UNESCO Chair Programme on Cultural Heritage and Risk Management
IInternational Training Course (ITC) on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage 2024, 18th year, Ritsumeikan University in collaboration with ICCROM
1. Dates and Time
Online – 29 Jul to 16 Aug 2024, 8:00-10:30 (CET/Summer), 15:00-17:30 (JST)
Onsite – 30 Aug to 13 Sep 2024,9:00-18:00 (JST)
2. Background and Objectives of the Course
The International Training Course on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage is a follow-up of the recommendations adopted at the Special Thematic Session on Risk Management for Cultural Heritage held at UN-WCDR (World Conference on Disaster Reduction) in January 2005 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
One of these recommendations advocated the need for the academic community to develop scientific research, education and training programs safeguarding cultural heritage, in both its tangible and intangible manifestations, from the perspective of disaster risk management.
The importance of strengthening knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of disaster prevention at WH properties was reiterated by the World Heritage Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, Lithuania, July 2006).
Till now, 193 professionals from 75 countries have been trained through this annual course.
The main objective of the course is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge on the various aspects of disaster risk management of cultural heritage.
Please refer to the following link: ITC Core Programme page.
3. Subtheme of ITC 2024
Linking tangible and intangible cultural heritage for disaster risk management
Pic. 1 Japanese Traditional Skills & Techniques of Roofing, the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the Restoration of Tangible Cultural Heritage (picture is provided by National Society for the Preservation of Roofing Technology for Shrines and Temples, Japan)
Pic.2 Floats (Hikiyama) in the historic street during Otsu Festival, the Intangible Cultural Heritage has created cultural spaces, community bonds, and social cohesion that are essential for DRM.
Disaster risk management of cultural heritage is a multifaceted endeavor that involves both tangible and intangible elements.
Tangible elements include historic buildings, sites, and objects that constitute cultural heritage, while intangible elements encompass the traditional knowledge activities, rituals, and cultural practices associated with them. Understanding the link between these two dimensions is crucial for effective disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
The protection of tangible heritage alone is insufficient without considering the associated intangible aspects. Traditional knowledge, activities, rituals, and community practices are invaluable resources for building resilience and coping mechanisms in the face of disasters.
They provide communities with the tools and strategies necessary to mitigate risks, adapt to changing circumstances, and recover from the impact of disasters.
In 2020, the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) “Traditional Skills, Techniques, and Knowledge for the Conservation and Transmission of Wooden Architecture in Japan” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This is a great example that addresses the contribution of ICH towards the sustainability of tangible cultural heritage through 17 different skills such as traditional woodworking techniques, decoration of traditional structures, and restoration skills of traditional buildings. These are important skills for reducing the risks to cultural heritage from disasters caused by various natural and human-induced hazards.
Therefore, this year’s ITC will focus on the strategies, tools, and methodologies that reinforce the link between the tangible and the intangible dimensions for disaster risk management of cultural heritage.
These include the identification of values, vulnerabilities, and risks, as well as measures for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
In the face of frequently occurring disasters that have caused wide-ranging impact on peoples’ lives, livelihoods and cultural heritage, communities around the world have developed a rich wealth of traditional and indigenous knowledge that can contribute towards disaster risk management.
These knowledge systems also embody inherent linkages between tangible and intangible dimensions that should be incorporated in disaster risk management plans for cultural heritage sites and museums.
Various disaster risk reduction measures based on traditional and indigenous knowledge developed in response to local communal, geographical, climatic, and social characteristics in the Japanese context as well as from other parts of the world will be introduced to the participants during this interdisciplinary training.
4. Methodology
This year’s course will be conducted in hybrid mode and will include online as well as on-site components. These will include thematic lectures, workshops, site visits, and fieldwork by Japanese and international experts.
1) The online part will be conducted over 3 weeks. Each week there will be three online live sessions including one mentoring session for participants’ case study projects.
2) The onsite part will be conducted over 2 weeks. The onsite part is focused on on-site visits and field exercises.
3) Participants will select one cultural heritage site or institution from their respective countries and will develop disaster risk management plans during the course, which will be presented during the final presentation.
5. Participants
The participants will be made up of a maximum of 15 professionals from all parts of the world, working in the fields of cultural heritage conservation and disaster risk management.
6. Working Language
English
7.Course Fee:
Free
8.Travel, Accommodation and Living Expenses
Participants will be responsible for their own round-trip travel costs to and from Kyoto.
Most of the costs of running the course will be covered by ITC, but participants will be charged approximately 350,000 yen to cover the cost of accommodation, lunches, and field trips. All participants will stay at the hotel arranged by ITC.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to seek financial support from sources such as government institutions, employers, and funding agencies. In cases of proven financial need and depending on the availability of funding from external sources at the time of the course, a limited number of partial scholarships may be granted.
9.What Participants Receive after Successful Completion of the Course?
- Course completion certificate
- Publishing online proceedings of ITC 2024 with DRM plans of Case Study Project prepared by each participant during the course
- Posters based on DRM plans of case study projects prepared during the course will be uploaded on the websites of R-DMUCH and ICCROM
10. Application Requirements
11. Application Deadline
24:00 (JST), Friday, 5 April 2024 24:00 (JST), Friday, 19 April 2024 Deadline has been extended
Application Closed
※Please submit your application form in a word file.
12. Submission Address
r-itc@st.ritsumei.ac.jp
13. Previous Courses
For the details of past years’ International Training Courses, please visit the following link.