NTNU and NPM Deepen Ties in Artifacts Conservation and Education
NTNU and the National Palace Museum (NPM) formalized a landmark partnership on December 3, 2024, by signing a memorandum of understanding at the NTNU Art Museum. The agreement, celebrated in a ceremony attended by leaders and dignitaries from both institutions, seeks to advance collaboration in cultural preservation, academic research, and educational exchange.
The NPM, Taiwan’s premier museum and guardian of nearly 700,000 Chinese cultural artifacts spanning millennia, will combine its extensive research capabilities with NTNU’s diverse academic and practical resources. The partnership focuses on interdisciplinary initiatives, including artifact preservation, conservation technology, digital content creation, and the development of new teaching programs. Leaders from both institutions emphasized their shared goal of encouraging innovation while preserving and promoting cultural heritage for future generations.
“The core mission of the National Palace Museum lies in the collection, management, and conservation of artifacts,” said NPM Director Tsung-Huang Hsiao, who co-presided over the ceremony with NTNU President Cheng-Chih Wu. Director Hsiao highlighted the complexities of maintaining fragile pieces that have traveled great distances and require expert care. “While we cannot reverse the passage of time, conservation breathes new life into these treasures,” he added.
NTNU’s Research Center for Conservation of Cultural Relics (RCCCR) has long served as a training ground for future art professionals, offering students hands-on opportunities in artifact conservation. Previous collaborations between the two institutions have yielded significant results, such as innovative packaging for ceramic artifacts and the conservation of calligraphy and paintings. Building on these successes, the NPM plans to offer internships for NTNU students, providing immersive experiences in its conservation studios. Special programs for international students, including guided tours and training, are also being developed.
President Wu underscored NTNU’s recent launch of an Executive Master of Arts in Arts Administration Program, which is actively recruiting its inaugural cohort. The program’s curriculum integrates NPM artifact analysis, giving students the chance to gain hands-on expertise in art management, appraisal, and curation. “This partnership enhances our ability to prepare students for meaningful contributions in the art and museum sectors,” Wu said.
The ceremony also drew international attention, with Professor Yasushi Okada of Tokyo University of the Arts commending the initiative. A specialist in three-dimensional artifact conservation, Okada noted the importance of comprehensive education for training conservation professionals. He expressed confidence that the NTNU-NPM collaboration would expand opportunities for development in this specialized field.
Coinciding with the ceremony, the NTNU Art Museum unveiled the exhibition Time Reversed: The Aethetics and Practice of Cultural Heritage Conservation. Featuring conserved artifacts and demonstrations of conservation techniques, the exhibition provides visitors with an inside look at the intricate processes that sustain cultural treasures. Curated in collaboration with the RCCCR, the exhibition showcases the aesthetic principles of conservation while emphasizing the critical role of sustainability in cultural heritage conservation.
As the partnership moves forward, both NTNU and the NPM aim to set new benchmarks in academic and practical contributions to cultural preservation, ensuring that Taiwan’s rich artistic legacy remains vibrant for generations to come.