The Project for the Grand Egyptian Museum Conservation Center

Condition Check on the Artifacts by JICA Experts at the GEM-CC Storerooms

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided the training course on Collection Management, the 1st term during December 2-13, 2012, the 2nd term during December 23-27, 2013 and the 3rd term during January 13-17, 2013.

The collection of the museum is the most important properties for its activities. It is essential that both museum and conservation center staffs know how to treat with and manage the precious and fragile collections in the storage. Inappropriate management of artifacts in the storage could damage them severely. In order to avoid this happening, JICA GEM-CC Project provided the training courses on collection management of artifacts especially targeting young staff-members working in the storage of the GEM-CC

In order to achieve proper collection management in the storage, it is necessary for the trainees to understand the contents of whole conservation activities related to the collections. Hence, this training course focused on environmental control, the storage method, the archive, integrated pest management, displaying, photographing, dimension measurement and the database of the collections.

This training course was carried out by 3 first-class experts, who had been invited from the National Museum of Ethnology, Japan, Egyptian experts of the GEM Design Unit, and experienced senior staffs of the GEM-CC and the Archaeological Database Department (ADD). This training course is the core for development of human resources, and those instructors did introduce the integrated knowledge and practical experience in the fields of collection management for the young trainees working at the GEM-CC storage.

Dr. Hidaka Supervising Designing of the Acid-Free Paper Boxes for the Collection Management

Ms. Wadaka Supervising Handcrafting of the Acid-free Paper Boxes for the Collection Management

Egyptian Trainees Showing the Completed Box

Training Scene 1 about the Measuring Method of the Artifacts Carried Out by Staff of the Archaeological Content Department (ACD), Which had been established by the JICA's Initiative

Training Scene 2 Carried Out by Staff of the ACD

Head of the Heavy Artifact Laboratory Giving the Secondary Training to the GEM-CC Trainees

Head of the Wood Laboratory Explaining the Conservation Techniques and Methodology Applied for the Wooden Bed of the King, Tutankhamen for the GEM-CC Trainees

About 100,000 artifacts are planned to be transported to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). After these artifacts are conserved at the GEM Conservation Center (GEM-CC), the staff of the GEM-CC will transport them to the GEM for display. In order to ensure that the museum collection is exhibited without making any damage, it is very important for the GEM-CC staff to safely transport each artifact. Furthermore, there might be occasions of that famous ancient Egyptian collection at the GEM is lent to other museums all over the world. This certainly requires safe transportation of artifacts to those museums outside Egypt and their return to the GEM.

In this point of view, safety handling of the ancient artifacts is one of the most important issues. The museum collection is its most important property, thus it is essential that the museum’s staff know how to handle the precious collection safely. Inappropriate handling and carrying of artifacts could put those who work with them in danger and damage those precious artifacts. In order to prevent those kinds of accidents, the JICA GEM-CC project has initiated the training courses of the packing and transportation of the artifacts since 2009. Furthermore, since 2012, we have also started the training course for the handling of the heavy objects, which is naturally very difficult and involves danger of the accidents causing injury or death.

Six experts were again invited from Nippon Express Co., one of Japan’s best and biggest transporting companies, who have the longest and the best experience in the packing and transportation of the National Treasures of Japan and other countries. Likewise, they provided the training courses on the “Packing and Transportation of Artifacts” and “Handling of the Heavy Objects” at the GEM-CC.

There had been done six training courses in this theme including one in Japan. Some of the GEM-CC staff-members have already obtained the sufficient skills and techniques through past training courses. This time, those staff-members participated and served the training course as the trainers.

In the previous training courses on “Packing and Transportation of Artifacts,” we used the replica objects rather than the original in order not to make damage the original artifacts. In this training course, the Egyptian and Japanese experts applied their techniques to original artifacts as a demonstration to the trainees. It could make the training more practical.

As for the pervious training course on the “Handling of the Heavy Objects, it had aimed for the trainees to acquire the skills and techniques of handling the heavy objects, such as hoisting up and down, carrying horizontally, slinging, rolling of the heavy stone objects. It had also focused on and taught the fundamental safety measures during the work.

