International Heritage News
01 United States Applies to Rejoin UNESCO
On June 12, UNESCO Director‑General Audrey Azoulay received a formal notification submitted by the U.S. government. The United States has decided to rejoin UNESCO in July of this year, based on a specific financial plan. The proposed financial plan must be submitted for approval to the UNESCO General Conference of Member States. Some member states have requested an extraordinary session as soon as possible in order to take a decision.
Azoulay stated that the United States has taken note of UNESCO's efforts and contributions in many areas, including artificial intelligence and educational initiatives in Africa. However, the U.S. withdrawal had previously caused it to lose its own benefits in these areas, leaving it without a voice on key issues. Returning "is a strong vote of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism. It is a vote of confidence not only in the core mission of the Organization – culture, education, science, information – but also in the way that mission is carried out today."
Source: Loving World Heritage
02 Third Conference of the European Association for Asian Art and Archaeology
The third conference of the European Association for Asian Art and Archaeology (EAAA) will be held from September 13–17 in Slovenia.
Topics include: new perspectives on the study of ancient Chinese art; Chinese craftsmanship, gold, bronze and jade; research on Chinese lacquer inscriptions; Shang and Zhou bronzes in European collections; the relationship between art, society and politics in ancient China; animals in ancient and medieval Chinese art; painting and calligraphy in traditional China; material culture, representation and space of Qing dynasty female elites; research on Qing dynasty court crafts, and more.
Source: International Heritage Observation
03 Getty Museum to Hold Patina Treatment Workshop
The Getty Museum will hold a patina treatment workshop from October 24–26 in Los Angeles. Using bronze statues from the museum's collection, the workshop will provide heritage conservators with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to better understand the chemical mechanisms of patina and carry out conservation of collections. Registration closes June 30.
Source: International Heritage Observation
04 Fifth World Marine Heritage Managers Conference to be Held in the Wadden Sea
From October 6 to 9, 2023, the triennial Fifth World Marine Heritage Managers Conference will be held in the Wadden Sea (jointly managed by Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany).
World marine heritage managers face similar challenges in the face of threats such as climate change, unsustainable or illegal fishing, coastal development, and marine pollution. Faced with these challenges, they also share relevant solutions and practical experiences. The core of UNESCO's World Heritage Marine Programme is to integrate successful cases from marine heritage sites so that they can be replicated in other regions.
Source: Asian Academy for Heritage Management
05 Fourth Arab Forum Focuses on Architectural Heritage
After three days of intense discussions and decisions, the fourth Arab Cultural Heritage Forum (2023) of the ICCROM Regional Office in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, concluded. This year's theme was "Culture of the Built Environment and Resilience of Heritage".
The Arab Cultural Heritage Forum was established in 2018 to formulate principles and methods based on local and regional perspectives, aiming to promote and protect cultural heritage in the Arab world.
Source: www.iccrom.org
Domestic Heritage News
01 National Natural History Museum Officially Inaugurated
On June 5, the National Natural History Museum was officially inaugurated in Beijing, marking a new chapter in the development of natural history museums in China.
The National Natural History Museum is China's only national, comprehensive natural history museum, representing the state in protecting, researching, collecting, interpreting and displaying natural objects and natural heritage of historical, scientific and artistic value that emerges in the course of human social development.
After decades of construction and development, the National Natural History Museum has achieved fruitful results in specimen collection, scientific research and science popularization in paleontology, zoology, botany, anthropology and other fields of earth and life sciences. Its collection currently includes more than 370,000 specimens, with the number of rare specimens ranking first among natural history museums in China.
Source: People's Daily
02 [Call for Entries] 2023 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases
2023 marks a new starting point. With the basic framework laid out and expanded, the Global Case Awards will enter a period of rapid growth based on network emergence effects. The international call for entries for the "2023 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases" is officially launched.
I. Organizational Structure
Guidance: Chinese National Commission for UNESCO
Co‑organizers: World Heritage Training and Research Center for Asia and the Pacific (WHITRAP) under UNESCO; UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ICUA)
Supporters: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC); UNESCO International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST); UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED); UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism at World Heritage Sites; UN South‑South Cooperation Cities Project; World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations (WFUCA); other relevant governments, heritage sites and institutions are omitted for brevity
II. Basic Eligibility Requirements
·Educational activities carried out on heritage sites or for specific heritage values;
·Completed or having produced tangible results within the past five years;
·No age restrictions for beneficiaries;
·Certain degree of innovation and demonstration value in concept, content or form.
