The University of Bologna celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) with a programme of events that will take place in fall 2022. They are dedicated to the numerous aspects of caring for heritage properties, from restoration and preservation techniques to instruments and places for use and digitalisation; from teaching school children about heritage to the analysis of the Convention’s impact on society, the economy, the environment and, naturally, on international and national legal systems. The course will ensure that students combine indispensable knowledge on the UNESCO Convention with civic collaboration skills that can be practised by participating in workshop activities held jointly with the Municipality of Bologna.
Goals of the project
To offer students the opportunity to become familiar with World Heritage, defined by UNESCO as a group of places around the world that are important for the history and culture of all men and women on our planet. Participants will learn about the steps of UNESCO World Heritage Property nomination, which Bologna received in July 2021 as the City of Porticoes, and gain insight into the importance of their promotion by taking part in photographic contests, practical workshops for the fight against vandalism (graffiti), and the co-design of editorial plans. Both theoretical and experiential, the course will start its participants down the path to becoming key figures in the dissemination of the basic principles and values of UNESCO.