In this third session on handling of heavy objects was prepared as an advance course for those, who had taken the first and second sessions. The gantry crane was used for practicing to sling the heavy objects in the high place and installing such objects for the exhibition of the Grand Egyptian Museum. In addition to that, the instructors trained the trainees for the first time how to build and dismantle the scaffolds for building the portable gantry crane.

At the closing ceremony, Egyptian instructors and all the GEM-CC trainees, who have attended those training courses expressed gratitude to instructors of Nippon Express Co. and JICA experts and requested the continuous technical support of JICA in the fields of the packing and transportation of the artifacts” and the handling of the heavy objects” at the GEM-CC.

Photo 1: Explanation for the Methods of Packing Given by Mr. Tokuda of Nihhon Express Co.

Photo 3: Practicing to Set Up Scaffolds at the Heavy Objects Laboratory

Photo 4: Training Scene Showing Slinging the Heavy Stone Objects by the Aid of the Gantry Crane

Lecture Given by Prof. Matsuda

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provides assistance for not only Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) construction financing, but also for technical assistance to the GEM Conservation Center (GEM-CC). As part of its program to support conservation, JICA provided the training course on Conservation Science during November 4-14, 2012.

Previously, the conservators and the scientists were dealing with the different academic subject area in the field of conservation, hence there existed no direct collaboration between them. However, these days we have seen many interactions, such as digital conservation, which developed the conservation method in a great deal.

Among such “conservation science” this training course focused on the scientific analysis and documentation because documentation for the condition of artifacts is one of the most important processes in conservation. Particularly, the documentation of the morphological characteristics and material composition are essential in the condition assessment and conservation treatments.

The phase 1 of the training course conducted in May, 2012 had provided the conceptual explanation. While this time, inviting first-class experts from Japan, Egypt, US and Italy, the course provided Egyptian trainees with necessary knowledge and techniques of scientific documentation and analysis for conservation, which will improve the daily conservation work at GEM-CC labs.

Instructors in Conservation Science 2 have diversity of scientific backgrounds to introduce the integrated knowledge and practical experience in the fields of Conservation Science, Advanced Imaging Techniques, 3D Data Acquisition and Analytical Imaging Spectroscopy using the latest and cutting-edge scientific documentation and analysis methods.

The first part (Nov. 4-8) of the training course focused on documentation and imaging of the artifacts and was conducted by Prof. Yasunori Matsuda of the JICA Expert in Conservation, Mr. Ibrahim El-Rifai, Egyptian specialist in documentation of cultural heritage,  and Ms. Anna Serott of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. The second part (Nov. 12-14) focused on color measurement, imaging, fluorescence theory, luminescence theory and etc. and five Italian instructors from Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Prof. Gianluca Valentini, Prof. Rinaldo Cubeddu, Dr. Austin Nevin, Dr. Daniela Comelli, Ms. Anna Cesaratt were invited to conduct the second part training course.

Workshop for the Basic Photographic Techniques by Mr. Ibrahim

Demonstration of Laser Scanning by Mr. Ibrahim

Workshop for Reflectance Transformation Imaging by Ms. Anna Serott

Workshop for Multispectral Imaging by Italian Instructors

Dr. Fukatsu (middle) teaching trainees

The Grand Egyptian Museum Conservation Center (GEM-CC) Project of JICA conducted a training course on Textile Conservation from 14th to 17th October, 2012 at GEM-CC.

The purpose of the training course was the trainees of GEM-CC to obtain necessary knowledge and the conservation techniques for conservation work of the ancient Egyptian textile, and to learn the varying research techniques with the aids of scientific equipment. In order to achieve those objectives, the first round training course focused on making the trainees to understand the structures, materials and characteristics of the textile.

Sixteen trainees of the conservators and scientists of the GEM-CC participated in this training course. In addition to that, one external observer from the Islamic Museum and two further external observers from the Textile Museum also participated in the training course.

Dr. Yuko Fukatsu , Associate professor specialized in textile conservation, Department of textile Design, Tama art University and Mr. Akira Horie, senior researcher specialized in textile analysis, Tokyo Metropolitan industrial Technology Research institute were invited to give the lectures and practical training of this course as JICA expert instructors.

