Organizers: ICCROM, IUCN, Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea (CHA), Korea National University of Cultural Heritage (KNUCH) and the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment. 

PNC WHL 2024 call for applications

We are seeking 25 participants to join the next edition of the international course on Managing World Heritage: People, Nature, Culture (PNC24). PNC is the flagship course of the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership programme. The next English-language edition will be held in five online sessions from 22 to 26 April 2024. The course is open to site coordinators, members of management teams and institutions, and heritage practitioners working with World Heritage properties and other heritage places around the world.

Why is this course needed?  

PNC courses promote a ‘heritage place approach’ to heritage management focused on understanding how to manage and conserve the multiple heritage values of heritage places in their wider social, environmental and economic contexts. This includes applying a place-based approach to heritage management and people-centred approaches to working with diverse actors and communities.  

Participants will learn how effective management can give heritage places a dynamic and mutually beneficial role in society today and long into the future, reflecting the vast array of people who care for, use and enjoy them. Heritage practitioners, policymakers within institutions and representatives from communities and networks are among the contributors to the management, conservation and use of a heritage place. Thus, working with all these groups can be essential for gaining benefits for society and heritage itself. It is important for all relevant actors to be aware of the values that different people associate with a heritage place. They can then collaborate on appropriate approaches and methods to protect these diverse values holistically. 

In this course, natural and cultural heritage conservation are seen as interrelated and interdependent, overcoming the artificial separation between the two concepts to promote quality management at World Heritage properties and other heritage places. Engaging actors and communities is still a considerable challenge at many heritage places, while linking nature and culture can have realistic barriers, including separate institutional and legal protection systems. While there is no simple recipe for responding to these challenges, there are many possible approaches to explore and consider adapting elsewhere. It brings together those involved in all facets of heritage management to share their experiences and learn from each other, advancing practice in the field. 

What is the content of the course? 

The course provides a general overview of what constitutes a heritage management system and tools to assess its effectiveness, recognizing the need to adapt to changing times and realities. By understanding how the system works, it is possible to evaluate how it operates and its performance, including how existing resources can be better utilized while exploring new ways of doing things. During the course, participants will be introduced to key tools and resources for improving management, planning and decision-making processes at World Heritage properties and other heritage places. 

The course content is aligned with the content of the forthcoming World Heritage Resource Manual on 'Managing World Heritage’, the recently published Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0 and the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. All these publications are prepared jointly by UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN to support those working with World Heritage. 

The course will include the following overarching topics: 

  • Heritage place approach  

  • Boundaries, buffer zones and wider context of heritage places  

  • Governance arrangements, including people-centred and rights-based approaches to heritage management  

  • Factors affecting heritage places and their social, economic and environmental context 

  • Management systems 

  • Management planning and implementation  

  • Management effectiveness assessment for heritage places 

  • Heritage conservation and management results 

Additionally, the course will draw on experiences and approaches implemented by participants at their World Heritage properties and heritage places, allowing for better understanding of heritage management in the international context and encouraging peer learning and knowledge sharing throughout the course. 

Who is the course for? 

This course specifically targets:  

  • practitioners working at a specific cultural or natural World Heritage property, or other heritage place;  

  • individuals working in institutions with responsibilities related to managing World Heritage properties and/or other heritage places; and  

  • individuals involved more generally in World Heritage conservation and management (for example, those working in heritage at a regional or national level, policymakers and other representatives of institutions, non-governmental organizations, charities, local associations, community groups, etc.).  

Applications are open to all regions and professionals. Applicants from the Caribbean and SID countries fulfilling one or more of the above categories will be prioritized in the selection process. 

Course venue and programme 

The course will be held from 22 to 26 April 2024 (five sessions total). The course will take place online using an online conferencing platform (Zoom) and will be conducted in English.  

During this time, participants will be required to contribute actively in three-hour online sessions from 13.00 to 16.00 Central European Time. 

How to apply for the PNC24 course 

Please submit your application by 11 April 2024. 

The application process is as follows:  

  • complete the online application form in English  

  • upload a personal photo  

  • upload a brief version of your professional curriculum vitae highlighting your most relevant experience (in English; maximum two pages)  

  • upload the official endorsement of your institution  

Allowed formats: pdf, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg, png, tif, tiff; maximum file size 5 MB. 

If you encounter any issues submitting your application via the ICCROM website, please email us at: whl@iccrom.org.