International Summer School of Conservation and Heritage Interpretation (2023)
International Summer School of Conservation and Interpretation is organized by the Department and Institute of Archaeology and Heritage of UP FHŠ, under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for the Promotion of Integrated Approaches to Heritage, in cooperation with the Swiss School of Archaeology and Heritage, SUPSI, the Škocjan Caves Park, the Faculty of Arts in Zagreb, and the Slovenian Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Students and lecturers from Switzerland, Croatia and Slovenia participated in the summer school.
The school is being established as a “sister school” to the already existing International Summer School of Conservation-Restoration, which will take place for the third year in the Church of St Helena in Gradišče near Divača. In 2023 the Interpretation School was dedicated to the design of a special thematic itinerary on medieval churches and their precious frescoes in the villages of Gradišče, Naklo and Famlje, and their natural and cultural environment.
The first day of the school took place online on August 21. The field work took place between August 28 and September 2. The participants walked from the Church of St. Brikcius in Naklo to the Church of St. Helena in Gradišče pri Divača, presenting various topics on cultural heritage and nature, which are intertwined and interlinked here, and learning together about the cultural heritage and nature of the surrounding area. Then the young future experts and mentors enjoyed a guided tour of the restored wall paintings. A new “Diffused Museum of late Medieval wall painting” will be created under the auspices of the school in the coming years.
International Summer School of Museology and Heritage (2024)
In September 2024 the University of Primorska hosted the International Summer School of Museology and Heritage,that is one of the core projects of The UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches. It continues the tradition of organization and implementation of the previously held International Summer School of Museology. Based on prior experiences, the UNESCO Chair recognized the need to broaden the main topic through inclusion of other topics from the heritage field, offering education on participative approaches and co-creation of interpretation. In organizing the summer school, four institutions joined forces, namely the University of Primorska, the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia, the University of Saarland, which are partners of the Transform4Europe European University, and the University of Rijeka. The summer school was attended by students from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Croatia and Austria.
The content of the summer school was closely related to the theme of the International Museum Day ICOM 2024 ‘Museums for Education and Research’ and the central theme was the concept of living laboratories and their implementation in the field of heritage. Through lectures, workshops and fieldwork, students gained valuable experience and upgraded their knowledge of modern museum practices. Eminent lecturers from various institutions presented the participants with a wide range of topics, from new theoretical approaches to practical examples from heritage practice.
In addition to the academic program, the summer school also had a practical component in the form of field work. Under the guidance of Minka Osojnik, a conservator from the ZVKDS OE Nova Gorica, the participants enjoyed a tour around the churches in Gradišče, Famlje and Naklo focusing on the Late Gothic wall paintings. Participants had an opportunity to get to know the heritage of these places and to study the possibilities of its management through the prism of living laboratories. This direct contact with heritage allowed students to put theoretical knowledge into practice, which is an important step towards the formation of integrated approaches in the field of heritage and museology.
International Summer School of Museology and Heritage (2025)
The main topic of this year’s school was “Research and practices in a rapidly changing world”. The summer school was divided into two parts: the introductory week (August 25–29) in a form of six online lectures and the offline workshops that were held at the Faculty of Humanities (September 1–5). The program was aimed at exchanging experiences and knowledge between students and experts from different countries. This year’s participants came from 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮, 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮, 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀, 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮, 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮, 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗮, 𝗭𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘄𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮. They were taught by visiting experts from 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮, 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗮, 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼, 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘇𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮. Renowned lecturers presented a wide range of topics, offering participants insight into the state of museology and heritage research beyond the EU.
In addition to the academic program, the summer school also included a practical component with various workshops and a fieldwork. On September 1, participants enjoyed a guided tour around Koper that was focused on the adaptive reuse projects. They’ve also learned about research on different materials, olfactory heritage, and the use of modern technology in the promotion and interpretation of heritage. The four-day lectures and workshops concluded with a short training session on systems thinking, which was tailored to the heritage professionals.
On September 5, participants visited the new Rural Transport Museum in Senožeče, located in the renovated medieval customs house. The exhibition, combining cultural heritage with authentic architecture, offered interactive content, digital stories, children’s corners, and original objects — showcasing a contemporary approach to museum design.
Link to the article about the summer school: https://primorske.svet24.si/plus/na-valovih-znanja/Muzeji-so-ogledalo-casa-in-odsev-prihodnosti/