Phd topics -

Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe; PhD research project with Europa Nostra

50000403v52490056

Promoter: Prof. dr. ir. Koen Van Balen

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More info: https://icts.kuleuven.be/apps/jobsite/vacatures/id/52490056/lang/en

Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation

Project

Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe:

Towards an European Index for Valuing Cultural Heritage

Aim of the project:

Background

Europe's cultural heritage - built and natural - has a hugevalue for Europe's economy, society and environment. To this end there is aneedto develop an EU strategy for cultural and natural heritage - a strategy thatvalues heritage as a crucial asset and resource. Such a strategy should befully integrated within the EU-s key economic priorities as set out in theoverall EU strategy for 2020. It should also enable heritage-s contribution tothe EU agendas on sustainability, creative Europe, research and innovation, climatechange, energy saving, regional and rural development and territorial cohesion.

The European Heritage Alliance 3.3 - a policy groupingcomposed of 29 European or international networks active in the field ofcultural heritage - has identified a lack of comprehensive and readilyavailable evidence on the benefits of cultural heritage at the European level. Asolid basis of evidence-based research is key to developing effective policiesthat integrate and make full use of the untapped potential of our culturalheritage, in the spirit of the Faro Convention on the Value of CulturalHeritage for Society adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe in2005 (conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/199.htm).

There exist many case studies, European projects, andnational, regional and local research documents covering demonstrating themultiple benefits of cultural heritage in different parts of Europe. Inaddition, many organisations active in the heritage field have anecdotal casestudy evidence of ways in which different aspects of cultural heritage deliversocial and economic benefits.

What appears to be lacking however is a readily accessibleand comprehensible overview of the value and relevance of heritage at theEuropean level which would form a credible basis for policy development that isstatistically valid and reflects all aspects of the subject.

Concept

Through the project -Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe-thegrouping of six partners (Europa Nostra, ENCATC, Heritage Europe EuropeanAssociation of Historic Towns and Regions, the International Cultural Centre inCracow, the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation and theHeritage Alliance UK) propose to gather, analyse, compare and consolidate theexisting data relating to the impact (direct and indirect) of cultural heritageeon society and the economy. In this way the project will result in an Europeanmapping of the evidence-based research already carried out at the national,regional, local and/or sectoral levels. It aims to present conclusive andpersuasive arguments for convincing policy- and decision-makers of the impact andmultiple benefits of investing in heritage.

Whilst fully recognising the diversity and complexity of theheritage field, the study which is the subject of this Call for Proposals willfocus on the various aspects of immoveable cultural heritage, namely historicmonuments, sites and cultural landscapes.

In a first stage, the different methodologies and indicatorsdeveloped by various organisations for assessing heritage and its impact willbe described and analysed. Amongst these will be the methodology specificallyfocused on heritage in Heritage Counts-, the annual survey of the state ofEngland-s historic environment prepared on behalf of the Historic EnvironmentForum (of which the proposed project-s associated partner, the HeritageAlliance is a leading member). A number of organisations in the wider field ofculture, arts and development have also made significant headway in developingindicators, many of which could also be applied to the heritage field. Amongstthe studies, methodologies and indicators to be analysed will be those of thevery recent World Bank Report on -The Economics of Uniqueness: Investing inHistoric City Cores and Cultural Heritage Assets for Sustainable Development-,the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) -Cultural Heritage and Global Change: anew challenge for Europe-,UNESCO-s Culture for Development Indicator Suite, theUrban Forum-s Arts and Culture Indicators Project (ACIP) and Cultural Vitality,as well as the Dutch Cultuurindex and the American Arts Index.

In a second stage, quantitative and qualitative data as wellas case-studies - as for example laureates of various conservation AwardsSchemes such as the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards - willbe presented and analysed in order to clearly demonstrate the value of heritageand the benefits of investing in heritage. The dangers of reducing heritage toa series of indicators or solely quantitative data will also be discussed.

In the concluding stage, gaps in information will beidentified, and recommendations will be made for policies, future research and(new) indicators and methodologies that can be developed and applied throughoutEurope.

Recommendations on how data collection can be managed intothe future will also be identified so that trends can be established,indicators updated annually, and change can be measured over time.Recommendations will also be made on the means for making the collected dataand best practices widely accessible to heritage stakeholders in view ofassisting them in advocating for heritage to policy-makers at local, national,regional or European level.

