About the programme
From textbook content to living practice
Grounded in UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, living heritage serves as a vital force for cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, community identity, and sustainable development.
In contemporary educational contexts, however, safeguarding living heritage requires moving beyond documentation and preservation toward active revitalization and pedagogical innovation. The critical challenge lies in transforming ICH from textbook content into vibrant, living practice in classrooms and communities worldwide.
Building on the success of its 2025 edition, the 2026 Teacher Professional Development Programme in Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Education convenes from 1 to 5 August 2026 in Hong Kong, China. Jointly organised by the International Centre for UNESCO ASPnet (ICUA) and the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education at The University of Hong Kong, the programme addresses this challenge through interactive capacity development, cross-border collaboration, intercultural perspectives, and interdisciplinary integration.
The programme brings together diverse stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, school leaders, cultural practitioners, researchers, and representatives from civil society and cultural institutions, to advance ICH education as a global endeavour. It offers a practice-oriented platform where participants share implementation experiences, address practical challenges, and refine educational approaches through hands-on experiential workshops, expert feedback, and dynamic peer exchange.
Innovate and Equip
Introduce quality resources and innovative pedagogical approaches for formal and non-formal educational settings.
Build Capacity
Strengthen educators’ abilities to design, facilitate, and reflect on heritage learning experiences.
Connect to Sustainability
Explore culturally responsive linkages between ICH and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
Foster Collaboration
Deepen partnerships among schools, researchers, cultural practitioners, local communities, and policymakers while revitalizing curricula.
Share and Reflect
Provide a professional platform for practice-based peer exchange, comparative learning, and expert feedback.
Bridge Perspectives
Encourage educators to look beyond national traditions and embrace cross-cultural, comparative approaches to heritage education.
Schedule
Parallel sessions · Day 1 morning
Four rooms, four themes
Every participant follows one room for the whole morning. Sessions A to D run simultaneously from 09:50 to 12:40, each closing with an in-depth panel discussion.
Core theme · Six pathways to cross-cultural exchange
Facilitator
| 09:50–10:10 | Oman | Art is a Mirror of Culture: An Initiative Of Omani UNESCO Associated Schools and |
| 10:10–10:30 | Türkiye | Living Turkish Intangible Cultural Heritage through Intercultural Learning |
| 10:30–10:50 | Republic of Korea | World Heritage and Global Citizenship Education: An Integrated Project on Yeondeunghoe |
| 10:50–11:20 | Tea Break & Group Photo | |
| 11:20–11:40 | Japan | English Communication Class for UNESCO Learning about Washoku as an Intangible Cultural Heritage |
| 11:40–12:00 | Poland | Axial Symmetry in Polish Folk Patterns |
| 12:00–12:20 | Russian Federation (A) | Language and Living Heritage: CEAL Chinese Cultural Immersion Internship Programme |
| 12:20–12:40 | In-depth Panel Discussion: A comparison of six cross-cultural models — what can we learn from one another? | |
Facilitator’s noteAfter this session, please guide your group to the breakout discussion and designate a note-taker.
Core theme · ICH as a tool for values education
Facilitator
| 09:50–10:10 | Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan Traditional Kandyan Dance |
| 10:10–10:30 | Austria | The Bell-Ringers of Patsch |
| 10:30–10:50 | Cyprus (B) | Teaching and Learning through Living Heritage: Revitalising Fythkiotiko Weaving through Education, Community Engagement and Student Innovation |
| 10:50–11:20 | Tea Break & Group Photo | |
| 11:20–11:40 | Ghana | Integration of Intangible Cultural Heritage through Cultural Performance, Peace Education, Sustainability, Girl-Child Empowerment, and Civic Values Education |
| 11:40–12:00 | Philippines | Sangandiwa: Harvesting the Arts — Truth and Valor in Science, Math, and Language |
| 12:00–12:40 | In-depth Panel Discussion: ICH as a vehicle for values education — five different approaches | |
Facilitator’s notePay particular attention to culturally sensitive ways of addressing “sensitive issues” across different contexts, and document transferable teaching strategies, such as social entrepreneurship approaches.
Core theme · Six collaborative ‘recipes’
Facilitator
| 09:50–10:10 | Slovenia | Drops of Life — Once upon a Time |
| 10:10–10:30 | Cyprus (A) | Traditional Charcoal Production in Kato Pyrgos: Exploring Living Heritage through Community-Based Learning |
| 10:30–10:50 | Malaysia | Projek Warisan Kita (Our Heritage Project): Revitalising Malay Folk Tales through the School BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Programme and AI-Assisted Visual Storytelling |
| 10:50–11:20 | Tea Break & Group Photo | |
| 11:20–11:40 | Greece | Carols and Festivities in the Circuits of Time |
| 11:40–12:00 | Kyrgyzstan (A) | Celebration of Nooruz |
| 12:00–12:20 | ACCU | ASPnet Japan: Whole-School Approaches and Cross-Sector Partnerships |
| 12:20–12:40 | In-depth Panel Discussion: Six “collaborative models” — which one best fits your school? | |
Facilitator’s noteCompare partnership models, initiation strategies, challenges and solutions, and contextual fit for different schools.
