to the working issues of the heritage and arts sectors.
The Institute will make particular use of Australian National University’s strengths. Firstly by
harnessing the experience in staff across the university working on relevant national and international
projects, secondly in being located close to key national institutions, government departments and
private organisations and individuals with considerable national and international heritage expertise.
The Institute is designed to have strong synergy with existing and emerging Research School of
Humanities activities. The Institute will build on relationships established through the existing research
capacity of the Research School and the new postgraduate certificate, diploma and masters program.
The Institute will provide additional opportunities for internships and research projects that are crucial
in attracting students nationally and internationally and will help to provide networks and
communication bridges for students into employment in the heritage and acts sectors.
Focus of the Institute
The emphasis of the Institute will be on the intersection and interplay between academic, policy and
industry professional practice in the heritage and arts sectors. It will focus on: