Sarajevo: The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), along with its Regional Centre in Sharjah, has announced its active participation with the International Forum Bosnia (IFB) in launching the 20th International Summer School for Youth and Heritage (ISSYH20).
According to Emirates News Agency, the summer school will be held from 24th July to 9th August 2025, across various locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo, Mostar, and Stolac. ICCROM is set to deliver a detailed training course titled 'Risk Management and Documentation of Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis'. This initiative aims to educate young participants on the significance of cultural heritage in community recovery while teaching the principles of urban and built heritage preservation and disaster risk management. The program emphasizes practical skills in documenting built heritage and mapping.
ICCROM Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, in her opening remarks, underscored the critical partnership with the International Forum Bosnia. She highlighted the importance of the training program in enhancing participants' abilities to protect cultural heritage during and after crises, aligning with ICCROM's core mission. Gujral stated, "Our collaboration with the International Forum Bosnia exemplifies our belief that cultural heritage is not only about the past but is also foundational for healing, rebuilding, and creating inclusive and resilient societies, especially post-conflict."
The programme's setting in Bosnia and Herzegovina is notably significant, as Gujral remarked, 'Bosnia and Herzegovina is uniquely important for this initiative. Here, heritage carries the hope and the power of renewal." The opening ceremony of the school featured a reception with welcoming remarks from Sarajevo's Deputy Mayor, Predrag Puharic. Attendees included Nasir Al-Darmaki, Deputy Manager of ICCROM's Regional Centre in Sharjah, professors, and participants. The training course gathers 23 trainees from 13 countries, forming a dynamic group of students and professionals united by a shared vision of heritage's role in confidence-building and community recovery.
Participants will engage in core lectures on cultural heritage and its role in Bosnia, especially in light of its historical challenges at the 20th century's close. The program includes explorations of cultural heritage sites and museums. Students will also have access to digital heritage tools, such as drawing, photography, laser scanning, and augmented virtual reality applications, equipping them with innovative skills for contemporary built heritage conservation and disaster response.
Amra Hadzimuhamedovic, Director of the Cultural Heritage Centre at the International Forum Bosnia, expressed, "This course is part of the 20th edition of the Summer School organized annually by the International Forum Bosnia (IFB). This year, our strategic partnership with ICCROM enhances the participants' experience by embracing their diverse academic backgrounds and geographical locations." She further noted that "the socio-cultural landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its complex history of conflict and recovery, provides a fundamental backdrop for this training. The region's rich heritage, having undergone destruction and restoration, offers invaluable lessons for participants."