IFT Heritage Studies Centre co-organises the “Regional Training-of-Trainers Workshop for the Cultural Heritage Specialist Guides Programme - Planning for National Implementation within the Framework of the UNESCO Regional Knowledge / Skills Standards” with UNESCO on 12-16 January. This 5-day workshop is held in Macao for the first time. It aims to enhance the training of trainers for the “Cultural Heritage Specialist Guides Programme”, so as to further promote the programme among the member nations.
Since the inscription of “the Historic Centre of Macao” in the UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List in 2005, IFT promptly responded to the demand for cultural heritage related training and research from the society and tourism industry of Macao. IFT launched the “Heritage Management” degree programme in September 2005, in order to nurture professionals and meet the SAR government expectation to build the image of Macao as a Culture Capital.
Established by UNESCO and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the Asian Academy for Heritage Management (AAHM), together with IFT, launched the “Cultural Heritage Specialist Guides Programme” in 2005. This programme consists of two stages - “Heritage Tour Guide Course” and “UNESCO Cultural Heritage Interpretation Course”. As part of the programme and as the regional focal point AAHM, IFT faculty members have so far conducted training workshops in Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam and trained academics, government officials and professionals from 14 countries.
This pioneering and practical training programme aims at capacity building of trainers involved in tour guide training and the professional quality of the tour guides operating at World Heritage sites in order to ensure quality visitor experience and help protect the cultural values of the sites. At the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee in 2007, Cultural Heritage Specialist Guides Programme was recognised as "a best-practice example of an initiative aiming at integrating the conservation of World Heritage within the wider sustainable development framework for the benefit of local communities", which explains the international recognition of this programme.
The workshop is conducted by Dr. Sharif Shams Imon and Mr. Ong Chin Ee. Dr. Imon is the Director of IFT Heritage Studies Centre and the Academic Coordinator of Tourism Business and Heritage Management programmes at IFT. He is actively involved in the UNESCO and ICCROM training programmes on cultural heritage management in South and South East Asia and has carried out expert mission on behalf of ICOMOS and UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Mr. Chin-Ee is a Lecturer in Heritage and Tourism at IFT and has worked at Singapore’s National Heritage Board and National University of Singapore. His current research focuses on cultural heritage management, Chinese tourists, World Heritage tourism and the life histories of Macao tourism workers within the context of fast-globalising tourism development.
Over 20 experts and trainers in cultural heritage and tourism, representing the Administrative Committee of Mt. Lushan World Heritage Office, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, UNESCO Jakarta, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), Penang Heritage Trust, Department of Tourism (the Philippines), University of Northern Philippines, UNESCO Bangkok and other government departments and heritage organisations. Through this workshop, participants shared their valuable experience in cultural heritage training in different regions and promote the development of cultural heritage conservation.
In recent years, IFT strives to contribute to various academic exchanges in the area of cultural heritage. As the founding member of the Asian Academy for Heritage Management, IFT was recently appointed the Knowledge Management Hub of the Academy, to enhance the strategic development of the Academy through facilitating research conference and developing training curricula. Moreover, being an executive member of the UNESCAP Network of Asia-Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism (APETIT), IFT was elected as the first Institute Secretariat of the Network. These appointments recognise IFT’s achievements in quality education in cultural heritage.