On October 10 and 11, WHIPIC hosted the Heritage Interpretation and Presentation Forum 2024 at the Cofenrence Hall located at the Korea Federation Bank building in Seoul. The forum, held under the theme Heritage Interpretation Principles and Attribute Identification for a New Era, facilitated a wide-ranging discussion on new principles and attributes for the interpretation and presentation of World Heritage.
Group Photo of the 2024 International Forum on World Heritage Interpretation
The first day commenced with a keynote speech by Professor David Uzzell from the University of Surrey, UK, titled Interpretation as a Meaning-Making Process. Various scholars and representatives from relevant organisations contributing to the development of new international principles for heritage interpretation engaged in discussions across three sessions: (Session 1) Challenges for New Principles in the World Heritage Context, (Session 2) Advice from Interpreters from different regions for New Principles, and (Session 3) The Direction for New Principles: Key Context and Messages. During the general discussion that followed, active participation from attendees was notable, with questions raised about incorporating "visitor satisfaction" – a priority in the tourism sector – and suggestions for applying the principles through the integration of UNESCO's educational and cultural initiatives. WHIPIC plans to consider these diverse stakeholder perspectives in our future research.
Opening Ceremony on Day 1
Congratulatory Speech on Day 1
Day 1 Event Photo
The second day focused on identifying the tangible and intangible attributes of heritage that convey its value, and connecting these attributes to the processes of interpretation and meaning-making.
The first session featured presentations by Professor Neel Kamal Chapagain from Ahmedabad University, India, and Gamini Wijesuriya, former Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM. Both emphasised the importance of understanding intangible attributes and local values when interpreting tangible heritage.
In the second session, Sarah Court, an Independent Heritage Specialist, shared key insights from the case studies on heritage attribute extraction. Additionally, Hyeonji Kong, Programme Specialist of the Research Office at UNESCO WHIPIC, outlined the attribute identification procedure and introduced the value-attribute table developed which prioritises a participatory approach, underscoring heritage interpretation as a cyclical process. The final session presented case studies by Jon Day, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at James Cook University, Australia; Jessica Brown, CEO of the New England Biolab Foundation; and NG Boon Nee, Department Manager of Cultural Heritage Research and Development at GTWHI, Malaysia. These studies illustrated how identifying attributes of heritage values can reflect the diverse values associated with heritage, as seen in the examples of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Canada’s Pimachiowin Aki, and George Town, Malaysia.
Day 2 Event Photo
Day 2 Event Photo
In the second day’s discussion, presenters and participants exchanged views on WHIPIC’s future direction, stressing the importance of recognising diverse perspectives and evolving values in the iterative processes of attribute identification and heritage interpretation.
Day 2 General Discussion
The Heritage Interpretation and Presentation Forum 2024 provided a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on principles and attributes for interpreting heritage in a new era. WHIPIC remains dedicated to exploring principles of interpretation for a sustainable future and to developing methods for identifying attributes of heritage values that foster a deeper understanding of both tangible and intangible aspects of heritage sites.
On October 10 and 11, WHIPIC hosted the Heritage Interpretation and Presentation Forum 2024 at the Cofenrence Hall located at the Korea Federation Bank building in Seoul. The forum, held under the theme Heritage Interpretation Principles and Attribute Identification for a New Era, facilitated a wide-ranging discussion on new principles and attributes for the interpretation and presentation of World Heritage.
Group Photo of the 2024 International Forum on World Heritage Interpretation
The first day commenced with a keynote speech by Professor David Uzzell from the University of Surrey, UK, titled Interpretation as a Meaning-Making Process. Various scholars and representatives from relevant organisations contributing to the development of new international principles for heritage interpretation engaged in discussions across three sessions: (Session 1) Challenges for New Principles in the World Heritage Context, (Session 2) Advice from Interpreters from different regions for New Principles, and (Session 3) The Direction for New Principles: Key Context and Messages. During the general discussion that followed, active participation from attendees was notable, with questions raised about incorporating "visitor satisfaction" – a priority in the tourism sector – and suggestions for applying the principles through the integration of UNESCO's educational and cultural initiatives. WHIPIC plans to consider these diverse stakeholder perspectives in our future research.
Opening Ceremony on Day 1
Congratulatory Speech on Day 1
Day 1 Event Photo
The second day focused on identifying the tangible and intangible attributes of heritage that convey its value, and connecting these attributes to the processes of interpretation and meaning-making.
The first session featured presentations by Professor Neel Kamal Chapagain from Ahmedabad University, India, and Gamini Wijesuriya, former Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM. Both emphasised the importance of understanding intangible attributes and local values when interpreting tangible heritage.
In the second session, Sarah Court, an Independent Heritage Specialist, shared key insights from the case studies on heritage attribute extraction. Additionally, Hyeonji Kong, Programme Specialist of the Research Office at UNESCO WHIPIC, outlined the attribute identification procedure and introduced the value-attribute table developed which prioritises a participatory approach, underscoring heritage interpretation as a cyclical process. The final session presented case studies by Jon Day, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at James Cook University, Australia; Jessica Brown, CEO of the New England Biolab Foundation; and NG Boon Nee, Department Manager of Cultural Heritage Research and Development at GTWHI, Malaysia. These studies illustrated how identifying attributes of heritage values can reflect the diverse values associated with heritage, as seen in the examples of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Canada’s Pimachiowin Aki, and George Town, Malaysia.
Day 2 Event Photo
Day 2 Event Photo
In the second day’s discussion, presenters and participants exchanged views on WHIPIC’s future direction, stressing the importance of recognising diverse perspectives and evolving values in the iterative processes of attribute identification and heritage interpretation.
Day 2 General Discussion
The Heritage Interpretation and Presentation Forum 2024 provided a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on principles and attributes for interpreting heritage in a new era. WHIPIC remains dedicated to exploring principles of interpretation for a sustainable future and to developing methods for identifying attributes of heritage values that foster a deeper understanding of both tangible and intangible aspects of heritage sites.