Overview

Objectives

  • Gain a specialisation in international cultural heritage law and provenance studies with a unique programme organised and taught by the specialists of the Art-Law Centre and of the UNESCO Chair in the International Law of the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the University of Geneva
  • Develop a high-level and critical understanding of the legal, political, historical, technical and philosophical considerations underpinning international debates on cultural heritage through the combination of innovative learning and teaching method
  • Meet and learn from leading practitioners, experts and academics from all over the worl
  • Acquire the skills to gain employment in the art and cultural heritage sector or other related areas

Audience

Practitioner of the art and cultural heritage sector who wants to enhance and update his/her knowledge and skills in response to the growing complexity of this sector • Practitioner employed in other fields (including officials and/or professionals in the public and private sectors, members of staff of international organisations, foundations and NGOs, human rights defenders and lawyers) who wants to shift his/her career trajectory toward the art and cultural heritage sector • University student (post-graduate) who wishes to gain a specialisation in order to start a career in the art and cultural heritage sector

Programme

First semester

  • Module 1: International Cultural Heritage Law – An Overview
  • Module 2: Legal Provenance Studies – An Introduction

Second semester

  • Module 3: Data Protection
  • Module 4: Archives
  • Module 5: Digital methods and tools

Third semester

  • Module 6: Diligences and Circulations
  • Module 7: Provenance toward Futures

Diploma awarded

Participants who successfully complete all 7 modules and meet the assessment requirements shall be awarded the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in International Cultural Heritage Law and Provenance Studies / Certificat de formation continue (CAS) en Droit international du patrimoine culturel et recherche de provenance by the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva

Registration

Modules can be followed individually
Registration deadline: Registrations for one or more modules are open up until three weeks prior to the commencement of the respective module(s)

Fees:

  • CHF 5.300.- for the full programme
  • CHF 800.- for each module

Some fellowships may be offered for persons applying to the full program. Applicants for a scholarship are requested to submit an application form and are encouraged to provide as much information as possible, to give a complete picture of their financial situation, as well as that of their immediate entourage.

Admission criteria

Candidates shall:

  • Hold a Master’s or a Bachelor’s degree in law from a University, a Master’s or a Bachelor’s degree in law from a University of Applied Sciences (HES), or a degree deemed equivalent and recognised by the University of Geneva
  • Exhibit their interest in participating in the CAS and
  • Have a sound command of English; candidates who are not native English speakers must be able to show that their English language ability is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete the course via a recognised test (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) or one or more degrees obtained following the completion of programmes taught in English

Application File

  • Curriculum vitae (in English or French)
  • Cover letter explaining the interest to take part in the CAS (max. 500 words)
  • Copy of the relevant degrees and qualifications
  • Copy of an ID (passport or national identity card)
  • Passport photo (.jpg format)

Cancellation Policy

Any withdrawal before the start of the programme will incur an administration fee of CHF 400.-. Fees will be payable in full once the course has begun.


Curriculum

Period

September 2024 - December 2025

Credits

15 ECTS credits

Teaching hours

104 teaching hours
330 distance teaching hours

Schedule

Courses will be held on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9:00 to 17:00 (including breaks), with a few exceptions as to the time.

Module 1 | International Cultural Heritage Law – An Overview

Date(s)

13 September 2024
14 September 2024

Fee

800 CHF

Description

1. Introducing international cultural heritage law
2. The actors in the realm of art and cultural heritage
 

Learning goals

Gain an overview of the international legal system and understand the mechanisms of international cultural heritage law; identify the different players of the art and cultural heritage sector, their roles and obligations.

Learning outcomes

Learn the history of international cultural heritage law and the key definitions; understand the nexus in which international cultural heritage law has developed, by placing it in the history of general public international law; consider the link between the further branches of public international law and the place reserved for the human being; analyse the history of professional bodies and international institutions; address existing social biases in the normative system; perceive the articulation of texts, their temporality and the mechanisms of transposition.

Learning schemes

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • Staggered group work on Etherpad
  • MCQ on Moodle as assessment

Module 2 | Legal Provenance Studies – An Introduction

Date(s)

15 November 2024
16 November 2024
6 December 2024

Fee

800 CHF

Planning

The teaching on 6 December 2024 will be online

Description

1. Provenance Studies as a discipline
2. Legal dimensions of provenance research

Learning goals

Learn the history of provenance research as a discipline and understand the differences between methods, research and analyses; understand the legal challenges and constraints within provenance studies.

Learning outcomes

Analyse the context within provenance studies and provenance research take place; delineate notions linked to the trajectories of cultural goods in international law; reflect on the challenges of legal translations and establish equivalences in one's field of work; identify requirements in terms of origin and provenance in national laws; analyse the articulation between law and ethics (codex); address questions related to the legal relationship between humans and objects.

Learning goals

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • Dedicated working session online
  • Written assignment (max. 300 words) in form of a blog post on a selection of contemporary works of art to be submitted at the end of December 2024

Module 3 | Data Protection

Date(s)

14 February 2025
15 February 2025

Fee

800 CHF

Description

1. Data Protection
2. Data Access
3. Provenance’s Data

 

Learning goals

Examine and discuss the role of data in provenance studies; distinguish the legal framework that has been established to protect different data and regulate their access and re-use regarding provenance.

