The Regional Centre Sofia – UNESCO initiated a meeting with representatives of universities from Bulgaria and South-East Europe, which took place in Sofia, Bulgaria and online on November 25, 2024. Participants in the on-place meeting were professors from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts „Prof. Asen Diamandiev”, the National Academy of Music „Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”, New Bulgarian University, Plovdiv University „Paisiy Hilendarski”, Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski”, University of Library Science and Information Technologies, University of National and World Economy, Shumen University „Bishop Konstantin Preslavski”, Southwestern University „Neofit Rilski”. The online part of the meeting was attended by 35 lecturers from the University of Arts, Tirana (Albania), Institute of Archaeology and ethnography (Armenia), University of Zagreb (Croatia), University of Cyprus, Harokopio University (Greece), University of Ioannina (Greece), Democritus University of Thrace (Greece), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece), University of the Aegean, Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts (Republic of Moldova), Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (Republic of North Macedonia), Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University (Türkiye), Zaporizhzhia National University (Ukraine), Institute for Cultural Research at the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University (Ukraine).
The participants shared experience how they have included living heritage in educational programs, outlined the challenges in their work, and pointed out some possible future joint initiatives. In addition, it became clear that universities are now working in a network, but there is a need to strengthen their cooperation on various initiatives and projects in the field of intangible cultural heritage.
The following trends emerged during the discussion:
- There is a limited number of specialties and disciplines directly focused on intangible cultural heritage, but existing numerous programs and disciplines at all educational levels in which intangible cultural heritage is represented, including in specialties in arts, economics and tourism, philology, pedagogy;
- There are now examples of programmes related to the qualification of specialists in ICH management;
- Some universities are also creating centers for improving postgraduate qualifications in the field of ICH;
- Almost all universities organize field practices in various formats, as well as seminars and conferences on the topic (including student ones);
- Teachers participate in projects to complete national registers of ICH;
- Universities also work to develop initiatives for informal education in the field of ICH, often in close cooperation with non-governmental organizations.
Participants also outlined the following challenges to their activities:
- Lack of interest from the part young people in intangible cultural heritage;
- Lack of visible and attractive professional realization for work in the field of management and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage;
- Need for a new (innovative) way of teaching (including new teaching materials) to create content relevant to young people;
- Need to introduce an interdisciplinary approach in the programs, as well as the inclusion of teachers with diverse expertise;
- Need to seek partnerships with various institutions such as media and NGOs that work in the field of safeguarding ICH.
The meeting also discussed future joint initiatives and activities, whereby the network could operate such as a shared academic calendar of field research, a platform for sharing materials, open lectures by participants of the network, etc. The Regional Centre made a commitment to send a questionnaire to the participants and collect suggestions on how the network would continue to function and how participants would join it. The Centre will also create a space on its official website where information about programs, projects, and conferences of the network participants could be uploaded.