ICTOP History

What is ICTOP?

The International Committee for the Training of Personnel (ICTOP) was founded in 1968. However, training for museum work has been a main activity of ICOM (the International Council of Museums) since it began in 1946.

Our mission in ICOM is to encourage and promote training programs at university level in all regions of the world. Further and equally important to our work, we support training programs for all museum workers as part of a life-long education and professional development whether by associations, institutions or other delivery agencies.

In cooperation with other national and international committees, ICTOP wants to develop professional standards, which will prepare museum workers for the future institutional challenges. ICTOP supports the idea that education and training is the precondition of good practice and professional directions for our sector.

Past ICTOP Presidents/Chairpersons

  1. Raymond Singleton (UK)
    Founding Chair and founder of Leicester University of Museum Studies
  1. Jean Gabus (Switzerland)
  1. Jean-Baptiste Cuypers (Belgium)

1983-1989, 1998-2004, Patrick Boylan (UK)

  1. Piet Pouw (Netherlands)
  1. Martin Segger (Canada)
  1. Angelika Ruge (Germany)
  1. Lynne Teather (Canada) (to 2016)
  1. Darko Babic (Croatia)
  1. Leena Tokila (Finland)