Sommersemester 2018
42COM – Behind the scenes
Thursdays, 13:45 – 19:00 in LG 2D, room 109
This study project will give students the opportunity to get to understand the processes and procedures of UNESCO World Heritage Committee meetings. During the in-class sessions students will familiarize with the proceedings of World Heritage Committee meetings and principles of international diplomatic interaction. During the excursion students will be involved in logistic and organizational activities of the 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee.
The study project will accept a maximum of 10 students and it includes a funded excursion to the 42nd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that will be held in Manama (Kingdom of Bahrain) from June 24th to July 4th, 2018.
Application: please submit a short CV (max 2-pages) and a max. 250 words motivation letter focusing on your organizational skills and your interest in following the 42nd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Submit these two as one combined pdf document to britta.rudolff[at]b-tu.de and nicole.franceschini[at]b-tu.de by latest February 11th 2018.
Kuldīga “a comparative approach”
Thursdays, 13:45 – 19:00 in LG 2D, room 109
Kuldīga, also nicknamed as the “Venice of the North”, is a town located in western Latvia. The town was firstly mentioned in a building permission of 1242 and it became known as a member of the Hanseatic League and one of the capitals of the Dutchy of Courland. The town is characterized by historic houses and buildings, sand caves and water flows.
The local government together with communities and residents have aimed at describing and presenting the city's heritage values in a way more accessible to an international community. Students will have the opportunity to study these efforts and discuss with the population their understanding of heritage significance in relationship to contexts and theories established in international recommendations and conventions. In this context, the study project aims at providing a case study based first hand experience of the linkages and discrepancies of local heritage valuations and international heritage standards.
The study project will accept a maximum of 10 students and it involves a partially excursion to Kuldīga (Latvia).
Application: please submit a short CV (max 2-pages) and a one-page motivation letter indicating your relevant prior experience and you specific interest in this project, as one combined pdf document to britta.rudolff[at]b-tu.de and nicole.franceschini[at]b-tu.de by latest February 11th 2018.
Wintersemester 2018
Decision-making procedures of the World Heritage Committee
Montags 13:45 - 15.15 (A/B), HG 0.16, und 04.12 - 06.12 von 06:00 - 13:00 Uhr (online)
This study project will enable students to have better insights into the operation of the decision making body of the World Heritage Convention, the World Heritage Committee. It will analyze the processes that lead to past decisions concerning inscriptions, danger list entries or deletions from the World Heritage List and analyze these in the context of central concepts of the World Heritage Convention and international diplomacy. It will further debate the credibility and transparency of these processes in reflection of the World Heritage Global Strategy for a representative, credible and balanced World Heritage List. The students will prepare individual assignments, which aim to contribute proactively to debates of the forthcoming 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in 2018.
Sommersemester 2017
My Heritage in Cottbus, an intercultural exhibition
Donnerstags 13:45 - 17:00 (A/B), LG 2D, 109
This study project aims at coordinating, researching, compiling, designing, producing and arranging an exhibition to be shown in the townhall of Cottbus later this year. The exhibition shall present cultural heritage sites in Cottbus seen through the eyes of our international studentship, highlighting the variety of heritage in Cottbus, but also the diversity of personal approaches towards a heritage that might not be expression of our students' cultural backgrounds. It hence aims to make a contribution to the promotion of Cottbus-based heritage expressions, the value of cultural diversity within the city and the construction of heritage perceptions for concrete and tangible examples. Students will gain knowledge and case study experience in exhibition design, interpretative planning, heritage theories and event management.
Summer School on Heritage Impact Assessment
Dienstags 13:45 - 15:15 (A/B), LG 2D, 207 und 16-26.07.2017
The International Summer School on Heritage Impact Assessment will be held at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg between July 16 and July 26 2017. Through a mix of lectures, workshops and practical exercises (field work at the Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin), the summer school will provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to understand and develop methodlogies for heritage impact assessment analyses. Within the study project, students will prepare contents and logistics for the international summer school as well as prepare individual researches in the field of heritage impact assessment. Participants will learn the framework for the development of a research paper and will familiarize with presentation techniques to present their research results to an international audience. The study project conveys experiences in event and conference management, research design and presentation skills and provides the opportunity to participate in an international summer school.
Authenticity of Nature
Dienstags 15:30 - 17:00 (A/B), LG 2A AU.18
The study project aims at investigating the meaning of authenticity in the context of natural heritage sites and at understanding whether the introduction of the qualifying condition of authenticity for natural World Heritage properties could enhance shared ICOMOS-IUCN practices. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September 2016, a session organized by ICCROM focused on engaging natural world heritage and protected areas experts in discussing the meaning and possible application of authenticity as a qualifying condition for natural World Heritage properties. The session concluded with natural experts addressing the interest to pursue further research on authenticity in the natural heritage context in its broader sense, without particularly focusing on the designation as a World Heritage site. The study project aims at continuing the debates by means of another Knowledge Cafe organized at BTU, a online debate with international experts and culminates in a session organized as part of the Scientific Symposium of the ICOMOS General Assembly 2017 in New Delhi (India). Excellent research outcomes shall also be submitted to the International Conference of the Association of Critical Heritage in Sept. 2018 in Hangzhou (China).