ICCROM joins Bosnia Forum for 20th heritage summer school

Training on cultural heritage in crisis

As part of this initiative, ICCROM is delivering a specialised training course titled “Risk Management and Documentation of Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis.” The course introduces participants to the importance of cultural heritage in community recovery, as well as the core principles of preserving urban and built heritage and managing disaster-related risks. It also focuses on developing practical skills in documenting and mapping heritage sites.

A message of hope and inclusion

In her opening remarks, ICCROM Director-General Ms. Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral highlighted the significance of the partnership with the International Forum Bosnia. She emphasised that the training programme is essential to empowering participants with the knowledge and tools to safeguard cultural heritage during and after crises. She added that this collaboration reflects ICCROM’s belief that heritage is not only a link to the past but also a foundation for healing, rebuilding, and creating inclusive, resilient societies. She also noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its complex post-conflict history, is a uniquely meaningful setting for such a programme, where heritage serves as a symbol of hope and renewal.

Warm welcome and international participation

The programme’s launch included an official reception attended by the Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo, Predrag Puharić, alongside Nasir Al-Darmaki, Deputy Manager of ICCROM’s Regional Centre in Sharjah, as well as professors and participants. A total of 23 trainees from 13 countries are attending the course. These include students and professionals from diverse backgrounds, all united by a shared commitment to using heritage as a tool for recovery and community building.

Hands-on learning with innovative tools

Participants will engage in an intensive curriculum that covers the role of cultural heritage in Bosnia’s historical context, particularly in light of the conflict it experienced at the end of the 20th century. They will also visit cultural heritage sites and museums, and receive practical training using digital heritage tools such as drawing, photography, laser scanning, and augmented and virtual reality technologies. These hands-on sessions are designed to equip participants with innovative approaches to heritage conservation and disaster response.

Strengthening a strategic partnership

Amra Hadzimuhamedovic, Director of the Cultural Heritage Centre at the International Forum Bosnia, expressed her satisfaction with the programme and its strategic partnership with ICCROM. She noted that this collaboration enhances the experience for participants by taking into account the wide range of their academic and cultural backgrounds. She also emphasised that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s rich, complex heritage — shaped by both destruction and restoration — provides a powerful context for the training and offers lessons of resilience and renewal that participants will carry with them beyond the programme.