During the world’s largest conference of heritage scholars organized by the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS), held from 3rd to 6th June 2023 in Galway, Ireland, it was decided that the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw (including the newly established UNESCO Chair on Public and Global Governance of Intangible Cultural Heritage) will host the ACHS conference in 2028.oku.
The ACHS conference, held biennially in various locations worldwide, attracts around 600 delegates from across the globe and has never been held in Poland before. ACHS is a network of scholars and researchers working in the broad and interdisciplinary field of critical heritage. One of the ACHS research groups, the Intangible Heritage (ICH) Researchers Network, was coordinated for four years by Dr. Hanna Schreiber from the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw, who is also the head of the aforementioned UNESCO Chair.
Efforts to secure the rights to host the ACHS conference began in 2022, when the company Symposium Cracoviense presented this proposal to the University of Warsaw. The first attempt to organize the conference in Poland in 2026 was unsuccessful; however, after refining the proposal, efforts were renewed and ultimately successful this year.
Dr. Hanna Schreiber stated, “This year’s conference was a fantastic opportunity for our entire team to participate in many heated discussions on the latest challenges in heritage research and to celebrate the recent achievements of many fellow scholars, not only in critical heritage studies but also in related fields such as international cultural heritage law and commons research. We are thrilled and proud that this prestigious event will take place in Warsaw.”
During the ACHS General Assembly, Warsaw’s candidacy was presented by a strong Polish delegation consisting of:
- Dr. Hanna Schreiber (UNESCO Chair / Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw)
- Andrzej Jakubowski (Polish Academy of Sciences)
- Monika Stobiecka (Faculty of “Artes Liberales,” University of Warsaw, member of the UNESCO Chair team)
- Paweł Mrowiński (Promotion Office, Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw)
The conference in Warsaw will be organized by Symposium Cracoviense, with the efforts to bring the event to Poland supported by the Warsaw Tourism Organization / Warsaw Convention Bureau and the Polish Tourism Organization / Poland Convention Bureau.
For more information about the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS).
Symposium Cracoviense is a certified and recommended PCO by the Polish Tourism Organisation. More about the certification program.
Anna Górska, ICCA Board Member, Vice President of the SKKP Board
