On Saturday 9 May 2020, the Cyprus University of Technology and Heritage Malta jointly organised a webinar dedicated to Digital Cultural Heritage to celebrate Europe’s Day.
Robert Schuman wished to unite European countries and bring peace and solidarity between member states. Seventy years later, Europe is facing a crisis across the continent with unprecedent restrictions that need solidarity and action to confront the pandemic and its economic consequences.
In this context, two of the EU smallest countries, Malta and Cyprus joined forces to organise this webinar which attracted nearly 500 participants from many EU countries and beyond Europe such as Korea, Shanghai, Australia, Vietnam, Russia or India.
Malta and Cyprus are the two EU member states completely cut-off from the continent with a unique UNESCO listed world heritage sites. Both islands in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea have a common cultural heritage to share. However, both islands are strongly impacted by the safety measures countries are implementing in the current COVID-19 context, which isolates further the islands with impact on their economy.
“The protection of our cultural heritage is the key to our common future. The use of digital technologies to protect it is high on the COST Agenda.” Said Dr Ronald de Bruin, Director of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) and key speaker during the webinar.
The webinar covered numerous themes such as: how the European cultural heritage sector is tackling challenges Europe is currently facing? What are the opportunities the digital technologies provide? The contribution of digitisation in the preservation, interpretation, and valorisation of cultural heritage. The achievements of culture heritage digitisation in Cyprus and Malta. How cultural heritage is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how to regenerate the tourism factor in that context? How to push forward the digital potential in cultural heritage and collaboration on a European level?
Case studies were also shared covering the use of the latest digitisation methodologies on heritage sites in Malta, Germany, and Cyprus and the use of digitisation during these particular lockdown times for cultural heritage sites.
High level Speakers included: Dr Ronal de Bruin, Director of the COST Association; Ms Gail Kent, from the European Commission, DG Connect; Mr Ierotheos Papadopoulos, Head of the Representation, European Commission in Cyprus; Hon. Prodromos Prodromou, Minister, of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, Cyprus; Hon. Jose Herrera, Minister of Culture, Malta; Hon. Miriam Dalli M.E.P/ Vice-Chair; and Dr Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, MP, Chair of the Cyprus Parliament, Committee on Educational Affairs and Culture.
The webinar was initiated by Dr Marinos Ioannides, UNESCO Chair on Digital Cultural Heritage (CY) and Mr Tony Cassar from Malta. Both were members of the COST Action Innovation in Intelligent Management of Heritage Buildings (i2MHB) which ended in May 2019.
This initiative shows the essential role of COST for the scientific community keeping the network alive and choosing Europe’s day to share their studies to preserve and valorise the Digital Cultural Heritage.