A great example of how UNESCO Chairs in different parts of the globe support each other
As part of a bilateral agreement between the UNESCO Chair on Digital Cultural Heritage at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and the UNESCO Chair on History and Heritage at the State University of Haiti (UEH), CUTs Dr Efstathiou and Dr Ioannides actively participated in providing training to students attending the Haitian Summer School on digital cultural heritage.
Based in the capital city of Haiti Port-au-Prince, the UNESCO Chair on History and Heritage at UEH mission is to preserve Haiti’s cultural and natural heritage and the wider Caribbean. Located in the north of the country, Haiti’s National History Park was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982 because of its historical value and cultural significance. The site serves as a universal symbol of liberty and contains the monuments of the Palace of Sans Souci, the buildings at Ramiers and the Citadelle Laferrière; all built after the slave lead revolution of 1891-1804 that established Haiti as the first independent post-colonial black-led nation in the world.
The UEH Summer School 2023 focused on training 40 students in preparation for the ambitious project to digitise the monuments of National History Park next year. The Cypriot experts were able to share examples of best practices, results and experiences from pioneering research in the digitisation of cultural heritage at the Digital Heritage Research Lab established at CUT ten years ago.
The bilateral agreement between the two UNESCO Chairs in Cyprus and Haiti promises mutual, in-depth and ongoing cooperation in education, research and innovation in Digital Cultural Heritage. The Haiti Summer School has been a great example of how UNESCO Chairs in different parts of the globe can unite to share knowledge and support each other.
