Welcome to ARCA’s PG Cert Alumni Spotlight Series, a collection of in-depth Q&A interviews conducted by Edgar Tijhuis*, highlighting the professional journeys, achievements, and ongoing contributions of graduates from ARCA’s Postgraduate Certificate Programs in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection. Through these conversations, we aim to showcase the diverse paths our alumni have taken—across academia, law enforcement, museums, research, policy, and the cultural heritage sector—and to share the insights, motivations, and experiences that continue to shape their work in safeguarding the world’s shared artistic legacy.

My undergraduate degrees are in History of Art and International Relations while my graduate degree is in Art Business. However, my life took a slightly different turn and I did not pursue a career in my chosen fields of study. After 11 years in high-end sales and logistics, I decided that my life would not be complete if I do not pursue my initial passion of combining History of Art, International Relations and Art Market Studies. I just had to figure out how to do it.

I got in touch with the late Charley Hill, the former Scotland Yard Art and Antiques Unit undercover officer, then an art detective as well as specialist advisor and mentor on my graduate degree, MA Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. Charley was delighted to help, offering his inimitable advice and support. He urged me to get in touch with all the contacts I made during my MA studies and reassured me that not all is lost despite the long hiatus but that it would be hard work.

It was a chance encounter at the 2014 Cultural Heritage Conference at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where I noticed that a person sitting next to me was Richard “Dick” Ellis, the founder of the Scotland Yard Art and Antiques Unit, then a private art investigator and a UK government advisor as well as an instructor on the ARCA Postgraduate Program. Dick was one of the “primary sources” I contacted on Charley’s recommendation while investigating the fate of stolen masterpieces from public collections in the United Kingdom for my MA dissertation. We chatted and commented on the conference presentations, and I reminded Dick how helpful and insightful the interview he gave me was in 2001. Dick suggested that we meet for lunch in the following few weeks. He told me about the ARCA Postgraduate Program urging me to consider it as it was, and still is, the unique program that could help me “refresh” my expertise and professional network in order to get back into the fray. As they say, the rest is history.

The visit to the necropolis of Banditaccia at Cerveteri at the beginning of the program had a lasting impact on me because I realised that I had made a good decision in terms of my future career. The study trip was led by Stefano Alessandrini, an ARCA instructor as well as head of Italy's Archaeological Group and an adviser to the Ministry of Culture and the Advocate General of Italy on the recovery of looted antiquities. Stefano’s passion for the Etruscan civilisation and unequalled encyclopaedic knowledge of archaeology was generously shared with us. I realised that this niche field is not just a potential career option, it is a calling which embodies passion and purpose.

Equally, the course Provenance Research Methodology – Theory and Practice taught by Marc Masurovsky, an economic plunder historian and co-founder of Holocaust Art Restitution Project, was instrumental in shaping my current career path where I realised that my academic background would be a perfect fit to the multidisciplinary approach in provenance research that Marc is adamant about. This is where I honed my interest in the intersection of my chosen fields of study, that is the ethical and legal treatment of cultural objects across borders (“space and time!”) as a reflection of social, economic and political changes under the motto “give me an object and I will tell you its story.” Most importantly, I was finally aligned with my personal experiences of war, loss, plunder, cultural destruction, and this was a chance to channel it positively.

What was your favourite course or topic, and why did it stand out?

It would be difficult to isolate one favourite course or topic! The courses that had the most impact on me professionally and personally are Provenance Research Theory and Practice taught by Marc Masurovsky; Criminology taught by Edgar Tijhuis (and Marc Balcells);  Museum Security taught by the late Dick Drent (now taught by Ibrahim Bulut), and last but not least Fine Art Policing taught by Dick Ellis. Each course was instrumental in encouraging us to think analytically and outside the box as well as including details of case studies that have not yet been published.

The Provenance Research course was formative because it has geared my career path to what it is now while reiterating the importance of history in order to understand the present issues –  history indeed is our greatest teacher! The Criminology course shed light to why certain individuals commit recidivist cultural crimes, what drives them and builds networks around them. The Museum Security course deepened my comprehension of the efforts and challenges that cultural institutions face as custodians of our heritage. The Art Policing course illuminated the challenges of the intersection of public and private policing as well as their respective recovery efforts. Having these courses taught by both practitioners and academics enabled me to learn first-hand from instructors involved in the discussed cases while being encouraged to ask questions deepened my understanding of each topic and case study.

I have been based in London since 1995 and I am enamoured of the cultural melting pot that this great city represents. The international nature of the ARCA program was a deal breaker for me especially considering that after fleeing Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s war, I lived in Tunisia, Libya, and Malta, As an undergraduate student, I attended study abroad programs that took me to Cuba, China and Hong Kong as well as Russia. In the context of ARCA, the ability to learn directly from our American, Italian, Iraqi, Syrian and Spanish peers, as well as our, American, British, Dutch and Italian instructors, to name but a few, and get their own perspectives on some of the pertinent cultural issues and jurisdictional variations is priceless and unparalleled. Not to mention the fun get-togethers where we shared our regional culinary delicacies and humour while learning about our national and personal histories even more.

Did the program change or shape your career path? If so, how? 

Absolutely! The program has changed my career path, and my life, significantly and goes down as one of the most formative experiences. I am convinced that I would not have been able to make a career change without it. On the suggestion of Lynda Albertson, ARCA’s CEO, I attended the 2017 Art Crime Conference before committing to the full program. I met numerous professionals and started collaborating with some of them. It was obvious that the faculty, the student body as well as the annual conference attendees I met at ARCA represent a close-knit professional community where I made useful contacts and felt welcome even as a novice.

