Fudan's first UNESCO Chair Programme—Living Heritage and Community Development was inaugurated on May 7. Du Xiaofan, professor at the Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, is the chairholder.
Launched by UNESCO in 1992, the UNESCO Chair Programme is a network programme to promote knowledge sharing and cooperation among international universities and institutions. More than 850 organizations in nearly 120 countries have joined this network.
Partnering over 20 universities, cultural institutions and foundations from 10 countries including China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and South Africa, the UNESCO Chair for Living Heritage and Community Development will promote international understanding and cooperation in the field of the protection, inheritance and revitalization of living heritage in underdeveloped regions in China and around the world, through in-depth academic exchange, heritage practices, community engagement and talent training.
Living heritage protection is very complicated, and it is a major issue to solve the contradiction between heritage protection and the development of human society, said Du, who believes the newly launched UNESCO Chair in Fudan serves as an important platform for experts, scholars, government officials, practitioners and community residents to carry out international collaboration, We also hope to make our voice heard on this international platform.
Since 2015, as the director of the Center for Land and Cultural Resources Research, Fudan University, Du, together with the faculty team of the Center, has led students to conduct cultural heritage study. Over the past years, they have visited more than 800 urban and rural settlements, cultural landscapes and routes in various provinces and cities across the country.
Jin Li, president of Fudan University, said in his opening remarks at the ceremony that heritage studies has become one of the fastest-growing and most socially influential disciplines at Fudan over the past years. The UNSECO Chair newly launched in Fudan, which focuses on the relationship between living heritage and community development in China’s less developed areas, fits China’s national strategies on making heritage alive and rural revitalization, and will also make contributions to UNESCO's goals on poverty eradication and equal education.
Song Xinchao, chairman of ICOMOS/China and former deputy director-general of National Cultural Heritage Administration, delivered a keynote speech at the ceremony. He said it’s necessary to recognize the positive role of cultural heritage in promoting changes, as well as strengthen international cooperation, build a global network of dialogue among civilizations, and respect cultural diversity.
Tim Curtis, chief of the Intangible Heritage Section & Secretary of the 2003 Convention, UNESCO, said this year celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, it is timely to talk about how living heritage can contribute to the development needs of communities, and how community members can engage in and be empowered by safeguarding the living heritage.
Qin Changwei, secretary-general of National Commission of The People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, said the UNESCO Chair in Fudan is expected to play an active role in building a high-level international cooperation platform and in exploring the sustainable development model of heritage site communities in developing countries.
Shahbaz Khan, director of UNESCO Beijing Office, said the UNESCO Chair in Fudan will foster research, cooperation and exchanges and help advance knowledge, conduct training and development programs in China and globally.
Li Li, vice president of China Academy of Cultural Heritage, hopes the new Chair can promote international collaboration on heritage protection research and contribute solutions with Chinese characteristics to the development of global cultural heritage.
Zhou Jian, secretary-general of World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, expects the project to promote the conservation and development of living heritage, as well as the research, practice, talent training and international cooperation in the protection global cultural heritage.
Xiang Yihai, deputy director-general of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage (Shanghai Cultural Heritage Administration) attended the opening ceremony. Chen Zhimin, vice president of Fudan University, moderated the ceremony.
Song Xinchao, Xiang Yihai, Li Li and Chen Zhimin jointly inaugurate the UNESCO Chair for Living Heritage and Community Development.
The international symposium on Localization and Internationalization of Heritage Studies was held on the same day.
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Presented by Fudan University Media Center
Writer: Wang Mengqi
Editor: Li Yijie
Designer: Jia Yingyue
