Romania officially recognizes scientific investigator occupation for museum heritage

The National Museum of Romanian History has announced that the occupation of ‘scientific investigator of cultural goods’ has received a favorable opinion for inclusion in the Romanian Classification of Occupations (COR). The role, assigned the provisional code 262116, falls under the category of archivists and curators.

These specialists use methods from chemistry, physics, biology, and geology to analyze heritage objects, contributing to the research, documentation, conservation, and restoration of cultural assets. Although the practice has existed in Romania for over 50 years, specialists were previously classified under different titles such as chemists, physicists, or biologists depending on their specific training.

The official recognition comes at a critical time for the field. Currently, only approximately 15–20 specialists remain active in Romanian museums, many of whom are approaching retirement age. The move to formalize the profession is intended to help consolidate the field, encourage the training of a new generation of experts, and support the development of scientific investigation infrastructure in museums.