Sharjah Museums Department Organizes 2012 Outstanding Guide Programme

12-day programme features engaging workshops and lectures for young Emiratis

The Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), in collaboration with the Sharjah Education Office in the Eastern Region, has launched the ‘Outstanding Guide 2012’ programme for secondary school students at Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Qasimi. The program aims to encourage the students take interest in, and learn about, the field of museums and cultural tourism.

It which was launched four years ago at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and now continues, and expands upon, its activities after the success it achieved and the remarkable response it received from the participating students in the past years. Running from 23 September to October 4, the innovative 12-day programme will keep students actively engaged in fun and educational activities that enable them to learn about the best methods of tourist guidance and raise their awareness about heritage and culture, in addition to reinforcing the importance of continuous communication between generations in the UAE.

Speaking on the occasion, Aisha Deemas, Director of Executive Affairs at SMD said, “Educational events are an important element of SMD’s strategic plans for the role they play in engaging our audiences, particularly younger generations, and encouraging them to contribute to the cultural scene of the UAE. The museums are offering a platform for education and communication to develop an understanding of the UAE’s rich culture and heritage and to appreciate our values and traditions.” She highlighted the remarkable support extended by the UAE leadership to preserve the UAE’s heritage and archeology, particularly in its museums which are increasingly gaining international recognition.

“The Outstanding Guide programme features a wide range of activities, including a range of lectures given by specialists in the field. It also includes workshops and hands-on training sessions, designed to expand the students’ knowledge of the topic and foster an educated and conscious generation characterized by loyalty and allegiance to its national identity and Arab roots,” she added.

The first week’s event calendar includes five lectures; Rashad Bu Khash, Head of the Urban Heritage Society in Dubai presented the first lecture titled “Urban Heritage in the UAE” and a second lecture was also presented on “The Coins of Islamic States in the Arabian Peninsula” by Abdullah Bin Jassem Al Mutairi, Heritage Consultant in Dubai. The third lecture titled “Sharjah’s Archaeology” was presented by Eissa Abbas, Survey and Archaeological Excavation Supervisor at the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information. Featuring fourth in the series is a lecture titled “Tourist Guidance and History and their Impact on Development” to be delivered by Dr. Noor Eldeen Al Saghir, Co-Professor at History and Islamic Civilization Department at the University of Sharjah.The first week will conclude with a lecture titled “History of the Development of UAE Currencies” by Moataz Mohammed Othman, Director of Operations at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

The activities of the “Outstanding Guide 2012” also include five workshops organized within the educational and training programme designed for government secondary school students, in cooperation with the department of Education and Interpretation at the Sharjah Museums Department.

The workshops include “Pottery Repair and Restoration”, a “Jewellery” workshop which focuses on the importance of adornment in old ages, a workshop on “Coins in the Umayyad and Abbasid Eras”, a workshop on “Seals” to highlight the importance of seals in the old ages, and finally the “Heritage Houses” workshop which will be conducted in collaboration with the Urban Heritage Society.

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