In the second day of the training course, the trainees accompanied by instructors, visited the Egyptian Museum (EM) in the district of Taharir to observe Tut Ankh Amen collections and study especially the exhibited textile artifacts of those Tut Ankh Amen collections, all of which are expected to be transferred to and exhibited at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) after completion of its construction. After that, the trainees and instructors visited the conservation labs of the EM for seeing a scene of conservation work of the textile artifacts. Furthermore, the details of the previously applied conservation techniques and methods on the textile artifacts exhibited and stored at the EM were explained to the GEM-CC trainees.

The trainees also visited the Textile Museum in the district of Khan El-Khalili, and had an explanation from the museum staff about history of the ancient Egyptian textile industry. Also the textile conservators of this museum explained them the activities of the conservators in the museum.

The training course at GEM-CC was broadly speaking separated into the lectures and the practical trainings. Apart from the technical interpretation given by instructors, the lecture of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was given by the head of the SEM Lab. He explained usage of the SEM to analyze the textile artifacts and the images of some examples of the different materials taken by the SEM were shown to the trainees. The technical training was carried out during the practical training session at the Organic Lab, where the trainees learnt the necessary documentation techniques of the textile artifacts before undertaking actual conservation work.

Subsequently, the trainees were divided into 3 groups and they conducted the practical analysis of the fiber samples of hemp, cotton and some other textiles under supervision of instructors and the aid of the staffs of the SEM Lab. After that, the result of the analysis was presented and discussed by all participants of this training course.

The training course on textile conservation, which lasted for five days ended with trainees’ satisfaction. They requested the 2nd round of the training course and the training course was closed by trainees’ expression of gratitude toward Dr. Yuko Fukatsu and Mr. Akira Horie.

Mr. Horie (middle) explaining the analytical techniques of the fiber samples

Fiber of the textile sample is shown on the computer screen of the SEM

At the Conservation Lab, JOCVs were keen on to listen explanation given by Mr. Suemori of the JICA expert

The group of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) working in the varying fields of the specialties in Egypt and the students of Daito Bunka University, who had been in the city of Alexandria located northwest of Cairo to study Arabic, visited the Grand Egyptian Museum Conservation Center (GEM-CC) separately on the 19th and the 27th of September. Obviously it was very rare experience for two groups of visitors to have the opportunities to look around a forefront scene of the JICA’s technical cooperation with Egypt in the field of conservation work of the ancient Egyptian cultural heritage. Mr. Suzuki, chief advisor of this project, gave explanation about the course of the JICA GEM-CC Project. They were very much excited and keen on to listen his explanation.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

Both groups of visitors led by JICA experts and they were able to look around the most of GEM-CC’s scientific labs. Especially, when groups were at the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Lab, everybody was so amazed by a scientific analytical device of SEM, which costs around one hundred million Japanese yen and they had never seen such device before.

Captured pest insects in GEM-CC

In the field of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM), where the knowledge and technical skills of the IPM have been improved by JICA initiative, research on inhabitation and control management of pest has been carried out for protection of the ancient Egyptian artifacts. So, the entered and inhabiting pest insects has been captured, collected and studied in GEM-CC. The visitors, especially ladies were surprised by weird appearance of insect pest, which does not inhabit in Japan.

Both groups of visitors also had the opportunities to overlook the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The procedure of past construction work of GEM was explained to visitors by a site supervisor. It appeared that all visitors were overwhelmed by the huge construction site of GEM, where GEM is once constructed, it is to be ranked as one of the biggest Museum in the world.

Students of Daito Bunka University in front of a scene of the construction site of GEM

In front of GEM-CC, JOCV, GEM-CC staff, JICA Project national staff & JICA experts

At the Special Laboratory, the world oldest extant wooden boat found by the French team was shown to Mr. Mitsuhiko Koenuma, Director General of the Middle East and Europe Department of the JICA Tokyo headquarter

During the period from the 4^th to the 9^th of September, the GEM-CC received 3 groups of official visitors from Japan. They were well-received by Dr. El Hussein Bassir, Director General of the GEM and the GEM-CC, Mr. Osama Abo El Kheir, Executive Manager of the GEM-CC and Dr. Hussein Kamal, Technical Manager of the GEM-CC. They showed over and explained the guests a scene of technical cooperation and support of the Japanese side and the activities of the JICA-CC project

On the 4^th of September, Mr. Mitsuhiko Koenuma, Director General of the Middle East and Europe Department of the JICA Tokyo headquarter and 6 staffs of the JICA Egypt Office visited the GEM-CC. They were shown over the Special Project Lab, the Organic Material Lab, the Human Remains Lab, Inorganic Lab, the Wood Lab, the Archaeological Database Department (ADD) and the GEM-CC’s storage facilities. At the Organic Material Lab, the GEM-CC’s conservators explained the way of making digital documentation of the ancient artifacts. The head of this lab also explained them how the conservators treat and conserve the papyruses.

