The UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches has been established in August 2021 at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Primorska in partnership with the Škocjan Caves Park by the decision of UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The creation of the Chair has been supported by 30 renowned national and international institutions from around the world.
The guiding principles of the Chair relate to participatory and “values-based” and “people-centred” approaches that help to achieve integrated and sustainable management of both natural and cultural heritage through community involvement. It is attained by the educational and research activities of the Chair that are held in cooperation with various regional, national and international institutions and promote inclusive approach to the management of cultural and natural heritage of different scales.

The UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches has been operating within the University of Primorska since November 2021. It is part of the Slovenian UNESCO Chairs Network, consisting of five Chairs. The Chair fills a gap in the existing UNESCO Chairs around the world, recognising that the key to sustainable heritage management lies in interpretation and education through integrated heritage approaches. The Chair covers the following scientific disciplines: heritage studies, anthropology and cultural studies, archaeology, history, history of art, geography and intercultural studies.

The specific objectives of the Chair are to:

• develop forms of heritage interpretation and education, that will transcend stereotypical divisions in the heritage field and will be appliable to various groups of people ranging from professional to the general public;
• actively participate in formulation and implementation of the new guidelines and policies in the field of conservation, protection and monitoring of heritage, while focusing on conflict prevention and sustainable development;
• promote new approaches to heritage management and conservation through community participation and integration of traditional knowledge into the development strategies;
• participate in the active knowledge-exchange through national, cross-border and international applied and research projects;
• closely cooperate with other UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks on relevant programmes, workshops and activities.

Faculty of Humanities of the University of Primorska, where the UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches is based, offers a number of study programmes at bachelor’s (first cycle), master’s (second cycle), and doctoral (third cycle) levels that are closely connected to the field of cultural heritage. Most of them are conducted in Slovene language, but the double-discipline bachelor’s study programme ‘Anthropology and Cultural Heritage’ is offered both in Slovene and English languages.

LIST OF PROGRAMMES: