International Heritage Conference at BTU Cottbus!
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU), we are pleased to announce a programme of events jointly organised by the Master Programme in World Heritage Studies (WHS), the International Association of World Heritage Professionals e.V. (WHS Alumni Association) and the International Graduate School: Heritage Studies (IGS: HS). The events, which include an academic workshop and an alumni conference, will be held at BTU Cottbus between 14 - 19 June 2011 and are targeted at researchers, academics and professionals from the field of heritage. The overall aim is to provide a platform for discussion, dialogue and cooperation, and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience among participants.
"Understanding Heritage: Challenges and Perspectives for the 21st Century"
Academic Workshop, BTU Cottbus
14 – 16 June 2011
The academic workshop is organised by the doctoral students from the interdisciplinary PhD Programme of the International Graduate School: Heritage Studies at BTU Cottbus.
The main aim of the workshop, titled “Understanding Heritage: Challenges and Perspectives for the 21st Century”, is to create an international network of PhD students and young researchers, whose scientific activities centre on the theme of heritage. The workshop will provide participants with a knowledge base of heritage-related scientific concepts and theories that will enhance the understanding of heritage and the challenges it raises for the 21st century. Three specific topics will be discussed within thematic roundtable sessions: (1) Heritage, Conflict and Identity; (2) Communities and Heritage Protection; and (3) Mediation of Heritage through Representations. To learn more about the workshop or for participation, please visit the webpage: www.tu-cottbus.de/btu/en/gradschool/heritage-studies/news.html
If you have questions, please send an e-mail to: 
IGS.Heritage[at]web.de
"World Heritage and Sustainable Development"
WHS Alumni Conference, BTU Cottbus
16 – 19 June 2011
The International Association of World Heritage Professionals e.V. (IAWHP e.V.) is organising a WHS Alumni Conference on “World Heritage and Sustainable Development”. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) funds, this conference is the first of a series of events being organised by IAWHP e.V. since its official recognition as a non-profit organisation under German Law in 2010.
The conference aims to bring together a wide range of academics, professionals and practitioners (WHS Alumni and other experts alike) specialising in World Heritage and related fields to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the role of the World Heritage Convention in promoting sustainable development.
During three scientific sessions - Conservation and Managing Change, Climate Change and Millennium Development Goals - and related poster sessions, the participants will discuss, amongst others, the following questions:
- What does conservation in the context of World Heritage sites mean?
- What are acceptable limits of change to a particular site?
- How can the kind and level of change brought about by climate change in World Heritage sites be determined?
- Which changes are critical to the future of the built, natural, social and cultural values of heritage sites?
- How can World Heritage sites become a core asset in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals?
Further details about the conference are available on IAWHP e.V.'s website: 
www.iawhp.com, and for queries related to the conference and IAWHP e.V., please contact whs.conference2011[at]tu-cottbus.de and info[at]iawhp.com respectively.
"World Heritage and Cultural Diversity – Challenges for University Education", Cottbus, Germany
23 – 26 October, 2009
The UNESCO Chair in World Heritage Studies at Brandenburg University of Technology is pleased to host an international conference on "World Heritage and Cultural Diversity – Challenges for University Education".
The event is being co-organised by the German Commission for UNESCO and in co-operation with the Association Vocations Patrimoine. The conference patrons are the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UNESCO Word Heritage Centre.
The conference aims to discuss in which way World Heritage sites show aspects of cultural diversity and how these aspects can better be used for the involvement of communities. Another aim is to connect a broad understanding of diversity with existing and future discourses on heritage and its protection. The subject of the conference reflects the current scientific and political discussion of World Heritage, as the sustainable protection of World Heritage sites has reached a new dimension in the context of the opportunities and challenges of cultural diversity.
Four panels will discuss the topics outlined below.
- How can the diversity of World Heritage be strengthened and how can new dimensions be developed for defining Outstanding Universal Value?
- To what extent are new instruments like the UN’s Millennium Declaration and the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples taken into account in actual practice?
- How can university education be enriched by World Heritage and its diversity?
Panel 1: Heritage and its Transformation in Time and Space
Panel 2: Politics and (In)Justice in Relation to World Heritage
Panel 3: Diversity of Heritage, Intangible Culture and Protection Strategies
Panel 4: Evolving Landscapes, Outstanding Universal Value and Sustainable Use
World Heritage and Cultural Diversity - Challenges for University Education