Centre for Heritage Management - Ahmedabad University

Heritage Management is a vast interdisciplinary area of inquiry and a creative field of practice that is evolving rapidly. This a global phenomenon, yet of particular relevance to India and Southeast Asia. With the Indian cultures and cities competin Asia. With the Indian cultures and cities competing to be recognised for their distinct identities and heritage, coupled with the government launching major schemes anchored around the concepts of heritage (such as HRIDAY and Smart Cities), ‘heritage’ today is fast becoming a dynamic and thriving economic canvas. The young technology-enabled generation, in an ecosystem aided by a number of government and semi-government institutions, social organisations and entrepreneurial ventures, understands, protects, experiences and, more importantly, further creates heritage in a very different way. Expanding the tenets of architectural and archaeological conservation, history and culture- related sectors, museums and archival practices, environmental conservation etc., a holistic discourse and practice of Heritage Management is emerging across the world. The Centre for Heritage Management of Ahmedabad University is at the forefront of this academic inquiry in India and internationally, as evident from its activities as well as a unique Masters programme that connects heritage management and business entrepreneurship. The Centre has been actively involved in a series of initiatives focused on Southeast Asia, such as: the course on ‘Sustainable Heritage Management’ organized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Bangkok Asia Pacific regional office (in the context of the United Nations’ focus on ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ as part of its global agenda of Sustainable Development Goals); and the Asia Pacific Higher Education Network for Intangible Cultural Heritage (APHEN-ICH).