After the completion of the program in 2018, my professional connections expanded and resulted in fantastic international projects, both pro-bono and paid work. I strongly believe that I would not be where I am now, working alongside some of the greatest and most passionate professionals in the world who have also become lifelong friends.

My ARCA dissertation, under the insistence as well as unrivalled support and patience of Dick Ellis to “produce something original”, allowed me to rediscover my own personal and national history by researching the art plunder and restitution during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This effort was not in vain because I gained invaluable knowledge and developed important professional networks in the region. The edited and updated version of this topic was published under the encouragement of Professor Saskia Hufnagel as “Recovery and Restitution of Plundered Cultural Property in Bosnia and Herzegovina”  In M.D.Fabiani, K. Burmon, & S. Hufnagel (Eds), Cultural Property Crime and the Law: Legal Approaches to Protection, Repatriation, and Countering Illicit Trade, by Routledge in May 2024. 

It is thanks to the ARCA program that I was hired by Marc Masurovsky to work on the Pilot Project – The Fate of the AdolpheSchloss Collection in 2020 and 2021. Together with Marc and our colleague Claudia Hofstee, I have continued to work on the Schloss Collection as a labour of love after the end of the project. These endeavours have led to becoming a Board Director at Holocaust Art Restitution Project and working with The Ciric LawFirm, PLLC in New York City. When I think of ARCA’s long-term impact on my life, Hegel’s famous quote comes to mind: “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

What was it like to live and study in Amelia, Italy?

I have been visiting Italy for a very long time and it has always felt like home because I  spent my childhood on the other side of the Adriatic coast and my early adulthood on the other side of the Mediterranean in countries with strong Italian influence. Culturally, I have always felt a close affinity to the Italian way of life so La Dolce Vita was much welcome. Amelia has many charms – you become local in no time due to its size; it is rural and picturesque; you can enjoy some of best fresh produce;  it is quaint and steeped in history, and the locals are friendly and welcoming. The food is just superb! 

One has to appreciate Amelia’s size and its proximity to other cities, such as Orvieto or the metropolis of Rome. In Amelia, one can just roll down or up Via della Repubblica and get to class in 5-20 minutes, depending where one’s lodgings are situated. It wins on every level especially if one considers battling the ever-infuriating summer traffic and transport strikes in Rome or London! Having said that, there is plenty of time to complete all the reading, assignments and presentations due to the lack of unnecessary distractions. The transport links are excellent for any exploration and breaks.

Can you share a memorable interaction you had with faculty, guest speakers, or fellow students?

Memorable interactions with students and faculty are manyfold. We had many a heated discussion in the classroom that would spill into a local bar or the Pasticceria Russo about the criminogenic nature of art crime, the colonial legacy of cultural property and what it means to be a “universal museum” today.

In the Museum Security course, our instructor asked us to share a profound personal experience in utmost confidence in order to build trust between us. This was a formidable exercise because our perception of each other changed and it made us appreciate each other’s experiences beyond the program curriculum.

One cannot forget the countless aperitivos and dinners shared amongst the fellow students and faculty after each milestone, whether it is a presentation or completion of a course – all are still deeply ingrained in my memory.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the 2026 session?

My advice would be to have a clear idea of what you want to take away from the program and target your professional and personal interests and ambitions. It is important to talk to your instructors and connect with them – they are there to help you every step of the way. The ARCA connections and networks can become a professional lifeline. If opting to do the full Postgraduate Program, you will have ten weeks to do the reading, coursework and research including presentations, essays and making an impression –  it is up to you to get it done. This is a professional development program and you are in charge of what you wish to accomplish.

On the lighter note, the local bread could be used as a weapon or a door stop due to its hard texture. And, of course, bring plenty of insect repellent, the Umbrian pappataci are relentless!

How has your understanding of art crime evolved since completing the program?

My understanding of art crime since the program has evolved significantly especially in terms of understanding the international jurisprudence and jurisdictional differences, complex networks in international antiquities trafficking as well as the laborious and painstaking efforts required to recover stolen cultural property. It is impossible to visit any cultural institution and look at its displays without considering the security conditions such as security cameras, motion sensors, smoke alarms or quality of the protective cases. Equally, it is difficult to attend an exhibition or look at a museum display without paying attention to its signage and wording ­– is the story of plunder told or swept under the carpet, was the object “appropriated” or was it a part of the partage agreement, and what do they mean by “acquired”? The program has equipped me with analytical tools and has fed my inquisitive intellectual curiosity. Needless to say, my professional and social interactions are never a dead-end.

One should join ARCA’s program if one wants to broaden their understanding of the importance of cultural heritage protection and to make a difference in art crime prevention ensuring the long-lasting impact on humankind in the form of justice being served regardless of the passage of time for the generations to come.

About Saida Hasanagic 

Saida Hasanagic, MA, is an art historian based in London, England. She is an independent scholar specialising in provenance research, art crime and its prevention from perspectives of art history, art market studies and international relations. Saida worked as a provenance researcher and data analyst for the Jewish Digital Cultural Recovery Project Foundation, Berlin on The Pilot Project – The Fate of the Adolphe Schloss Collection. She is affiliated with Holocaust Art Restitution Project and The Ciric Law Firm, PLLC in the USA. Her main areas of research are European Modernism, the Second World War art plunder and restitution, and cultural crimes committed in conflicts since 1945, notably in the former Yugoslavia with focus on spoliation, recovery and restitution of cultural property in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

📌 ARCA Postgraduate Certificate Programmes (Italy | Summer 2026)

• Post Lauream I (22 May – 23 June 2026): PG Cert in Art & Antiquities Crime

• Post Lauream II (26 June – 26 July 2026): PG Cert in Provenance, Acquisition & Interpretation of Cultural Property

➡️ Take one track—or combine both in a single summer.

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