Learning outcomes

Understand what data is; appreciate the different types of data; understand the contexts and responsibilities of data protection and accessibility; be acquainted with the legislation of the most relevant jurisdictions (including France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States); become familiar with the exceptions related to cultural institutions and those intended for provenance research; reflect the different types of openness and identify solutions to proprietary claims around data.

Learning schemes

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • One staggered discussion in an online forum on Moodle
  • Written assignment (2000 to 3000 words, excluding table of contents, footnotes and bibliography) to be submitted by the end of the semester

Module 4 | Archives

Date(s)

25 April 2025
26 April 2025

Fee

800 CHF

Description

1. Archives as cultural heritage
2. Archives as research ressources

 

Learning goals

Study the legal framework dedicated to archives and understand the duality of archives as heritage and resources.

Learning outcomes

Acquire the fundamentals of archival law in a selection of exemplary states; identify the particularities of the legal status of archives; reflect on the phenomena of patrimonialisation; understand the  organisation of sources and their exploitation for legal purposes; address issues related to the succession of states; acquire skills in archival access and method.

Learning schemes

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • Blended exercise in paleography
  • Two-folded written assignment consisting of legally contextualising an archival document and transcribing its content, to be submitted by the end of semester

Module 5 | Digital methods and tools

Date(s)

20 June 2025
21 June 2025

Fee

800 CHF

Description

1. Digitality and the law
2. Digital methods and digital tools

Learning goals

Examine and discuss the legal, ethical and policy questions raised by digitalisation and digitisation of cultural heritage; learn how to consistently and skillfully use digital methods and resources.

Learning outcomes

Address the legal issues related to the various databases useful in provenance research; understand the legal framework in which the digitisation of cultural heritage takes place, both in terms of the protection of assets and of the rights of the various rights holders; analyse the issues involved in digitising cultural assets and controlling access to them; know and understand the various existing methods in the digital humanities; question digital technology as a tool for safeguarding and creating cultural heritage.

Learning schemes

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • Blended exercise in digital methods
  • Recorded presentation of a 10-minutes talk on a case study, to be submitted by the end of August 2025

Module 6 | Diligences and Circulations

Date(s)

17 October 2025
18 October 2025
31 October 2025

Fee

800 CHF

Description

1. Material and legal circulations
2. Obligations and ethics

 

Learning goals

Explore the relationship between circulations and diligences both on the material and legal trajectories of cultural heritage; examine the interaction between law and memories.

Learning outcomes

Understand the differences between physical and legal circulation; identify their complexity and limits; know how to reflect on the links between humans and objects in their trajectories; grasp the different categories of objects and due diligence required; consider the links between law and ethics on these issues.

Learning schemes

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • Blended visits of online exhibitions and dedicated online seminar (2 hours)
  • MCQ on Moodle as assessment

Module 7 | Provenance toward Futures

Date(s)

5 December 2025
6 December 2025

Fee

800 CHF

Description

1. Restitution policies alternative resolutions procedures
2. Memorialisation and cultural heritage

 

Learning goals

Explore the different ways to foster provenance studies in a prospective way.

Learning  outcomes

Understand the different ontologies involved in questions related to the provenance of cultural property; understand the role of the past in contemporary legislation and corrective mechanisms; grasp the discrepancies between existing norms on conservation, preservation and circulation control; understand the challenges of trans- and interdisciplinary research; comprehend memorialisation and its link to the future; know how to situate certain cultural and memorial policies; analyse the effects of memorial policies on the legislative process; address the issue of controversial heritages; gain an understanding of alternative conflict resolution mechanisms; analyse the effects of restorative justice on cultural heritage.

Learning schemes

  • Preliminary readings on Moodle
  • Two days of face-to-face teaching on site and online
  • Written assignment on a case law (4000 to 5000 words, excluding table of contents, footnotes and bibliography) to be submitted by the end of January 2026

Pedagogical method

  • Face-to-face teaching by leading academics, experts and practitioners
  • Distance-learning activities, including readings and writings
  • Individual and collective presentations during dedicated working sessions
  • Problem solving

Assessment

Participants shall be evaluated based on different written assignment for each module. These are described in the Learning schemes of each module

Testimonial

The CAS in International Cultural Heritage Law of the University of Geneva is a well-structured highlevel academic programme which covers every aspect of cultural heritage law and the protection of cultural property. Coming from a background in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, I was particularly interested in exploring the legal instruments and ethical issues involved in illicit antiquities trafficking. The programme was exactly what I was looking for: offering courses that focus on legal aspects, but with interdisciplinary character. I was impressed by the dedication and the level of support of the teachers. They offered a high flexibility for students - especially with regards to the assessments scheduling - which made it considerably easier to reconcile the studies with other commitments. The programme broadened my research profile and will certainly be beneficial for my further career trajectory in the cultural heritage field. I highly recommend it!