At the Human Remains Lab, the visitors had the opportunities to observe a scene of conservation of the ancient Egyptian mummies. As for at the Inorganic Lab, those guests were shown how the conservators treat the metal, pottery and glass objects. Then, they visited the Wood Lab, which is responsible to conserve the wooden objects such as the coffin. At the end of their tour, they visited storage of the GEM-CC and the ADD. They were able to observe a scene of technical cooperation and support of the Japanese side and the activities of the JICA-CC project, and they were also able to learn a lot about the fields of conservators’ work for the ancient Egyptian artifacts.

At the Organic Laboratory, Prof. Katsuhiko Shirai, President of the Open University of Japan is shown how the conservators treat mummy of the Ptolemaios period.

On the 6^th of September, Executive Board Member of the JICA E-JUST Project, Prof. Katsuhiko Shirai, ex-President of Waseda University and President of the Open University of Japan and a JICA staff visited the ADD and the scientific labs. Both the ADD and scientific labs’ staffs explained the nature of their work. Subsequently, they visited the storerooms of the GEM-CC, where they learnt from each lab staffs about the methods and the system of storing the varying artifacts discovered and transported from across Egypt.

Mr. Shigeharu Kato, Director-General for International Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT) is explained about the nature of the conservation work at the Organic Laboratory.

On the 9^th of September, the GEM-CC also had the opportunity to receive important guests of Mr. Shigeharu Kato, Director-General for International Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT) and Mr. Eisuke Futamura, JICA Expert for the Egyptian State Ministry for Scientific Research. Mr. Osama explained guests a role and the nature of conservation work in the GEM-CC and how the GEM-CC has received the objects from the stores of the antiquities across Egypt and the Egyptian Museum (EM) and kept conserving them in the GEM-CC. Mr. Osama also expressed gratitude for that the conservators, curators and scientists of the GEM-CC have had the opportunity to learn the new techniques and knowledge of conservation through the training courses, which have been provided and arranged by JICA and its experts. In response, Mr. Kato also appreciated cooperation of the GEM-CC’s managers for implementation of such training courses together with JICA to develop the capacity of the GEM-CC’s conservators, curators and scientists

During the period from 4^th July to 17^th July, 2012, Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA ) held two training courses, Packing and Transportation in GEM-CC and Handling of Heavy Artifacts, to give participants with skills and knowledge of safe handling of precious collection of Ancient Artifacts.  The courses were given by six experts from Nippon Express Co. who had long experience of packing and transportation with the National Treasures in Japan.  The instructors finished teaching in saying that the method taught in the course needed to be adopted and applied as the base for trainees to develop their own skills of safe transportation.  There need to be improvement to get their own way which may be better suited in GEM-CC. and therefore please do not spare efforts to find the way and learn every day each other.

Thirty one Participants for the course have been selected by GEM-CC and at the end of the training, certificate of completion has been awarded to them.  After this training course, the trainees became able to handle all kinds of small and medium size objects.

The objectives of the training course are given as follows;

A.      Packing and Transportation in GEM-CC
It is designed for the trainees who takes the course of this kind for the first time and the course aims to improve practical skills about how to pack small articles in order to safely transport them

B.     Handling of Heavy Artifacts

It is designed as an advanced course for those who took the basic course previously.  It aims to improve  practical skills about handling, laying, parallel moving and placing at right places using stone about 1ton. It also continues to focus on the safety to work with them.

In the training course of “Packing and Transportation in GEM-CC”, three persons who have the experience of having attended the training course before, were chosen as local instructors to support Japanese instructors to facilitate the efficient transfer of knowledge to the trainees.

