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International Cooperation

Memorandum of understanding signed with the Museo Egizio and the OeNB

13.08.2026
Signing of the memorandum of understanding by Hubertus Schmid-Schmidsfelden (Director, Institutes and Infrastructure, OeAW), Bernhard Palme (Director, Papyrus Collection, OeNB), Anna Dolganov (Academy Scientist in Legal History and Papyrology, OeAW-OeAI), Richard Starkel (Chief Financial Officer, OeNB), Christian Greco (Director, Museo Egizio) and Susanne Töpfer (Curator, Papyrus Collection, Museo Egizio)

On 7 August 2026, representatives of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) and the Austrian National Library (OeNB) welcomed a delegation from the Museo Egizio in Turin to Vienna. As part of this visit, a trilateral memorandum of understanding was signed between the Museo Egizio, the OeAW and the OeNB in the field of papyrology.

The Museo Egizio houses the world’s largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside Cairo and possesses a significant collection of hieratic papyri. This strategic partnership will serve as the basis for major collaborative projects, including the preservation, research and dissemination of antique cultural heritage, and the development of advanced AI to support the study of antiquity through historical documents.

All three institutions are convinced that by joining forces, they are best equipped to master the challenges of the new digital age and to capitalise on the opportunities it presents.