"The management of protected world heritage sites and bases must be integrated into the overall national and regional planning processes in order to strengthen their role in community life thereby ensuring sustainable development and the conservation of property as well as their transmission to future generations."

(article 5.a of the World Heritage Convention)

The "World Heritage Site Managers" programme, created under the initiative of Vocations Patrimoine, has the objective of encouraging the strenghthening of the skills of the competent professionals who are at present working or have the future intention of working in management, conservation and enhancement of specific world heritage site.





Programme Content

The objective is to offer participants aged less than 45 years, the knowledge, the skills and the involvement necessary for their participation in an interdisciplinary programme in order to become better cultural and natural heritage managers. A very detailed attention will be paid to candidates who wish to develop their knowledge and improve their skills in the management of a threatened site, namely one of sites mentioned in the World Heritage in Danger list.

Two year university fellowships intended for higher level Arts or Sciences Masters or to candidates applying for an Arts Masters or science degree or equivalent diploma, in fields relating to cultural and natural heritage management, will be awarded to worthy candidates coming from developing countries.

An even geographical distribution will be guaranteed, since the university fellowships will be awarded to each of the 5 UNESCO geo-cultural regions (namely Africa, the Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean). A professional fellowship system enabling the strengthening of local administrations will also be developed.

Throughout the course of their studies, the recipients will be encouraged to draw up concepts and strategies to serve as the basis for programmes capable of being launched, managed and implemented whether by international organisations, national centres, non governmental organisations or private bodies, responsible for the improvement in protection, conservation, preservation and the restoration of world, cultural and natural heritage sites.

The nature of these studies will be interdisciplinary and will include the transfer of theoretical knowledge as much as the acquisition of practical skills, with the aim of strengthening powers and of returning the current and future managers for autonomous World Heritage sites.