Their discussion highlighted the distinctive opportunities available through AUR’s M.A. in Cultural Heritage and the University’s longstanding partnership with ICCROM, headquartered just minutes from campus. For AUR students, ICCROM is not an abstract institution encountered in readings; it is an active collaborator and professional environment embedded in the fabric of Rome. The audience included several alumni who had completed ICCROM internships, a testament to the depth and continuity of the relationship.
Dr. Jigyasu outlined ICCROM’s global mission to safeguard cultural heritage in all its forms - tangible and intangible, movable and immovable - particularly in contexts of crisis and recovery. His remarks reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary training, international cooperation, and ethical engagement, all central pillars of AUR’s graduate program.
A required internship is a cornerstone of the M.A., ensuring that academic rigor is paired with substantive professional experience. For Mangrum, that internship became a launching pad. What began as a structured placement evolved into consulting work on a major international initiative, reflecting both her initiative and ICCROM’s confidence in AUR-trained students.
Her work intersected with ICCROM’s 2022 Heritage Recovery Programme in Mosul, an intensive, field-based initiative that trained architects and craftspeople to rebuild sites of cultural significance while restoring local capacity and identity. Following the program’s first cycle, ICCROM launched a digital platform to disseminate research and training materials globally. As an intern-turned-consultant, Mangrum played a key role in organizing and structuring this content into an accessible and evolving resource, later contributing to a Mosul-based training guide that continues to inform her professional trajectory.
Today, as L.A. Preservation Studio Manager, Materials Conservation Specialist, and Senior Project Manager at Page & Turnbull, Mangrum draws directly on the interdisciplinary foundation developed through her studies and professional experience in Rome.
The evening offered a clear illustration of what distinguishes AUR’s M.A. in Cultural Heritage: students engage with leading international institutions, contribute to real-world initiatives, and graduate with experience that carries immediate professional relevance. Rooted in Rome and connected to global networks, the program prepares graduates not only to enter the field of heritage preservation, but to shape it.