Due to the still unsatisfactory state of research on the impactof heritage and its role in the field of various disciplines in Central Europe,a part of the project will focus on this particular region, much different inthis respect from Western Europe. For all of Central Europe the year 1989 was aturning point meaning freedom of cultural activities and artistic creation,transparency in financing culture, the end of censorship and opportunities toestablish unhindered international cooperation. It is surely one of the mostemblematic dates in history. It marked the period of transition when fullydemocratic countries and societies were being built. Also culture as animportant element of civil societies was incorporated in the process ofadapting to free market economy. The differences in approaches to cultural heritageappreciation and protection between Western and Central Europe are rooted indifferent historical experience. The International Cultural Centre in Krakow asan expert and research institute specialising in cultural heritage in CentralEurope and a leader of international dispute on the meaning and philosophy ofheritage in the region is especially predestined to conduct the projectspecialising in this particular region.

Objectives of the action

Overall objective:

To gather and analyse data and raise awareness on the valueof the built cultural heritage for society and the economy.

Specific objectives:

To raise the profile and understanding of the importance of cultural heritage for society and the economy;

To create a network of expertise on these issues which can be mobilised throughout Europe;

To strengthen the co-operation and networking capacities of the full range of organisations involved in the conservation of cultural heritage;

To foster communication and partnership between professionals at all levels, including local, national and European authorities and municipalities, educational institutions and heritage organisations;

To create a comprehensive and readily accessible set ofd ata on the multiple benefits of cultural heritage that will provide the arguments to convince policy-makers of the need to develop a true EU strategy for cultural heritage;

To identify gaps in information and areas of possible future research.

To develop recommendations on how data collection can be managed into the future so that trends can be established, indicators update dannually, and change can be measured over time.

To develop a series of policy recommendations for tappinginto the full potential of cultural heritage.

Research Focus

The proposed study seeks to bring clear evidence of the multiple benefits with which heritage contributes:

to the quality of life and the sense of identity andbelonging of Europe's citizens;

to the job creation and sustainable and smart growth of Europe's economy;

to the beauty, harmony and sustainable future of Europe' s living environment, both in cities and in the countryside.

Profile

Job content (related to task of RLICC into the project)

We seek a person able to make a PhD closely related to the objectives and the content of the project that will provide the necessary financial support for the first two years of the development of the doctoral research. The candidate should therefore be able complete the following roles in the project which all are related to the research that will lead towards a PhD in Heritage Preservation in a time period of maximum 4 years.

The research will be carried out at the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation at KU Leuven (sprecomah.eu/rlicc) in collaboration with different partner organisations within this and other ongoing or future projects.

Conceptual role:

Identification of the framework for the project in collaboration with all the partners.

Identifying the conceptual framework for the study methodology in collaboration with The International Cultural Centre in Poland(ICC).

Follow-up of the distribution of tasks between the various partners and more particularly between RLICC and ICC

Implementation role:

Developing with ICC and the Steering Committee a detailed methodology and joint template for data gathering, interpretation and data synthesis to be used by the partners in the project and by all organizations brought in through the networks of the partners to facilitate gathering and synthesis towards heritage policy documents;

Mapping, analyzing and evaluation of data (studies,strategic documents, research papers etc.) prepared in and on the situation in Western Europe (including Northern and Southern Europe) as regards the subject of the project using the agreed upon format:

Contact representatives belonging to network of partnership involved in the countries to be covered: Desk research on collected data; In-depth interviews with specialists in the field in 5 countries in which data collection appeared to be insufficient or could be improved through those interviews; Translating of key documents if really necessary. The project plans to work on available English or French documents and data at the level of the European Commission;

Preparing the part of the project report concerning the situation in Western Europe;

Participation in the Scientific Committee meetings preparing proposals and recommendations regarding the evaluation and collecting date in the given subject;

6/ Organizing one of the Steering Committee meetings in Leuven (8 participants, 1 ½ days);

7/ Promotion and dissemination of project information and project results among policy makers and public opinion.

The candidate should fulfill the necessary conditions to be able to carryout a PhD within the Arenberg Doctoral School at KU Leuven, i.e. has at least a relevant master degree with good grades (see also http://set.kuleuven.be/phd). Previous degrees or expressed interest in the field of preservation of the built heritage is an important advantage as well as knowledge of different languages spoken in West or South of Europe. Being able to report in English for the project and having the ability to publish in English are mandatory.

Offer: Full-Time PhD grant

(first two years from this project, next two years additional funding to be identified)

Contact:

Prof. K. Van Balen

Director RLICC

koenraad.vanbalen@bwk.kuleuven.be

Offer

PhD-grant, full-time

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Koen Van Balen, tel.: +3216321172, mail: koenraad.vanbalen@bwk.kuleuven.be.

You can apply for this job no later than June 30, 2013 via the Click here to apply to this project

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