Establishment of a traditional arts and handicrafts university, proposed several years ago by master of Persian painting and miniature Mahmoud Farshchian, 86, is now under review, according to Mohammad Hussein Imani Khoshkhou, head of the University of Science and Culture in Tehran.
Soon, a joint meeting will be held between the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO).
Head of ICHHTO Masoud Soltanifar and secretary of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, Mohammadreza Mokhber Dezfouli, will meet to discuss the modalities of the project, Imani Khoshkhou told ISNA.
The University of Traditional Arts and Handicrafts was among the ideas of Master Farshchian," Imani Khoshkhou said. "The Art and Architecture Commission prepared the draft for the constitution of the university and it was submitted to the Supreme Council, which gave its approval. The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology has also given approval at a series of meetings convened on the charter of the university.
Azad University and the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research had offered to cooperate in the university's establishment; however, the project was delegated to the ICHHTO, "given its involvement and experience in the field of traditional arts and handicrafts," Imani Khoshkhou said.
Many traditional arts in Iran owe their existence and survival to senior master craftsmen who are unfortunately a dwindling lot. It is also feared that traditional arts are fading away and a university is strongly necessary to preserve the existing ancient crafts.
No Official Notice
According to the ICHHTO handicrafts deputy Bahman Namvar Motlaq, official notification has not been issued yet by the Supreme Council on initiation of the university's activities.
"I hope the ICHHTO will soon receive the notification in this regard, because it would be a turning point in the area of traditional Iranian arts and crafts. Once implemented, the traditional arts university will be as influential as the Dar ul-Funun (the first modern university and institution of higher learning in Iran, established in 1851)."
"If we seek to preserve our identity in arts and handicrafts, there is no better way than education and training. A university with an Iranian-Islamic approach can be greatly beneficial in the field of traditional arts education," he said.
