Minister lobbies partnership with Germany varsity to foster cultural heritage
German State Minister Oliver Schenk and Ugandan Minister Betty Amongi exchange gifts in Dresden, Germany during the latter's visit to the country. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- The two nations sides agreed to work towards deeper cooperation between Saxonian and German institutions on the one hand and Ugandan institutions covering art, culture and tourism.
Uganda’s gender and labour minister Betty Amongi is seeking partnership between Ugandan Universities and the Design Campus of the Dresden Museum of Decorative Arts in Germany.
The partnership aims for a license “to explore areas of potential exchange programmes between the Dresden University of Fine Arts and Ugandan universities- and a promise for technical groundwork to identify concrete areas of cooperation between the two countries in art, culture, social development and tourism.”
Amongi made the request while officiating at the opening Ceremony of the 2023 Congress of the International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA) at the invitation of IAPMA President Franziska Leischker aka Fides Linien.
“The value of art and cultural heritage is not only for Uganda but also pivotal instruments of international understanding and cooperation among peoples across the world,” she observed at the event graced by Dresden University head of of Fine Art Prof. Oliver Kossack.
By the conclusion of her recent visit to European countries, Amongi secured at least four annual slots for Uganda’s art students at the Summer School of Dresden Musuem of Decorative Arts.
Dresden Museum of Decorative Arts was founded in 1876 and is affiliated with Dresden’s decorative arts college.
Additionally, IAPMA is the world’s leading organisation for paper artists with 652 members from 56 countries across the globe.
“You (IAPMA) are versatile artists with the capability of inspiring positive change across generations using your art to inspire and generate positive energy and passion to change the world,” Amongi noted.
She described the over 80 artworks from more than 30 countries from all over the world as having an “unforgettable impression” on her and of being of “unmistakeable quality.”
Meantime, the two sides agreed to work towards deeper cooperation between Saxonian and German institutions on the one hand and Ugandan institutions covering art, culture and tourism.
Franziska Leischker aka Fides Linien, who also doubles as the director of The Xsabo Foundation, expressed hope that the “extraordinary artworks displayed at the exhibition will touch the hearts of each visitor, appeal to everyone’s imagination, inspire and shine good light on their life no matter where one comes from and what one does for a living.”
Welcoming the Ugandan minister to PAPER ALIVE!, the international art exhibition that served as the opening ceremony of the congress, Director of the Museum of Decorative Arts Thomas A. Geisler introduced the Design Campus in the 300-year-old Pillnitz Palace, the venue of the IAPMA Congress, as an interdisciplinary international research and development art platform that deals with the big questions of our time, including climate change and migration as well as globalisation and digitalisation, and one that would be very happy to also host students from Uganda every year.
