The chief of London's prestigious British Museum has decided to quit and will be taking on a more part-time role advising a leading museum in India.
Neil MacGregor, 68, will step down as director of the British Museum, one of London's most popular tourist attractions in December this year after which he will be offering his expertise to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahara Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) Museum which was formerly known as Prince of Wales Museum.
"In Mumbai, I look forward to working on the presentation of world cultures with the CSMVS Museum and its director, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, under whose tenure it has emerged as one of the finest and most active museums in South and South-east Asia," the art historian said.
Although he will no longer be working full-time, Mr MacGregor said he would be involved in a number of projects including working with the BBC and the British Museum on a new Radio 4 series on faith and society.
"The trustees are hugely grateful for everything he has done to bring the collection to life, and to tell its many different stories. We respect his decision to move on, and want to support him in his new projects," said Richard Lambert, British Museum chairman.
The overall visitor numbers to the museum in central London have also risen from 4.6 million a year to 6.7 million since 2002.
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