The SAWA Museum Studies Program—a joint initiative between Sharjah Museums Authority, The Africa Institute of Global Studies University, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, the University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW),is now accepting applications for its 2025–2026 edition. SAWA is a practical museological cross-cultural exchange programme organised in Sharjah and Berlin, with the aim of acknowledging differences and commonalities to inspire innovative museum practices. It serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and networking for emerging museum practitioners and students of museum studies. SAWA—meaning “together” in Arabic—is a cross-cultural museum studies initiative designed for emerging museum professionals and students from Arabic-speaking countries and Europe. Through its inclusive and critical approach, the program offers participants an opportunity to learn from diverse museum practices and to engage in mutual knowledge exchange across continents.

The curriculum is structured in four distinct phases:

  • Phase I (Online Introduction): Begins September 15, 2025
  • Phase II (On-site in Sharjah, UAE): October 27–November 1, 2025
  • Phase III (Online Group Work): January–March 2026
  • Phase IV (On-site in Berlin, Germany): April 13–20, 2026
Each module is co-led by facilitators from the UAE and Europe, ensuring a rich exchange of perspectives grounded in local contexts and global challenges. Participants gain both theoretical and hands-on experience through seminars, site visits, and collaborative group work. The program emphasizes critical diversity literacy and encourages reflection on social justice, climate change, and the evolving role of museums in society. Participants will receive a joint certificate from all partner institutions upon successful completion of the program. Travel and accommodation costs for the on-site phases in Sharjah and Berlin are covered by the program, although participants must bear some personal costs such as insurance and local transportation. The Africa Institute’s involvement in SAWA builds on a formal partnership agreement developed following its participation in the program’s 2024 conference. This collaboration brings the Institute’s expertise in museum and critical heritage studies into an expanding network of institutions committed to inclusive, cross-cultural museological education. Read more about the collaboration.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • A Bachelor’s degree in a museum, heritage, or art-related field
  • At least one year of relevant professional experience
  • Proficiency in English
  • Commitment to participate in all four phases
The extended deadline to apply is May 30, 2025. Interested candidates must submit a completed application form along with a CV and letter of recommendation to: sawa-program@sma.gov.ae   Click here to download the Call for Application Click here to download the Application Form For further information, please visit: www.sawamuseumstudies.com