In the training course of “Handling of Heavy Artifacts”, after the revision of the past training contents which include safe clothing, the handling of overhead travelling crane, the assembly and dismantling of the gantry crane, the slinging of the objects and lifting using the overhead travelling crane, trainees were taught on other ways of slinging and lifting the artifacts using both of overhead travelling crane and gantry crane.  Trainees were also taught how to lift the artifacts from the ground using the jack and to pull the artifacts from a place to another using the pulley and rollers.

About 100,000 artifacts are planned to be transported to the Grand Egyptian Museum ( GEM ) from Egyptian Museum and other museums scattered all over Egypt, well in advance and after the completion of construction of GEM.  Among various artifacts, there are things which are too heavy to be handled by hand and require equipment such as gantry cranes and folk lifts, and which are too fragile to be transported with a plain packing method.　Transportation is expected to start in earnest from September, 2012.

Instructor explains how to pack the object

GEM-CC Instructor helps the trainees

Trainees are trying to lift the stone column by Gantry Crane

Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA ) conducted a training course on Environmental Science in Museum from 6^th June to 13^th June, 2012 at the Grand Egyptian Museum-Conservation Center( GEM-CC ).

It is necessary to study how fast things in the museum change and what causes these changes, and to erect a framework of preventive conservation in museum environment standard.  In the course, participants have learned the importance of environmental factors, technology of monitoring, analyzing and managing these factors, ways to resolve problems, to prevent deterioration factors and to improve situation and facilities and devices to be installed to establish suitable environmental condition to preserve cultural heritage,

Eighteen trainees among conservators, curators, engineers and scientists in GEM-CC have participated in the training course.

Prof. Yasunori Matsuda, JICA expert in Conservation and Technical Chief Advisor of the Project, Mr. Vinod Daniel, the CEO of IndHeritage Pty Ltd., the former Director of Conservation, Australian Museum and Dr. Robert Child, the former Head of Conservation, National Museum of Wales, UK have contributed to the course as instructors.  All of them have long experience having worked in museum with knowledge and skills in preventive conservation.

The seven days training course was conducted in a way that trainees could obtain necessary knowledge about environmental science in museum and can practice what they needed to achieve.  Instructors made lectures and practices, participants performed presentation and there was discussion between those and they were the major components of the training course.  This training contributed greatly not only to improve the environmental conditions itself but also to strengthen the cooperation among conservators, scientists, curators and engineers in GEM-CC.

Lecturers

・Preventive Conservation in Museum

・Managing museum Environment and related environmental science

・Risk assessment and management in museum environment and managing

・Environmental factors by HVAC system

Practice

・Measuring Methods

(1)   Dust Monitor

(2)   Air Sampling for Gas

(3)   Radiation( VIS/UV)

(4)   T/RH by Asman thermo-hygrometer

(5)   Analytical method of T/RH data

・Surveying HVAC system, dust plumbing rout, exaust/intake port, controlling

room and Air Handling Unit (AHU )

・Measures for preventing from pests and disasters

・Risk Assessment/Management

・Making proposal for improvement of environmental factors in GEM-CC and for

Creation of suitable environment in new museum

Discussion

・Impacts of radiation, contaminants, pests and disasters on artifacts and

Preventing measures

・Impacts on incorrect T/RH on artifacts and preventing measures

・Issues and improvement of HVAC in GEM-CC building

・Environmental standard for GEM-CC

Presentation

・Results of the preliminary work, Environmental Research Project in GEM-CC

・Activity and issues of HVAC in GEM-CC building

・Activity and Issues of IPM in GEM-CC

The trainees felt the importance of this training course for their work and how it could help them to preserve the precious artifacts which they are dealing with in a good environment. The cooperation between the participants them self and between the instructors was excellent and it was one of the important thing that helped this course to success.

One of the IPM ( Integrated Pest Management ) Team Making a presentation about insects

Prof. Matsuda demonstrated to use HOBO Data Logger, Kitagawa Indicator, PH strips and Dust Monitor

The Project invited 10 students from Grade 5 and 6 (elementary school) and Grade7, 8, 9 (Junior high school) of Japanese School in Cairo to the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and GEM Conservation Center (GEM-CC).

