UNESCO advances roadmap for strengthening World Heritage higher education in Africa

On 29 and 30 April 2026, UNESCO convened the Follow-up Virtual Meeting on Strengthening World Heritage Higher Education in Africa, with the generous support of the Korean Heritage Service, Republic of Korea.

The online meeting marked the transition from consultation to project implementation, building on the February 2026 Virtual Brainstorming, which brought together more than 100 experts from 28 African countries and partner universities from 13 countries outside Africa.The meeting focused on the next phase of UNESCO’s work to institutionalise World Heritage education in African universities and heritage schools. It brought together the five pilot institutions — Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal, the University of Yaoundé II in Cameroon, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic in Morocco, the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka in the United Republic of Tanzania, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa — as well as the École du Patrimoine Africain (EPA) in Benin.

The two-day discussions helped define institution-specific priorities, academic and technical needs, and roadmap elements for Phase 2, in the second year of the project. Participants underlined that World Heritage higher education in Africa should move beyond short-term workshops towards long-term capability-building, including recognised qualifications, resource centres, professional pathways, mentoring, digital tools and stronger links between universities, heritage institutions and communities.

The meeting also discussed the establishment of a wider 30-university network, combining the existing 25-university network with the five pilot universities and EPA. This network, including UNESCO Chairs and partner institutions, is expected to support peer learning, curriculum exchange, shared resource persons, joint research, teaching materials and quality-assurance mechanisms.

A key feature of the meeting was the contribution of UNESCO’s Education Sector, which presented how the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme can support academic cooperation, research, curriculum development and knowledge exchange within the emerging network. This reflects UNESCO’s broader approach to work at the nexus of culture and education, mobilising expertise and resources to support Member States through policy development and cross-cutting actions.

Looking ahead, UNESCO and its partners will support participating institutions in preparing practical Phase 2 roadmaps, including curriculum modules, short professional courses, resource centres, expert directories and mechanisms for inter-university cooperation. With the continued support of the Korean Heritage Service, Republic of Korea, the initiative aims to strengthen African leadership in World Heritage education and equip a new generation of professionals to identify, protect, manage and promote Africa’s cultural and natural heritage.

For further information, please contact: Rouran Zhang, Programme Coordinator, UNESCO World Heritage Centre: [email protected]