Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Training

Training

The OIMAP Academy trains judges, customs officers, market professionals, experts and curators: certification programmes, online training, scholarships and regional sessions.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Farmhouse on the Slope of a Hill, Fra Bartolommeo (c. 1508)OIMAP AcademyThree campuses, eighty-six trainers and seventeen years of experience: OIMAP's school at the service of heritage.› Bookplate: Boylston Medical Library, George Girdler Smith (1806–39)Certification programmesThree diploma programmes — market analyst, due diligence and provenance, expert-curator — recognised by Member States.› The Fleet Off the Coast, Beachy Head, Samuel Atkins (c. 1790–1805)Customs training8,940 officers trained: identification of goods, controls and cooperation for the first line of defence of heritage.› The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530)Training of magistratesArt market law, procedure and restitution: a two-week training for judges and prosecutors dealing with cultural property.› Painting Enthusiasts at Auction House Bouillon, Honoré Daumier (1862, printed 1920)Market professionalsAuctioneers, gallery owners and collectors: training to buy, sell and conserve safely.› Fragment of a belt (hizam) (1800s)Experts and curatorsAuthentication, conservation and ethics: the Expert-Curator Diploma and continuing training for collection professionals.› Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860)Session calendar410 sessions a year in Paris, Nairobi, Singapore and online: dates, venues, languages and places available.› Corner Cabinet, René Dubois (c. 1765–1770)EnrolmentEnrolling in an Academy course: online form, documents to provide and payment, in three steps.› Lampas with foliate medallions in ogival lattice (1400s)Online training38,000 registered, 120 courses, 60 free courses: the Academy's learning platform, open everywhere, at any time.› A Lady Reading, Francis Seymour Haden (1833–1910)Training scholarships320 scholarships a year covering 30 to 100% of costs: criteria, application and winners.› Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s)Regional trainingParis, Nairobi, Singapore: the flagship programmes of each campus, designed for the realities of their region.› Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)Tailor-made trainingProgrammes designed for a State, an institution or a company, delivered on site or remotely, by quotation.› Bifolium from a Bible: Initial E[t factum est] with Ezekiel (c. 1290)Teaching libraryManuals, case studies and videos: the Academy's resources, open to all heritage professionals.› Side Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690)Alumni9,600 Academy alumni: directory, professional network and testimonials to extend training through exchange.› Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)Assessment and diplomasExams, scores, appeals and verification of diplomas: how the Academy assesses and certifies its trainees.›

Passing on heritage knowledge

Towel End (c 1700s- 1800s)
Towel End (c 1700s- 1800s)

Protecting works, certifying their authenticity, regulating their circulation: all of OIMAP's missions rest on human skills. The OIMAP Academy, created in 2008, passes them on to those who act every day in the field: customs officers, judges, experts, curators, dealers and collectors.

It has trained 12,400 trainees from 58 countries, has three campuses — Paris, Nairobi and Singapore — and an online platform with 38,000 registered users. Its 410 annual sessions are held in French, English and Spanish.

This section presents the Academy, the certification programmes, the calendar, scholarships and enrolment.

  • Training
  • Academy
  • Trainees

Training in figures

12,400Trainees trained since 2008
410Sessions per year
58Countries of origin
320Scholarships awarded each year

Source: OIMAP Academy.

Training sections

St. Anthony Reading, Albrecht Dürer (1519)InstitutionOIMAP Academy

Campuses, teaching staff.

›Head of Proserpina, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1650–1700)QualificationsCertification programmes

Catalogue, prerequisites, diplomas.

›High Class Students and Teachers at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (verso), Raja Deen Dayal (c. 1882–87)RemoteOnline training

Platform, free courses.

›The birth of Rama and his brothers, from Chapter 17 of the Bala Kanda (Book of Childhood) of the Adhyatma Ramayana (Rama's Journey of the Su (c. 1820–30)SupportTraining scholarships

Criteria, application.

