The University of Hong Kong receives grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to expand museum and conservation studies

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been awarded over HKD1.1 million by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to expand the University’s programmes in museum and conservation studies and to develop new courses in preservation.

The project will be led by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Derek Collins, and the Director of the University Museum and Gallery (UMAG), Dr Florian Knothe. The grant will be used to expand the educational opportunities for young people and professionals in the museum and art worlds, and enhance the training of the next generation of art and cultural heritage leadership in Hong Kong. Programmes will be tailored to meet both local and regional needs with the aim of making Hong Kong the unparalleled centre of research and training excellence in these areas.

The Faculty’s Department of Fine Arts and UMAG will be collaborating with the HKU Libraries’ Head of Preservation and Conservation, Ms Jody Beenk, on this project, as well as with major museums and supporting institutions both locally and around the world, including M+, AXA Art Asia, and the Getty Conservation Institute.

Professor Derek Collins, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, HKU

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the largest non-profit funding agency for the humanities and we are grateful for its support of this initiative. Our goal is to attract the best scholars and students in the world to research and study art history and conservation at the University of Hong Kong. HKU provides a competitive advantage in offering art historical training in local, regional, and western traditions – a combination of training in Chinese, Asian, and Western art not replicated anywhere else in the world.

Dr Florian Knothe, Director of the University Museum and Art Gallery

The tremendous growth of art institutions in Hong Kong and the region has outstripped the supply of employees and professionals with relevant academic and professional training. HKU is the only institution in Hong Kong capable of developing conservation training at the level and scope envisioned. Together with our local and global partners the Faculty of Arts and UMAG provide unparalleled access to a world-class set of museums, galleries, art fairs, and auction houses in Hong Kong and mainland China, and through its network to the world's major art cities.

About the Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of the University of Hong Kong’s oldest and largest faculties and is consistently recognized as one of the best in Asia for the Arts and Humanities. Our international outlook is reflected in the incredible diversity of our staff and students and our collaborations with other top universities around the globe. For more information on the Faculty of Arts, please visit: http://arts.hku.hk/

About the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong (UMAG)

UMAG was founded in 1953 as the Fung Ping Shan Museum. It was originally established as the Fung Ping Shan Library in 1932 in honour of its benefactor. For more information on UMAG, please visit: http://www.umag.hku.hk/en/

For media enquiries or individual interview requests, please contact Ms Eva Yung, Events Assistant, Faculty of Arts, Tel: (852) 3917 4633 / email: evaffy@hku.hk or UMAG Communications Officer Miss Elena Cheung, Tel: (852) 2241 5512, email: elenac@hku.hk.