On September 20-21, Prof. Zhang Peng, Vice Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University and Ms. Marie-Noël Tournoux, Project Director of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP Shanghai), participated in the 2025 ICOMOS University Forum for Cultural Heritage in Tianjin, China.

Following the first edition of the Forum in China hosted by Tsinghua University in 2024, the second edition, was held at Tianjin University, convened under the timely theme “Cultural Heritage Interdisciplinary Innovation”, bringing together global experts to address pressing challenges in the heritage field.

The ICOMOS University Forum initiative was formally established in 2017 at the ICOMOS General Assembly in New Delhi. It aims to gather universities and other cultural institutions that wish to collaborate in accomplishing the mission of ICOMOS. It addresses the gap in ICOMOS composition, namely the universities and academic institutions.

Co-organized by Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, ICOMOS China, and ICOMOS Nepal, the forum attracted over 100 participants from 10 countries. The event served as a critical platform for further discussing innovative policies, technologies, and educational frameworks essential for enhancing heritage resilience and sustainable development.

Chen Yujiao, Associate Research Fellow, Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage.

Notable insights on landscape approaches, territorial development in relation to heritage and local stakeholders were shared by international partners, including French experts, Ms. Isabelle Palmi, Director of ICOMOS France, Mr. Nicolas Saana, Director of Territorial Development, French Federation of Regional Natural Parks, Mr. Pierre-Marie Tricaud, ICOMOS International Committee on Cultural Landscape (ISCCL), Ms. Soazig Darnay, Landscape Engineer and Research Expert of ICOMOS France as well as long standing partners of WHITR-AP and CAUP, Ms. Françoise Ged, Head of the Observatory for Contemporary Chinese Architecture at the Cité de l'architecture et du Patrimoine, Mr. Roland Lin, researcher at CREOPS, Paris-Sorbonne University.

A highlight was Theme Forum III: Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage Education System from a Global Perspective, hosted by Ms. Wu Meiping. The session featured a significant presentation by Ms. Françoise Ged, who provided an overview of heritage education for architects in France.

Marie-Noël Tournoux and Professor Zhang Peng, both participated in panel discussions, one in the morning session hosted by Porf. Peng Liang, Associate Researcher at the School of Architecture, Tianjin University, one in the afternoon hosted by Chen Yujiao, Associate Research Fellow of Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage. They reacted to the contributions of speakers furthering the discussion on competency and gaps for heritage conservation and management and challenges to develop new approaches to teaching and research. They detailed WHITR-AP and CAUP’ activities and programs, notably the Urban-rural Heritage Conservation for Higher Education Network (UHC-HEI) and on the 25-26 October 2025 International Conference on Reshaping Heritage Conservation in Higher Education.

Conclusion

The forum concluded by Song Xinchao and Prof. Chunyan Zhang with a forward-looking ceremony. Prof. Zhang Peng, Vice Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, delivered a speech as part of the official handover, confirming that Tongji University will host the 2026 forum.

Contributed by Marie-Noël Tournoux & Tang Zhuping (Intern)
Designed by Tang Zhuping (Intern)
Edited by Liu Zhen
Reviewed by Shao Yong