NET-HERITAGE

Cultural Heritage Context

France has a rich, diverse and attractive cultural heritage which plays a major economic role and contributes to the radiance of French culture.

Protecting, preserving and enhancing the value of this heritage lies at the heart of the ministry of culture and communication's missions and relies on important scientific research with multiple facets and issues.

In the field of conservation, applied research allows for progress in knowledge and methods of heritage conservation. It gives us improved techniques in dating, analysing, evaluating conservation and restoration processes. Research also establishes valuable research tools, ways to modernise storage management and the treatment, research and decimation of digital resources.

Research is developed in ministry of culture laboratories, heritage services managed by local councils and research teams from universities and institutions such as the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS- National Centre for Scientific Research or the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA – French Atomic Energy Commission) with a large place for partnership actions.

Cultural Heritage Governance and Policy

The ministry of culture and communication is responsible for defining the state's policy towards cultural heritage, in particular on issues of protection and development.

Concerning cultural heritage preservation, the ministry establishes common rules with the aim of ensuring coherence between the science and heritage preservation policies set in the 'heritage code' that contains all the laws concerning heritage in the broadest sense (Buildings, objects, private or public property, with historical, artistic, archaeological, aesthetic, scientific or technical value).

Research applied to cultural heritage conservation reinforces the action of the ministry in that field.

The research and technology department of the ministry of culture and communication coordinates this policy and liases with ministries and other institutions such as the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR – National Agency for Research), the Agence Nationale d’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur (AERES – National Agency for Evalutation of Research and High Education ).

Cultural Heritage Funding

French public research (running, investments and personnel) is funded by the state budget that is managed by the ministry of higher education and research (24,2 billion euros in 2009). This budget covers the running costs of public research and incentive research based on calls for projects, in particular with the ANR.

Each year a part of this budget is delegated to the ministry of culture and communication to support research and scientific and technical culture (program 186, 47 M€ in 2009).

The ministry of culture and communication uses this budget and its own funds to support its laboratories, the teams involved in a research partnership and thematic research programs (such as the national program on knowledge and conservation of tangible cultural heritage). It ensures the publication and decimation of research results to researchers and the larger public.

Cultural Heritage Research

The policy on research applied to the preservation of cultural heritage involves all the ministry of culture sectors (heritage conservation, archaeology of the national territory, Art history, ethnological heritage...). It is an essential dimension of the ministry of culture policy that aims to support its actions in multiple fields on the national and European level.

The priorities in this multi-disciplinary research field are defined by the different departments of the ministry in collaboration with various parties (researchers, curators, archaeologists, architects, restorers) and the participating research organisations.

This research is part of the national research strategy lead by the ministry of higher education and research in partnership with other ministries, the ANR and the main research institutions.

Cultural Heritage Education and Outreach

Teaching in conservation-restoration and in science applied to conservation is given by institutions under the responsibility of the ministry of culture and by universities managed by the ministry in charge of research.

In the field of conservation – restoration, with the exception of the masters in  conservation restoration offered by the Paris 1 University, teaching is primarily given within the ministry of culture and communication schools, from masters level (Institut national du patrimoine) or equivalent (écoles des beaux-arts de Tour et d’Avignon) to a PhD given by architecture schools.
As for universities, a few of them offer masters and certificates on heritage conservation and doctorates with research subjects associated to heritage conservation issues. Professional training can also be offered by these institutions.

Ministry of culture services (laboratories, restoration workshops) also give short trainings on issues linked to their expertise : research; preventive conservation, conservation – restoration.
Open to all the participants in cultural heritage, these trainings allow recent research works and know-how to circulate.

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