Three years with the UNESCO Chair – memorable!
The third progress report of the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures at Linnaeus University for the period September 2019–August 2020 has now been completed. The report presents the progress made by the entire team over its third year of activities.
Over its first three years, the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures at Linnaeus University has been engaging in an extensive programme of national and inter-national collaboration in research and training. We presented our work and agenda on many occasions in Sweden and around the world. Please note especially the many topical publications this year.
The impact of Covid-19 meant that after mid-March our planned trips for research and conferences were cancelled. But it also meant that we got used to efficient meetings with colleagues in Zoom and other digital environments and that we had more time to write. We also got to think about the implications of the corona virus (comment in the report).
Please get in touch if you have any comments or suggestions.
Cornelius Holtorf, Professor of Archaeology and holder of the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures
About the chair
Heritage futures are concerned with the roles of heritage in managing the relations between present and future societies, e.g. through anticipation, planning, and prefiguration. Our work is dedicated to developing professional strategies that can enhance how heritage shapes the future. We ask questions such as: Which future do we preserve the heritage for? Which heritage will benefit future generations most? How can we build capacity in future thinking (futures literacy) among heritage professionals worldwide?
The UNESCO Chair Programme addresses pressing challenges in society. The chairs serve as think-tanks and bridge-builders between human communities, civil society, academia, and policy-making, generating innovation through research, informing policy decisions and establishing new teaching initiatives.
The UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures at Linnaeus University is one of eight UNESCO Chairs in Sweden and the only one in the area of culture.