III. Selection Criteria
·Innovation: Certain innovation and exploration in the concept and methods of heritage education;
·Technology: Full use of creativity and technological means to better explore and disseminate heritage values;
·Collaboration: Advancement of heritage education through high‑level multi‑partner mechanisms and model innovation;
·Sustainability: Social and economic sustainability, contributing to the sustainable development of the heritage site;
·Demonstration value*: Certain international promotion value and demonstration significance in overall model or specific approaches.
*Note: In addition to the "Demonstration value" criterion which must be met, cases must also satisfy at least one of the other criteria.
Detailed information and application methods: Please follow the WHITRAP Asia‑Pacific Heritage Center's official WeChat public account and website: http://www.whitr-ap.org/. Further notices will be released continuously.
Source: Asia‑Pacific Heritage Center
03 Third "Cultural Relics Science and Technology Innovation Forum" Held in Chengdu, Sichuan
On June 9, the third "Cultural Relics Science and Technology Innovation Forum" was held in Chengdu. The forum, themed "Achievements and Applications of Technological Innovation in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Value Interpretation", focused on the阶段性 research results of the National Key R&D Program's special project on "Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization". The aim was to promote exchange of research results, strengthen communication and cooperation, and stimulate innovation vitality in cultural heritage science and technology.
The forum focused on four key areas: archaeological and cultural heritage value cognition; assessment of cultural relic deterioration, conservation and restoration; cultural heritage risk monitoring and control; and key technologies for heritage transmission and utilization. Thirteen experts from 12 project teams shared the latest research results, covering topics such as: research on the origins of Chinese civilization; ancient population migration and climate change patterns on the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau; key technologies for in‑situ protection of tomb murals; prediction and reinforcement techniques for grotto temple rock stability; refined hydrogeological modeling of grotto rock seepage; integrated seismic protection of museum collections; early human use of pigments and composite tools at the Xiamabei site; development of dedicated AUV for deep‑sea archaeology; evaluation of corrosion resistance of metal artifacts; development of sensors for monitoring cracks in ancient buildings; information identification and database construction for paper cultural relics; and digital cultural heritage data analysis and copyright protection.
Source: Fujian Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage
04 [Recruitment] 2023 "Save Traditional Villages" Workshop
The 2023 "Save Traditional Villages" workshop will soon be held. This workshop is part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's "Global Challenge Program", aiming to cultivate students' sense of responsibility towards a community with a shared future for mankind.
The upcoming workshop is the fifth edition. The previous four workshops have not only achieved good social outcomes but also stimulated students' innovative thinking and potential. This year's workshop will launch a cross‑national challenge model. The first phase will be held in Dayu Village, Yunnan Province, China; the second phase is tentatively planned for Italy. This recruitment is only for the domestic segment. The main tasks of the domestic segment include:
·Proposing practical plans for the protection and development of the traditional village of Dayu Village, taking into account water area protection, ecological governance, and cultural heritage transmission;
·Making adaptive designs for the renovation and reuse of traditional houses using low‑carbon concepts, serving local tourism and cultural preservation;
·Proposing design concepts for lake ecological governance.
Application period: June 9, 2023 – 24:00, July 2, 2023
Application method: Follow the official WeChat public account of the SJTU Architectural Heritage Protection Center. If you have a CV, portfolio or other attachments, please send them to xiansjw@163.com, with the email subject uniformly named in the format: "2023 Save Traditional Villages Workshop Application + Name".
Source: SJTU Architectural Heritage Protection
05 2023 World Heritage Dialogue Session 2 & Special Event for China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day
June 10 is "China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day", with the theme "Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization and Cultural Confidence and Self‑strengthening". On this occasion, the College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University, the UNESCO World Heritage Training and Research Center for Asia and the Pacific (Shanghai), ICOMOS China, and the Pingyao County Committee of the CPC and Pingyao County People's Government jointly organized a public event: "2023 World Heritage Dialogue (Session 2): Public Communication of Living Heritage and Heritage Education". The event took place in a hybrid format – online via Tencent Meeting and live streaming, combined with an offline venue in Pingyao. The event was co‑organized by the Ruan Yisan Cultural Heritage Protection and Transmission Pingyao Research Center and Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd.
The event invited experts and experienced practitioners from multiple fields – cultural heritage protection, heritage education, heritage communication, picture book research and creation – to engage in cross‑disciplinary dialogue on the theme "Public Communication of Living Heritage and Heritage Education". They shared their in‑depth practices, experience and wisdom in the fields of public communication of cultural heritage and heritage education, jointly exploring concepts, methods, pathways and future actions to promote public participation – especially among youth – in cultural heritage protection and transmission.
Source: Asia‑Pacific Heritage Center
