“Cultural Heritage Protection and Sustainable Development”

1. Program Overview

The Hellenic Sinology Center, co-founded by Beijing Language and Culture University and the Ionian University, initiates the "Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning Plan for “Cultural Heritage Protection and Sustainable Development” to enhance the competitiveness of professionals in related fields, meet their needs for broader knowledge and more advanced education, and build an education system serving lifelong learning for all. This program is supported by the UNESCO Chair for the Threats against Cultural Heritage and Cultural Heritage-related Activities (TCHER), and participants who complete the course will receive an official vocational skills training certificate and 15 ECTS credits. The credit certificate is issued by the Ionian University’s Center for Lifelong Education and endorsed by the UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage ad Cultural Heritage related Activities and the Laboratory for Geocultural Analyses (GEOLab) and accredited by the European Union's academic and degree system, which provides advantages and certification support for certificate holders to pursue bachelor's or master's degrees in relevant programs at Greek and EU institutions.

2. Eligible Participants

Participants should have at least a College English Test (CET) Band 4 level of English proficiency. There’s no specific requirement on major. Individuals engaged in industries related to cultural heritage conservation, as well as those interested in or conducting research on cultural heritage conservation, are all welcome to apply.

2. Course Structure (Teaching Units)

1. International protection of human rights, cultural rights and cultural heritage
2. International Organizations: Policies and Actions in the field of cultural heritage protection
3. Ancient Civilizations – From Greece to China
4. Intangible Cultural Heritage
5. Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Security – Addressing modern threats.
6. Threats to Cultural Heritage and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
7. Digital Cultural Heritage
8. Financial Issues of Cultural Heritage Management
9. Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development
10. Diplomacy of Cultural Heritage, Return of Cultural Goods and Works of Art
11. Intercultural Communication
12. Ancient Chinese and Greek Thought: A Comparative Approach
13. Essay Assignment (Length 1500 words)

3. Modes of Training

1. Distance learning: Synchronous and asynchronous learning
2. Practice-Assisted Instruction: Field surveys, may be offered annually at cultural heritage sites in Greece, based on the preferences of the participants (Meals, accommodation, and transportation expenses are self-funded) or China at Qingdao World Sinology Center, No. 1557 Zhujiang Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China (Meals, accommodation, and transportation expenses are self-funded).

4. Duration and Tuition Fees

The duration of the credit program is 4 months, totaling 375 hours and 15 ECTS.

Total tuition fees is €1500 (including expenses such as information registration and certificate issuance).

5. Training Schedule

Application Period: 1–30 September, 2024

Notification upon admissions Date: 1-5 October , 2024

First Session's Dates: beginning on 14th October, 2024 and ending on 13th February, 2025

6. Number of Participants

50 participants are eligible for the first session of the special education program.

7. Education Outlook

Upon completion of the training, outstanding participants who meet the application requirements are eligible for the master's program in Security and Cultural Heritage Studies at the Ionian University, Corfu, Greece.