Strategic research agenda for cultural heritage in Europe

Strategic research agenda for cultural heritage in Europe

Joint programming initiative for cultural heritage and global change identifies four key priority areas for cultural heritage research.

Developing a Reflective Society; Connecting People with Heritage; Creating Knowledge and Safeguarding our Cultural Heritage Resource are the four key priority areas identified by a new Strategic Research Agenda for cultural heritage, published this month by the Joint Programming Initiative for Cultural Heritage and Global Change.

This Strategic Research Agenda, the first of its kind for European heritage, is the result of an extensive consultation and development process that saw national consultation panels convened in 16 European member states (Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and UK) in order to provide feedback on what they saw as heritage research priorities both nationally and internationally.

In addition to identifying key priorities for cultural heritage research, the Strategic Research Agenda lists specific research areas and topics for development, as well as looking at potential future requirements for the field.

Antonia Pasqua Recchia (Italy), coordinator of the Joint Programming Initiative for Cultural Heritage and Global Change, describes the document as “a structured, forward-thinking assessment of the possible future research landscapes [in cultural heritage]” and adds that

“This Strategic Research Agenda will create a foundation for innovative research as well as inspiration for new research and skills in the fascinating field of protecting and fostering our common tangible, intangible and digital cultural heritage”.

Professor Koenraad Van Balen (Netherlands), chair of the Scientific Committee which was instrumental in pooling national consultation panel feedback to create the final Strategic Research Agenda, highlights the dynamic nature of the strategy produced:

“As is the case in the world of cultural heritage, this SRA is just a starting point of a dynamic process that will lead to a continuous update of this agenda, the more it is cherished and shared the more it will contribute to the preservation and the enhancement of heritage in Europe through relevant and effective research. “

Read more here (PDF).

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