HERITΛGE is very happy to announce the completion of the first “Introduction to General Principles of Cultural Heritage Conservation” workshop. The 3-day intensive online training workshop took place on May 26-28, with the participation of 12 heritage managers from Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia) and Europe (Greece). It was delivered by Dr. Alexis Stefanis, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art at the University of West Attica.

Participants were trained in understanding the potential of conservation and the processes necessary to maximize this potential.

“We at HERITΛGE are very excited about the completion of this first conservation workshop. This course serves as an introduction to the principles of conservation, and as such, it is a unique opportunity for our organization to place conservation at the heart of heritage management,” said HERITΛGE Director, Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis, who also delivered a lecture to course participants.

The workshop explored the fundamentals, ethics, evolution, contemporary international context, and importance of conservation. Simultaneously, participants applied this newly-acquired knowledge to their own projects, including the Conservation of the Brandberg National Monument in Namibia, the Historical Site of Arada, the Conservation Study of an Old Post Office Neighborhood Urban Scape, the Conservation Practice of Tiya World Heritage Site, and the Inventorying of Banjul’s Historic Buildings, Site, and Values for Informed Policy Drive Towards Urban Heritage Conservation.

This work was followed up by a tutorial meeting with instructor Alexis Stefanis on June 5th, where participants had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions and seek guidance regarding their final assignment.