The Institute For Tourism Studies (IFT) hosts a public lecture titled – “Re-Weaving the Threads, Re-Connecting the Places: Cultural Mapping and Valuation of Mong-Ha Heritage” on 14 May, where Year 4 students of IFT Bachelor of Science in Heritage Management programme will present their findings on the Mong-Há Village. IFT has chosen Mong-Há Village as case study in the Heritage Management Programme – “Economics of Heritage Conservation” course. Guided by internationally renowned heritage specialists, Dr. Richard A Engelhardt, Regional Adviser for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO and Dr. Johannes Widodo, Assistant Professor of the National University of Singapore and complemented by Macao based heritage professionals Mr. Steven Chan, Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macao S.A.R. Government, Dr. Francisco Pinheiro, Technical Advisor of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau and Mr. Ong Chin Ee, Lecturer of IFT, Year 4 students of the degree programme has performed field work from 3 to 14 May at the site of Mong-Há village. The Economics of Heritage Conservation course identifies, analyses and appraises the economic and social values of the totality of Macao’s heritage assets, utilising international-standard inventory, mapping and assessment methodologies. Building upon the efforts of cultural mapping Coloane Village last year, the students will extend their study to Mong-Há, an area less understood but containing rich cultural heritage resources. The course is conducted in intensive daily module with guided field work, in which they will evaluate and record the heritage assets. The course is designed to introduce to the students the essential tasks as a heritage management professional, which include: l The ability to identify, analyse and appraise the built heritage as a public resource; l The ability to document built heritage resources in a proper way to ensure their asset values remain intact and/or is enhanced through appropriate and timely investment; l The ability to innovate creative solutions to integrate the build heritage into socio-economic development; and
l The ability to convince decision-makers and stakeholders the efficacy and potential benefits of these solutions. Dr. Richard A. Engelhardt is a Visiting Professor at IFT and has directed archaeology and heritage conservation projects throughout Asia and the Indo-Pacific region for the past 30 years. Among his responsibilities at UNESCO, he is UNESCO Charge de Mission and Senior Advisor for Culture and he was the Regional Adviser for Culture in Asia and the Pacific; and served as Chairman of the International Jury for the annual UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Awards competition. Dr. Engelhardt is also the Co-Convenor of the UNESCO-ICCROM Asian Academy for Heritage Management. Dr. Johannes Widodo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture and the Director of CASA (Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture) at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Widodo's area of specialisation includes architecture, urban history and morphology of Southeast Asian cities, Asian modernity, and heritage conservation in Southeast Asian context. Dr. Francisco Pinheiro is a Technical Advisor at the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Adjunct Professor at the Inter-University Institute of Macao and part-time lecturer at the IFT. He has worked in educational programs and projects since 1990s and has taken part in several municipal projects and promoted the recovery of dilapidated areas and artifacts, including the proposed guidelines and plan for the recovery and rehabilitation of the Coloane Village. Ong Chin-Ee is Lecturer in Heritage and Tourism at The Institute For Tourism Studies in Macao (IFT). He teaches heritage and tourism subjects and is part of the IFT team tasked with developing and delivering cultural heritage specialist guide and cultural tourism site-manager training for UNESCO and UNESCAP in Asia.
