Alumni

The network is first of all for mutual help: a customs officer faced with an unusual object can ask a colleague on another continent; a gallery owner can ask for advice on a clause. It also circulates useful information — new alerts, legal developments, job offers.

Thematic groups, run by volunteer alumni, go deeper into a subject: tribal art, archaeology, online sales, restitution. Each group meets online every two months.

Each year a major meeting brings together several hundred alumni, alternating between Paris, Nairobi and Singapore. It includes lectures, workshops, visits and the presentation of the alumnus of the year award. Smaller local meetings are held in more than forty cities.

Alumni can also return to the Academy as speakers, tutors or members of juries, which strengthens the link between training and profession.

A mentoring programme pairs young graduates with experienced alumni. For six months, the mentor accompanies the mentee through their first assignments and helps them build their network and find direction. The programme has 380 pairs each year.

Mentoring is voluntary and unpaid. A guide and a two-hour training session help mentors take on their role well.

Each year, an award recognises an alumnus for a remarkable achievement: a restitution obtained, a network dismantled, a protection programme created. The winner is chosen by a jury of alumni and trainers.

This award highlights the work of often discreet professionals and inspires new cohorts.

Members undertake to respect the confidentiality of exchanges, not to use the network for abusive commercial purposes and to report any behaviour contrary to ethics. A mediation committee handles disputes.

This charter guarantees a space of trust where everyone can ask for help without fear: it is the condition of a living network, where one dares to ask the question one would not dare ask one's employer.