›Woman Sitting Reading , Georges Lemmen (1905)CalendarSession calendar

Dates and venues.

›Medal of Claude Joseph Rouget de L'Isle (1760-1836), Alfred Borrel (1911)ProcedureEnrolment

Form, documents, payment.

›

Breakdown

Law enforcement and customs42%
Market professionals26%
Experts and curators18%
Judges9%
Others5%

Audiences trained in 2024.

Bowl with Chrysanthemums, Seifū Yohei IV (1914–46)
Bowl with Chrysanthemums, Seifū Yohei IV (1914–46)
Sake Pourers with Bamboo and Bellflowers, Seifū Yohei I (c. 1844–57)
Sake Pourers with Bamboo and Bellflowers, Seifū Yohei I (c. 1844–57)
Cabinet Plate, W. T. Copeland & Sons (1883)
Cabinet Plate, W. T. Copeland & Sons (1883)

Field-based teaching

The Academy's training starts from real cases: a suspect work checked at a border, a provenance file to reconstruct, an arbitration clause to draft. Trainees handle documents, databases and objects under the direction of practising professionals.

Each session combines lectures, workshops and role-plays. Assessments test the ability to decide and justify rather than memorisation.

Pathways for every profession

A customs officer does not need the same tools as a gallery owner or a judge. The Academy therefore offers specialised pathways, from two days to twelve months, with common modules on law, provenance and ethics. Certification programmes award a qualification recognised by Member States.

Tailor-made training completes the offer: States, museums and auction houses can order a programme adapted to their teams, delivered on site.

Accessibility and diversity

Access to training must not depend on place of residence or income. Free online courses, regional sessions in Nairobi and Singapore and scholarships covering up to all the costs serve this aim. Sixty percent of trainees come from developing States.

Content is offered in three languages, with subtitles and accessible materials. A person with a disability may request adjustments when enrolling.

The offer at a glance

Four common needs
NeedOfferDuration
Train onlinePlatform and webinarsAt one's own pace
Obtain a qualificationCertification programmes3 to 12 months
Train a teamTailor-made trainingAccording to quotation
Train close to homeRegional sessions3 to 10 days

Milestones

  1. Creation of the Academy

    First campus in Paris.

  2. Nairobi campus

    Regional training.

  3. Online platform

    Free courses.

  4. Singapore campus

    Asia-Pacific.

  5. 12,400 trainees

    All audiences.

Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), Eastman Johnson (1872)
Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), Eastman Johnson (1872)
Interior Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690)
Interior Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690)
Artist with His Palette and Brushes (c. 1855)
Artist with His Palette and Brushes (c. 1855)

Places are limited

In person or online

Carpenter's Plane (1400s)

In person

On a campus
  • Practical workshops
  • Direct network
  • Travel required

For certification pathways.

The Shepherd, Paulus Potter (1644)

Online

Platform
  • Flexibility
  • Reduced cost
  • Fewer direct exchanges

To train at one's own pace.

Choosing your training

  1. Identify

    Your need.

  2. Compare

    The programmes.

  3. Check

    The prerequisites.

  4. Enrol

    Via the Desk.

  5. Follow

    The session.

Before applying

A trainee

Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt), Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1495)
« The programme gave me practical tools for checking shipments of works of art. I use them every week. »
Fatou Camara, customs officer

Vocabulary of training

Trainee
Person following a training course.
Cohort
Group of trainees on a programme.
Certification qualification
Diploma awarded at the end of a programme.
Webinar
Online seminar.

Frequently asked questions

Is the training free?

Some online courses are.

In which languages?

French, English, Spanish.

Are there scholarships?

Yes, 320 a year.

Where can I see the dates?

Useful documents

Contacts

Architectural Conference (c. 1622)
Architectural Conference (c. 1622)
OIMAP AcademyParis — Head Office+33 1 00 00 05 00formation@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Enrol

Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)

Submit an application.

Enrolment
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