Deadline: 31 March 2025
The UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia and the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia-Pacific Region (WHITRAP Suzhou) are pleased to launch the “World Heritage Young Masters Initiative” to recognize and empower the next generation of heritage conservation leaders by showcasing their innovative cultural heritage projects across the region.
The World Heritage Young Masters initiative seeks to strengthen the transmission of heritage building skills among young people, encourage their participation in cultural heritage protection, and foster creativity and leadership within youth communities. It focuses on replicable innovative practices in cultural heritage and builds an international platform for youth participation in heritage protection, contributing to the sustainable development of society and the economy through case selection, academic exchanges, and showcasing of achievements.
Focus Areas
- Comply with the concept of sustainable development
- Inheritance and innovative expression of traditional construction
- Innovative mechanism for social participation
- Promote the development of local cultural policies or cross-regional dissemination
Theme
- The theme of this year is “Protection, Innovation and Sustainable Development”, highlighting innovative practices in cultural heritage protection led by young professionals.
Eligible Projects
- Projects mainly based on wood structures completed in cultural heritage sites within the past 10 years, including but not limited to renovation, expansion, reconstruction in historical environments and new construction, etc.
- Cultural heritage sites include historical built environments but not limited to ruins; traditional buildings (such as traditional dwellings, gardens, religious buildings, etc.); historical towns and villages; cultural landscapes; cultural routes, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
- It is open to people under 45 years old in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world, managers and researchers of cultural heritage protection management units, cultural heritage protection researchers in universities and scientific research institutions, cultural heritage protection practitioners in enterprises and institutions, cultural heritage conservators, architects, landscape designers, intangible cultural heritage inheritors, traditional craftsmen, etc.
Application Requirements
- Please submit application materials (in Chinese and English) in accordance with the following document requirements:
- Application Form for Young World Heritage Constructors in the Asia-Pacific Region
- Project description (graphic and text description, PDF format)
- Letter of recommendation from an institution or expert (proving that the applicant is the main participant of the project, with seal or signature)
- Copies of other relevant materials that can prove the applicant’s qualifications to work in the industry (such as professional title certificate, professional skills certificate, project award certificate, etc.)
- Drawings (A3 format), photos (pixel no less than 300 dpi), project-related papers, research reports, videos, etc. published during the professional period.
For more information, visit UNESCO.