8th Session of HeritAP Chat

World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals 

Knowledge & Skills

28th May 2026

Time Zone: 13:00-18:30 (UTC+8)

Online

Live Streaming Platform (only English)

Heritage Asia-Pacific (HeritAP) is a network of heritage practitioners established and supported by WHITR-AP Shanghai. Grounded in the principle that practice is a vital source of knowledge, HeritAP advances technical exchange, mutual learning, cross-sector collaboration, and institutional connectivity to strengthen heritage conservation and management capacity across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Background

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Knowledge & Skills (2026)

The theme for the 2026 call for practices are "Knowledge & Skills". This thematic dimension provides a framework for evaluating the role of heritage in developing knowledge and skills, including traditional knowledge, and in promoting cultural diversity. It emphasizes the contribution of heritage in transmitting local values, knowledge, and skills, and fostering empowerment through education, training, processes, policies, and materials. The focus is on integrating heritage knowledge into primary, secondary, and tertiary education, as well as vocational training and to assess the commitment of public authorities and institutions in leveraging heritage knowledge to foster respect for cultural diversity, understanding of sustainable development, and transmission of values. Additionally, it prioritizes capacity building on cultural and natural heritage conservation and management, and promotes skills and competence in creative fields.

This thematic dimension also directly supports UNESCO’s Promoting Tangible – Intangible Synergies at UNESCO Designated Sites in Asia-Pacific by generating and sharing integrated knowledge systems that treat built fabric, landscapes, and living practices as mutually reinforcing resources. By embedding both tangible and intangible elements in education, training, and policy tools, it equips practitioners to document, interpret, and safeguard sites holistically; facilitates the development of joint educational curricula that link craft techniques and traditional knowledge to conservation science and practice; and strengthens local capacity to manage heritage places as dynamic cultural-ecological systems.

For 2026 Call for Practices, we received a total of 87 project applications from 25 countries and regions, including 62 World Heritage properties, 17 sites on the Tentative List, and 8 other heritage categories. Following the initial evaluation of cases in April, the shortlisted cases will present their projects at the Online HeritAP Chat on 28 May 2026. The event will be broadcast internationally and will feature Q & A sessions with the expert panel. The panel will then make a final selection of the cases and, after the information has been verified and the data supplemented, representatives of the selected projects will be invited to the HeritAP Annual Meeting in November, where the 2026 Good Practices on World Heritage contributions to the SDGs in Knowledge and Skills will be announced.

Schedule

Contributed by Li Hong

Designed by Xia Ziying (Intern)

Web typeset by Zhang Yidan (Intern)

Edited by Liu Zhen

Reviewed by Shao Yong