Rahel Glanzmann

Testimonial

I was looking for a multidisciplinary training and I wanted to better understand the many links between cultural property and the law. I was also looking for training that was both theoretical and practical, with sessions given by professors and others by practitioners. The CAS in International Cultural Heritage Law fully met these expectations. This programme opened a whole new world for me. In spite of my background in human rights and international humanitarian law, the formation allowed me to discover many issues that I only knew rather superficially before, such as the complexities surrounding restitution of works of art looted during armed conflicts. I also learned a lot about the interactions and the tensions between different branches of law such as intellectual property law and human rights law, for example when it comes to protection of indigenous peoples’ cultural heritage. I work 100%, but my employer gave me a few days off to attend the Friday modules. Then I ‘sacrificed’ a few weekends to attend the Saturday modules, read the material and prepare for the exams at the end of each module. I found the course very compatible with my professional and private commitments. What I appreciated the most is the possibility to participate in an articulated, yet accessible, reflection around current challenges of cultural heritage and law, under the guidance of leading professors and practitioners. I feel very enriched and intellectually stimulated at a both a professional and personal level.

Paola Forgione

Testimonial

After nearly 15 years of working in cultural heritage, I wanted to gain a different perspective and insight into the sector. This CAS gave me that new perspective and more that I was missing as a field archaeologist. It exposed me to a wide range of issues pertinent to the legal aspect of the cultural heritage sector that also directly influenced my work. The broad scope of this CAS contains material of interest not only to legal practitioners but also archaeologists and those working directly in the physical documentation and preservation of cultural heritage. Due to the diverse subject matter, the course provided an opportunity to network with and get to know others working in the cultural heritage sector in various domains, including archaeology, law, and provenance research. 

Ryan Hughes

Testimonial

I recently had the privilege of participating in the CAS on International Cultural Heritage Law at the University of Geneva, and I must say it was a very enriching experience. The program, spanning one and a half years, proved to be outstanding in numerous aspects, leaving me thoroughly impressed. First and foremost, the program boasted an impressive lineup of knowledgeable and diverse speakers. Their expertise covered a wide range of subjects related to international cultural heritage, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the field. From legal professionals specializing in heritage protection to renowned academics, the program featured individuals who were at the forefront of their respective domains. This diversity of perspectives greatly enhanced the overall learning experience. Also, the range of topics covered throughout the program was equally impressive. From the legal frameworks governing cultural heritage preservation to the ethical dilemmas surrounding, restitution for example, every aspect was greatly explored. This comprehensive approach provided an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced in the field of international cultural heritage law. Furthermore, the program's organizing professors were very flexible and keen to ensure that everyone had an enriching experience. Their desire to create an environment conducive to learning was evident throughout the programme. In conclusion, I highly recommend the International Cultural Heritage Law Certificate Program to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of this fascinating field. It provided a stimulating and rewarding experience, leaving me with a profound appreciation for the complexities of international cultural heritage law.

Léa Munoz

Testimonial

Starting the CAS in international heritage law in January 2022 was the beginning of my professional journey in the art world. Each module presented its own challenges. The “CAS weekends” were usually intellectually intense. However, thanks to the various speakers, as well as my peers, who came from totally different horizons (both professionally and natively) I always looked forward to the next course, excited about what I was going to learn and mostly about comparing each speaker point of view on a specific topic. Therefore, the formation has not only allowed me to develop and deepen my knowledge in the art market, but also expanded my critical thinking on current political, societal and economic topics around our cultural heritage. Although we had a lot of substance to cover in a short amount of time, each speaker and especially Professor Chechi was always happy to take the time and answer our questions or deepen a subject matter (even via e-mail when time was sensitive). With the progress of the CAS, came the beginning of my career. Indeed, in September 2022, I started an internship in an international auction house, and was thrilled to use and apply my knowledge on an everyday basis at work. Indeed, I am constantly confronted with questions on provenance, restitution, intellectual property to cite only a few. It is always a great pleasure to apply what I have learned as well as discussing these topics with my colleagues. Personally, what made it possible for me to participate in this formation is it’s hybrid nature. I always loved to be present in the classroom for each module, but sometimes my personal and especially professional life (auction weekends etc) would take over my weekends. Each class being recorded and live streamed on zoom really helped me to stay on track and follow the progression of the course, without ever falling behind on the program. The course materials were always on topic and helped tremendously to map out the direction I wanted to go in for each of my exam. Each instructor did a great job at communicating his course and Professor Chechi managed to include every participant (even those online) in the classroom. I am very grateful for this experience, and I enjoyed the CAS in cultural heritage tremendously.

Liza Erler

Director(s)

Prof. Antoinette MAGET DOMINICÉ, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva

Coordinator(s)

Charlotte TEASDALE, Université de Genève

Scientific committee

  • Prof. Sévane GARIBIAN, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva
  • Marina SCHNEIDER, Principal Legal Officer & Treaty Depositary, International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)
  • Dr. Andrea F. G. RASCHÈR, Raschèr Consulting, Zurich

Remarks

Study regulations

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development

FAQ