Remote Micro-Internships Hosted by the Heritage Partnerships Team
Hilary Term 2021
As part of our vision of building partnerships, growing expertise and sharing knowledge, the Heritage Partnerships Team, in close collaboration with the University's Careers Service, has supported and hosted a number of remote micro-internships for Oxford students at the end of Hilary Term. Partner organisations included the Manar al-Athar Photo Archive, the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists (CIfA), and the National Trust. We are grateful to our interns for the enthusiasm, diligence, team-spirit and originality with which they undertook their tasks and very pleased to know that they also found this to be a rewarding experience, as indicated by their very positive feedback.
Inspired by the Global Research Map, recently launched by the University's Public Affairs Directorate, the Heritage Partnerships Team at TORCH worked with a team of micro-interns to scope the range of Oxford University's heritage-related collaborations. The interns evaluated the digital footprint of more than 200 heritage projects across divisions and academic disciplines, focusing on the clarity and accessibility of their online presence for both academics and the general public. The interns presented their findings as a team and compiled a comprehensive report that addressed shared patterns and discipline-specific challenges identified through their research, highlighted best-practice case studies, and brought forward suggestions for a more coherent and accessible online presence. You can read what one of our interns had to say about their experience here.
As part of our ongoing collaborations with the Manar al-Athar Photo Archive, the Heritage Partnerships team co-hosted a remote micro-internship that investigated the growing field of digital cultural heritage resources, to provide insights on how international collaborative projects between academia, community groups, and organisations are created, maintained, and evaluated. The interns selected their individual geographic focus based on their academic and personal interests and participated in a workshop with micro-interns working for the EAMENA project. Their final reports contributed greatly to the development of Manar al-Athar’s international engagement strategy.
A third team of micro-interns worked with the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists on the development of information and resources for students and early career professionals. The team reviewed the career offer of a set of UK-based professional bodies by evaluating their accessibility and usability, as well as by providing insights into their strategic ambitions. Through an intensive schedule of daily meetings with different teams, the interns gained a unique understanding of the structure and purpose of a professional body, the main challenges faced by the sector, and the importance of promoting professional standards and ethics in archaeological practice. In recognition of their hard work and voluntary contribution, the students were invited to attend CIfA’s annual conference that took place in April 2021.
The National Trust Partnership team hosted seventeen students this term, with micro-interns supporting seven projects from different National Trust properties across the UK. Working in small teams alongside National Trust curators, students undertook desk-based research using a range of online archives and resources on a wide range of subject areas and collection types; from historic painting collections, ethnographic objects and collecting histories, to social history, global connections and international trade relationships. Each micro-intern produced a detailed research report to capture their findings, and had the opportunity to present and discuss their work with National Trust colleagues while gaining insights into curatorial careers at the UK’s largest conservation charity.
To find out more about new professional development opportunities by the Heritage Partnerships Team, including the Heritage Pathway, the next round of micro-internships, as well as summer internships with the Heritage Alliance, Ditchley Foundation, Chatsworth House, Stonor Park, Muncaster Castle, and others, please visit our Opportunities section here.
