Cultural Heritage influence in the 21st Century at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi

Titled "Cultural Heritage Influence in the 21st Century", the colloquium was launched with an opening speech delivered by Major General Omar Al Bitar, vice president of Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi expressing his sincere gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Hamed for his high patronage.

He also expressed ECSSR his enthusiasm for future cooperation, especially after having signed a memorandum of understanding very recently.

Followed was Dr. Daniel Balland, Director General of PSUAD, speech who remarked:

"Taking into account the heritage value of at least a part of the urban heritage has been particularly late in the region. The availability of large oil revenues has indeed encouraged the emergence of spectacular urban projects within companies eager to modernity and more anxious that the future of the past. While some recent achievements will remain as large urban or architectural achievements of the contemporary age, others have however been quick to demonstrate their unsuitability. This phase is fortunately over, at least in part: if the architectural heritage, or how little is left, is now taken into account, this is not yet, despite undeniable progress, environmental heritage. Urban planning, in the precise meaning of the term that covers concerted urban operations development, reasoned, planned, does not date for more than a quarter of a century. The symposium will confront local initiatives with a large number of operations performed in countries where this approach has been introduced since longer, whether in areas with close cultural links (North Africa, Middle East) or radically different ( Europe, China, Oceania). For some this will be an opportunity for discovery, for others a source of stimulating reflection. For all an enrichment."

The first day of the colloquium was on Think Cultural Heritages in Urban Planning and Architecture, Integration Mechanisms or Rejection of Cultural Heritages, Collective Memory and Challenges of Powers.

The second day of the colloquium revolved around the following topics: Enhance Social Practices and Traditional Architectural Icons, The diversity of Heritage Rehabilitation Achievements and Production of Cultural Heritages, and Cultural Heritages and the World Cultural Patrimony.

The colloquium included four interventions on UAE, North Africa countries, East Asia countries, Europe and South America by international speakers.