Photo: Directorate for Cultural Heritage, Tone Olstad

Six weeks every other summer since 1984 the Directorate for Cultural Heritage has organized and contributed professionally and financially to an international course on wood conservation (International Course on Wood Conservation Technology - ICWCT). The course is held in cooperation with International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Theoretical and practical knowledge
The programme is intensive and extensive and provides the participants with theoretical and practical knowledge about causes, effects and measures related to decomposition and treatment of wooden houses and objects. Twenty students from all parts of the world meet, exchange experiences and establish contacts that will be of use later in their work for public and private institutions in their own countries. The 11th course was held in 2004, and 210 students from 75 countries have participated so far.