A thriving arts and culture sector is of huge importance to the emotional and psychological health of any society. Committed backing for high quality museums, galleries, exhibitions and performances, along with a sensitive approach to the care of heritage sites, can also drive tourism and provide a significant boost to the economy. While digital technologies can broaden community cultural engagement and inclusiveness, beyond the limitations of market-driven capitalism.
To help meet the demand for professionals equipped with the skills to take on leadership roles right across this field, last year Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies launched its groundbreaking Master of Arts in Arts and Cultural Heritage Management (MA ACHM) programme. To expand the scope of this new MA programme, from September 2023 two new specialisation pathways will be added as options to the programme.
Concentration in Heritage Tourism and Management
The Concentration in Heritage Tourism and Management aims to give students the tools to tackle the key issues the heritage tourism sector faces now, and will have to face in a changing future. Graduates will also be equipped with the fundamental knowledge to manage cultural assets and enhance the visibility, and the ecological sustainability, of the heritage tourism sector.
Hong Kong, and Lingnan University, are the ideal homes for such a programme. The city’s government has recently significantly increased its financial support for the promotion of arts and culture, and the development of green tourism. With the new Palace Museum and M+ museum proving extremely popular, further development of the expansive West Kowloon Cultural District is already planned. While Lingnan has established strong partnerships with a number of relevant local private and public organisations, including the Hong Kong Arts Centre.
Graduates from this concentration will be prime candidates for employment in areas such as tourism, community project management, art administration, and private and public cultural assets management. They will also be ideally placed to pursue PhD and professional doctorate degrees in related fields.
Concentration in Cultural Management and Digital Future
This new Concentration in Cultural Management and Digital Future will focus both on innovative management in the cultural industries and on the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging digital technologies.
It aims to give students an understanding of critical cultural governance and the cutting-edge trends in co-creation processes. It will also teach them about the latest developments in cultural management and the power of every-day digital technologies. Finally, it aims to develop students’ ability to reflect on the relationship between communication technology and information-related rights, duties, and ethics, and to actively engage with vibrant participatory communities beyond those enabled by markets or government.
Graduates will be qualified for roles in a wide range of fields such as the civil service, journalism, community project management, art administration, private and public cultural assets management, non-government and non-profit organisations, the education sector, cooperatives and commons – including platform co-ops, digital commons and international organisations.
Alternatively, they will be in a position to pursue PhD and professional doctorate programmes in Cultural Studies, Media and Communication Studies, Public Administration and Management, and the like.