First-year MA in Global African Studies students on the Museum and Critical Heritage Studies track at Global Studies University visited Tell Abraq Archaeological Site on November 3, 2026, to examine how ethical questions inform the conservation and management of archaeological heritage.
The visit was organized by Mohamed Faroug A. Ali, Visiting Associate Professor of Archaeology at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, as part of his course GAS 615: Ethics, Archaeology and Heritage. Students met with experts and heritage professionals from the Sharjah Archaeology Authority represented by Dr. Modather Jadin and Dr. Fawzi Hassan to discuss the site’s preservation and the responsibilities involved in caring for archaeological remains.
Discussions during the visit connected classroom study with heritage practice, exploring the relationships among conservation, professional ethics, cultural heritage management, and international heritage legislation. Through direct observation and exchanges with practitioners, students considered how these principles inform decisions at an archaeological site.
Students also shared perspectives on cultural heritage practices in Africa and Sharjah, comparing approaches within the wider Middle Eastern context. The visit provided practical and observational learning, connecting the course’s central themes with the responsibilities of preserving archaeological heritage.
