Rome & Évora, 19–23 January 2026 — The TRANSITION project field visits officially began and brought together educators from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Yemen for immersive, practice-based learning hosted by Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Évora.
Rome connected international heritage principles with real-world teaching challenges
The first phase started in Rome with a full day that connected academic practice to international cultural heritage frameworks. The programme included a University campus tour and a visit to the Museum of Classical Art, followed by a training session on the role of international organisations, cultural diversity, and minority heritage. The session included contributions from Dr. Maria Teresa Iaquinta, Secretary General of ICOMOS Italy, and Prof. Gianfilippo Terribili and Dr. Ghiath Rammo from Sapienza University academic staff.
A key moment of the visit was a collaborative working session between participants and Sapienza Master’s students. They focused on a practical question: how international conventions and standards on cultural heritage translated into everyday teaching. Through peer exchange and group work, participants developed concrete classroom ideas and project concepts that connected global frameworks with local realities.
Rome then served as an open-air classroom. A guided walk through the historic Jewish Ghetto offered a meaningful case study of cultural and religious continuity, community resilience, and the living memory of marginalisation and persecution. The group moved through the city’s layered urban landscape—ancient, medieval, and modern—and used the walk as an active learning space. Throughout, participants reflected on cultural heritage exploitation and unsustainable tourism, and discussed how uncontrolled tourism affected the local social fabric and the authenticity of cultural heritage experiences.
Évora showcased research, labs, and minority heritage
The second stop took place in Évora University, where participants engaged with local expertise and explored how cultural heritage was taught, researched, and shared within higher education. The programme highlighted research projects and labs, including InMAP (Memories and Archives: Mapping the (In)tangible), Monsson, the Tourism Lab, and Hamsa – Journal of Judaic and Islamic Studies, and it presented approaches that amplified diverse perspectives and linked heritage to contemporary societal challenges.
Activities in the historic centre deepened reflection on Jewish and Islamic heritage and on how minority narratives sometimes became less visible within dominant heritage discourses. The visit ended at the National Museum Frei Manuel do Cenáculo, which reinforced how museums supported active learning and critical discussion.
The final stop highlighted living heritage and curriculum innovation
The field visits concluded with a programme centred on UNESCO-recognised living heritage at the Royal Falconry of Salvaterra de Magos, where tradition, conservation, and the transmission of knowledge came together. Across the visits, participants exchanged practices and challenges with host academic staff, generated ideas for curriculum development in cultural heritage and minority education, and reflected on inclusive teaching and pedagogical innovation.