Symposium and Workshop “Understanding Each Other’s Heritage – Challenges for Heritage Communication in a Globalized World” BTU Cottbus – July 19-21, 2012

Marie-Theres Albert

Prof. Alberts is a university professor, cultural and educational scientist specialized in sociology, educational planning and curriculum development. She is the head of the Chair Intercultural Studies and chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in “Heritage Studies” at BTU Cottbus. She is also co-founder and former director of the international master programme “World Heritage Studies” (1999-2009). Since 2010 she is director of the International Graduate School: Heritage Studies at Cottbus University, which she developed conceptually and thematically. Professional background: research and consulting projects as well as working stays through different institutions in different countries of Latin America and Asia. Research and teaching in the thematic fields mentioned above and a broad range of publications regarding World Heritage, intercultural management, intercultural communication, educational development for developing countries, as well as regarding challenges of the information society in creating curricula and education and learning material.

Patrick Lehnes

Patrick Lehnes is Executive Director and co-founder of Interpret Europe – the European Association for Heritage Interpretation e.V. It dedicates to foster professionalism in heritage interpretation in Europe by international exchange of research results and best practices, developing professional standards, international training and  providing advice for policy makers. After finishing his university degree in  geography and biology at Freiburg University in 1995 Patrick initiated research and development projects for heritage interpretation. Several pilot projects in the Black Forest allowed the transfer of the  methodology to a Central European rural context which combined heritage tourism with non-formal education and community development. In 2002, he founded a spin-off company offering consultancy and training in heritage interpretation. He has directed many projects including Transinterpret II, a LEADER+ cooperation with 14 partners from Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Greece. This developed recommendations and international quality standards for heritage interpretation in rural areas. Other international experience comes from leading in-service training and project mentoring in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on behalf of the German GIZ development agency.

Mario Santana Quintero

Mario Santana Quintero is an assistant professor at Carleton University’s Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Program, Canada. He completed undergraduate studies in architecture and obtained a PhD in Engineering on ‘The use of three-dimensional documentation and dissemination techniques in studying built heritage’ at the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC), University of Leuven, Belgium. He is a guest professor at both  the RLICC, KULeuven and the Historic Preservation Programme at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a  Professor at the University College St Lieven and lecturer at the University of Aachen RWTH. Besides his academic activities, he serves as President of the ICOMOS Scientific Committee on Heritage Documentation (CIPA) and Executive Officer of the Virtual Systems and Multimedia Society (VSMM Society). Furthermore, he has collaborated in several international projects in the field of heritage documentation for UNESCO, ICCROM, World Monuments Fund, The Getty Conservation Institute, UNDP, Welfare Association, and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.