The visit was planned to help the students to learn Egyptian history where they live, to understand the importance of cultural heritage preservation and to contribute to education of international understanding through looking closely at mummies, coffins and statues which are parts of the Egyptian cultural heritage and learning about conservation of these artifacts,

Further, the visit was intended to open the opportunity for Japanese students to learn about international cooperation implemented by the Japanese government and to help the students’ career plan for their future as they come to meet the Japanese experts working for the Project.

Their visit began from the construction site of GEM. Though the construction has started on 11^th March, 2012, it was difficult to imagine the form of the future museum. It was explained to the students how the museums was going to be like and how the Japanese assistance helped the museum project using some visual tools such as image of how the museum’s future look. At the construction site, the great statue of the Ramesses II is waiting for the museum opening. The statue which is measured 11 meters high and 35 tons was transported from the Ramesses Square in downtown Cairo in 2006.   The students were surprised at the size of the statue and exited to find the ancient scripts written on the back of the statue.

Moving to GEM-CC, Yasunori Matsuda expert explained about capacity development carried out by the Project and Tomomi Fushiya expert talked about ancient Egyptian religion related to the artifacts they were going to see at the Conservation labs.  Then, they visited the office of ADD and learned how a collection database is built and developed through some photos of ADD’s activities (Photo 1)

The students visited Human Remains Lab, Wood Lab and Inorganic labs among other conservation labs. The GEM-CC tour for them was planned to look at artifacts related to ancient Egyptian religion and their image of the afterlife.  As they looked at human mummies, beautifully decorated wooden coffins, a colorful mask made of cartonage, ceramic coffins and other related tomb goods, the conservators of GEM-CC explained to them about how to make a mummy, what is “the Book of the Dead” and gods and goddesses of the ancient Egypt (Photo 2,3,4).

They also visited the Microbiology lab which researches on microorganism that could damage mummies, organic materials and stone objects. An Egyptian microbiologist taught the Japanese students that there are various kinds of fungi, how to culture and identify them. The students were surprised to find out that something they see in their everyday life such as fungi related to conserving museum artifacts.

Overall, they were very enthusiastic and interested in looking at ancient artifacts so closely without any glass cases. They were always listening carefully and taking notes of what the experts were telling to them. There were many questions from them. Some of the questions were very well-thought and sharp. One of the conservators who answered the questions praised the students that she/he would be a future archaeologist! It was a great and precious opportunity to communicate directly to those who work on artifacts and to learn many different experts working together for conservation.

The students and teachers said at the end that they always thought artifacts and archaeology were only related to social science class. But they found out this day that science was also very important for conservation. Today’s conservation work cannot be carried out without a help of science. The Project helps science labs at GEM-CC to cooperate with conservators to work and research with and for conservation.

This year, the Project is going to hold a series of training courses on conservation science. It will help GEM-CC to use the latest technology and research outcomes for conservation.



( Photo１) Construction in Progress

( Photo ２) ADD Manager, Ms. Sara, explained about their work

( Photo 3) Carefully listening to the story about an ancient wooden coffin

( Photo 4 ) Feeling scared but looking into the coffin to see a mummy inside

(Photo 5 ) Looking at the fungi sample, one of them came up with an question, “why fungi in a lunch box stink?”. The Egyptian microbiologist kindly explained their questions one by one.

Ms. Sugimoto Akiko made a research activity for the improvement of information system at Grand Egyptian Museum Conservation Center (GEM-CC). The research was done at the conservation laboratory and scientific analysis laboratory by interviewing conservators and scientists seeking the possibility to strengthen the information sharing among GEM-CC staff.   After the research, she summarized the results of her interview, observation and proposal for the improvement and gave presentation in the presence of executive director, technical director and GEM-CC staff.

Ms. Sugimoto has been dispatched to Yemen in 2008 but because of social instability of the country, she was evacuated to Japan. Then, without any signs of improvement of the situation in Yemen, she was dispatched to Egypt in March 2010.

She taught basic IT technology to young Egyptian scholars in Archaeological Database Department who are working on building database for the Grand Egyptian Museum.

She went back again to Japan because of the eruption of revolution in January 2011.  After the extension of her activity, she was engaged in the research activities to improve the information system for three months before her completion of her activity in Egypt.   She returned back to Japan in March 2012.

Ms. Akiko Sugimoto gives her presentation in front of audience