Doha: Students from UCL Qatar have completed a study trip to Istanbul as part of their Museum and Gallery Practice MA programme.
Over five days, students visited some of the Turkish capital’s most iconic museums and heritage sites but also smaller and exciting institutions, meeting and learning from leading professionals in the cultural heritage sector.
The trip is the latest in a series of initiatives that UCL Qatar undertakes to expose students to how the most prestigious museums around the world are applying the theories and methods being taught at UCL’s Education City-based campus.
Previous student excursions have included visits to Oman and Berlin, Germany.
The trip was curated by Dr Alexandra Bounia, Senior Lecturer in Museum Studies at UCL Qatar, who said: “At UCL Qatar we always strive to use our global network to give students the opportunity to see how what they are being taught is being applied in practice. This five-day visit has been integral to the students’ learning process and they must now use this experience to further their studies.”
Visited sites included Topkapi Palace, Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Aghia Sofia Museum, Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, Museum of Innocence, the SALT Cultural Centre, and the Pera Museum.
Ignacio Zamora, a student in the Museum and Gallery Practice MA, and a Coordinator at Qatar Museums, said, “I went to places I would never consider going to on my own and had unforgettable conversations and interactions with industry leaders. Trips like these are what makes the MA programme an experience of a lifetime and I will be applying what I’ve learnt not only to my studies but also to my role with QM.”
