The inauguration was attended by a 100 participants of the Conference including more than 30 members of the UHC-HEI Network. It triggered on site exchanges and sharing of approaches between educational actors, comparing institutional settings, programs and research or field projects. The feedback was very positive, with very appreciative visitors coming back again and again.

Inspired by UNESCO’s commitment to integrate culture and education more closely, with a focus on primary higher education and lifelong learning, the exhibition draws an international heritage educational landscape—picturing “what” is taught, “by whom”, “for whom”, and “how”, where and when to share global experiences, concepts, and trends in urban and rural heritage conservation in higher education.

Capacity building in heritage conservation and culture-driven sustainability has become a global priority. This interdisciplinary challenge concerns not only educational institutions but also professional practitioners, national and local governments, international organisations — including the UNESCO World Heritage Committee — and UN-Habitat global policy platforms such as the World Urban Forum. It is also central to several international normative instruments, including the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (2011), the New Urban Agenda (2016), the MONDIACULT Declaration on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (2022 and 2025), and the UNESCO Framework on Culture and Arts Education (2024) or international initiatives such as the ICOMOS University Forum or the endeavours of the ICOMOS Scientific Committee on Education and Training (CIF).

The exhibition helped to clarify the existing global landscape of urban–rural heritage education and training programmes, and assist in identifying the key educators, learners, beneficiaries, and partners essential to enhancing educational quality.

1. A general introduction to the exhibition and a presentation of the organizing institutions: WHITR-AP and CAUP Tongji.

2. A presentation of the UHC-HEI Network itself, including a map and an introduction to the International partners UNESCO, UNESCO Chairs, ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN.

3. Key references on Education, Research and Capacity Building in the World Heritage Convention and in the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape

4. The 35 contributions provided by higher education institutions and international institutions of the UHC-HEI network.

Covering continents, including 10 UNESCO Chairs, displayed in two panels, the contributions by partners gave a concise overview of organizational structures, teaching areas and objectives, student profile, and target audiences as well as providing material on curriculum, reflections on pedagogy, field work and workshops, research or cooperation projects.

They demonstrated endeavours to address strengthening competencies within and outside the classroom, assessing the relevant skills required in the area of urban and rural heritage conservation and sustainable development as well as analysing the current educational practices in light of higher education institutions’ evolving strategies and aspirations of younger generations.

The collective message by contributors to the exhibition advocated strengthened international cooperation among universities and relevant institutions in heritage education, the promotion of research and practice in urban–rural heritage conservation, and inclusive, multi-stakeholder approaches to address gaps in knowledge and capacity in the area of new technologies as well as traditional skills. They clearly demonstrated the need to address the future of educational practices to match the evolving skills required in the field of heritage conservation and beyond.

Based on the eager interest by visitors and relevance for the UHC-HEI members to promote the exhibition, the Network will circulate the exhibition in other venues, make it accessible to all by developing an online format and continue collecting cases. The objective is to enhance the global influence of the exhibition and further promote the exchange of ideas and methods in global heritage education.

This exhibition on the "Heritage Educational Landscape" is the first step of the UHC-HEI Network’s ambition to develop a worldwide study on urban and rural heritage education. Building upon this exhibition, further investigation and research will be conducted into educational practices in the field of global urban and rural heritage conservation. It will serve as a base to further a study on educational practices and provide recommendations to contribute to the global discussion encouraged by UNESCO on Higher Education for Urban and Rural Heritage Conservation for Sustainable Development.

The overall objective of the exhibition and study to come is to benefit students — the next generation of professionals, researchers, educators and decision-makers.

International University of Rabat, School of Architecture

University of Melbourne, Australian Centre of Architectural History, Urban and Cultural Heritage (ACAHUCH)

University of Dhaka, Department of Anthropology

Southwest Jiaotong University, School of Architecture

Southeast University, School of Architecture

Fudan University

Harbin Institute of Technology, Future Design School

Tianjin University, School of Architecture

Xiamen University, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering (XMU-SACE)

University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Architecture

Macau University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities and Arts

Guru Nanak Dev University, Guru Ram Das School of Planning

Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA)

National University of Singapore, Architectural Conservation Program (NUS MAArC)

Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, The École de Chaillot

School of Architecture, Paris-Belleville (MAGE Chair, DSA Architecture and Heritage)

CRATerre International Centre on Earthen Research / School of Architecture of Grenoble

National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Heritage Science (CNR-ISPC)

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

University of Catalonia, Barcelona School of Architecture (UPC ETSAB)

University of Seville, School of Architecture

Valencia Polytechnic University, School of Architecture

University College London, Bartlett School of Architecture

University of Westminster, School of Architecture and Cities

University of Pennsylvania, Weitzman School of Design

Abdullah Gül University, Faculty of Architecture

Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design

Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso

International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), Education & Academic Affairs Committee