Yale Hosts a Global Gathering for Cultural Heritage Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
A group of symposium attendees smiling at the camera.

Attendees of the second annual global symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

From June 9–13, 2025, Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) convened leaders from across Africa and the world for its second annual global symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The gathering marked the culmination of the inaugural Yale Directors Forum (YDF)—IPCH’s signature fellowship program for executive leaders of museums, libraries, archives, and heritage institutions on the African continent.

Established in 2023, the Yale Directors Forum is designed to support cultural leaders with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to tackle critical challenges facing their institutions—from collection stewardship and community engagement to governance and institutional sustainability. The inaugural cohort brought together 16 directors from 11 African countries who participated in an 18-month journey of intensive exchange with Yale faculty and international experts to enhance their leadership practice, expand professional networks, and strengthen institutional capacity in the preservation and care of collections.

Anupam Sah, Charlotte Ashamu, and Lydia Buthello smile at the camera.

Anupam Sah, Founder & Director, Anupam Heritage Lab, Charlotte Ashamu, Director of International Programs, Yale’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, & Lydia Buthello, Head of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre at the symposium.

The global symposium in Côte d’Ivoire brought together more than 35 leaders for a week of seminars, strategic dialogue, and cultural site visits. Participants included YDF fellows, Yale faculty and staff—such as Mae-Ling Lokko, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Architecture, and Gana Ndiaye, Assistant Professor of Ethnicity, Race, and Migration—alongside global experts like Regina Bain (’98, ’01 MFA), Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum (USA); Lydia Buthello, Head of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (India); and celebrated Ivorian chef and culinary heritage specialist, Christelle Vougo.

The week concluded with a celebration recognizing the achievements of the inaugural fellows and honoring outstanding contributions to cultural leadership. Distinguished guests included Jessica Davis Ba, U.S. Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, and Junaid “Jay” Munir (’98), Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan.

Attendees to the Global Symposium smile at the camera.

Jessica Davis Ba, U.S. Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire & Wanjiru Koinange, Co-Founder of Book Bunk at the award ceremony.

The symposium was a moment to reflect on what remarkable leaders across the African continent have built—and to mobilize greater support for their visionary efforts to create cultural institutions that are centers of education, civic life, and global influence.

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Charlotte Ashamu, Director of International Programs, Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Yale University

A man holds a microphone behind a podium with the Yale logo.

Junaid “Jay” Munir (’98), Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, shares remarks.

A notable achievement of the YDF fellowship was a regional training initiative in collections management, which directly supported more than 50 staff members across African cultural institutions. This collaborative effort resulted in the establishment of eight new conservation and collection care centers, ensuring long-term infrastructure for preserving diverse materials—from rare manuscripts and oral histories to sacred objects and contemporary art. One such initiative is the new Conservation Institute at the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ghana, led by YDF fellow and artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo.

The YDF fellowship offered more than just camaraderie—it created space to share experiences with other leaders across Africa and beyond.

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Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, Founder and Director, Nkyinkyim Museum

The Yale Directors Forum exemplifies Yale’s commitment to global engagement and the preservation of cultural heritage. Through the program, Yale has expanded its collaboration with institutions in 11 African countries and built cross-regional linkages with institutions in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Asia. The fellowship draws on Yale’s interdisciplinary expertise, engaging faculty and staff from the Yale University Library, Yale Center for British Art, Yale School of Art, Yale School of Architecture, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yale Schwarzman Center, Yale School of Management, and Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Four Yale Directors Forum fellows smile at the camera.

Yale Directors Forum fellows: Lekgetho Makola, Chief Operations Officer, The Market Theatre Foundation; Samba Yonga, Co-Founder, Women’s History Museum of Zambia; Sonia Lawson, Founding Director, Palais de Lome; Oyindamola (Fakeye) Faithful, Executive & Artistic Director of the Centre for Contemporary Art.

Our engagement with YDF fellow Wanjiru Koinange—first through a visit to her organization in Kenya, and later by welcoming her to speak at the Yale School of Management—has created rich opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration, both across Yale’s campus and with partners around the world. 

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Tony Sheldon, Executive Director of the Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact, and Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Management at the Yale School of Management

Through IPCH and its initiatives like the Yale Directors Forum, Yale is strengthening its global outreach while fostering meaningful exchange between its campus and communities around the world—creating new pathways for collaboration, learning, and long-term impact.

Preserving Culture through Science & Connection

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