Core theme · AI vs. craftsmanship; VR vs. tradition; interdisciplinary integration
Facilitator
| 09:50–10:10 | China | ICH in Light and Shadow: Design and Implementation of a Shadow Play Project |
| 10:10–10:30 | Mongolia | The Art of Mongolian Quilting: An ICH Educational Journey |
| 10:30–10:50 | Thailand | Traditional Pottery Making and Ban Chiang Pottery Pattern Drawing |
| 10:50–11:20 | Tea Break & Group Photo | |
| 11:20–11:40 | Russian Federation (B) | Intangible Cultural Heritage in the AI Dimension in Foreign Language Education Practice |
| 11:40–12:00 | Romania | Reviving Living Heritage and |
| 12:00–12:20 | Kyrgyzstan (B) | Preservation and Promotion of Kyrgyz Intangible Cultural Heritage through Traditional Crafts, Komuz Music and National Games |
| 12:20–12:40 | In-depth Panel Discussion: Learning from six pedagogical innovations | |
Facilitator’s noteGuide discussion on: (1) the unique value of each innovation, (2) resource requirements and boundaries, and (3) adaptability across different contexts. Generate practical recommendations for diverse settings.
Case presentations
23 practices from 20 countries and organisations
Every case was identified, evaluated and recommended by an ASPnet National Coordinator or partner organisation. Filter by session or search by country.
| No. | Country | Case highlights | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oman | Art as a Mirror of Culture — collaboration with Greece | A |
| 2 | Türkiye | Erasmus+ international mobility and intercultural workshops | A |
| 3 | Republic of Korea | Yeondeunghoe and digital archive — trilateral exchanges with Germany and Japan | A |
| 4 | Japan | Washoku and online exchange with Republic of Korea | A |
| 5 | Poland | Folk Patterns and Mathematics — Erasmus+ international sharing project | A |
| 6 | Russian Federation (A) | CEAL Chinese Cultural Immersion Internship — cultural exchange and language immersion | A |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | Kandyan Dance — challenging caste-based prejudice | B |
| 8 | Austria | The Bell Ringers of Patsch — exploring gender equality and evolving traditions | B |
| 9 | Cyprus (B) | Fythkiotiko Weaving — student-led enterprise initiative | B |
| 10 | Ghana | Cultural Heritage Performance — peace education and girl-child empowerment | B |
| 11 | Philippines | SANGANDIWA — science, mathematics, language, and arts integration with values education | B |
| 12 | Slovenia | The Tradition of Water — 26-school consortium on sustainable development | C |
| 13 | Cyprus (A) | Charcoal Production — community-based learning and documentary film | C |
| 14 | Malaysia | Folk Tales — BYOD/AI integration with family and community engagement | C |
| 15 | Greece | Carols, Bread, Olives — interdisciplinary thematic learning | C |
| 16 | Kyrgyzstan (A) | Nooruz Festival — school celebration and cultural performance | C |
| 17 | ACCU | Community-based learning, school-community collaboration | C |
| 18 | China | Shadow Puppetry — interdisciplinary integration and AI assisted scriptwriting | D |
| 19 | Mongolia | Quilting — traditional craftsmanship | D |
| 20 | Thailand | Ban Chiang Pottery — vocational skills and local wisdom | D |
| 21 | Russian Federation (B) | FLEC Conference — AI, VR, and language as an ICH vehicle | D |
| 22 | Romania | Traditional Pottery — Brâncuși Year integration | D |
| 23 | Kyrgyzstan (B) | Handicrafts, Komuz Music, and Traditional Games — a multidisciplinary approach | D |
No case matches that search.
Participants
Who is in the room
Select any name for a full profile. Delegates and speakers are listed alphabetically by given name; school representatives by country, as printed in the programme book.
No participant matches that search.
Venue & maps
Where to go
All sessions take place in the Runme Shaw Building (RMS) on the HKU main campus. Select a map to enlarge it.
Rooms
Runme Shaw Building, The University of Hong Kong
Plenaries, workshops and the closing session are held in RMS 205. Tea breaks are served in the Tea Lounge; the Day 1 group photo is taken at the Rayson Huang Theatre.
- ARMS 205Cross-Cultural Dialogue and International Understanding
- BRMS 204Beyond Skills: Values, Social Justice, and Civic Competence
- CRMS 203Cross-Sector Partnerships: Schools, Communities, Families, and Institutions in Deep Collaboration
- DRMS 202Innovative Pedagogies: AI, Technology, and Interdisciplinary Integration
Off-site
HKU Museum and Art Gallery
On Day 2, free time and the visit to the museum run from 17:00 to 18:00, followed by the networking reception from 18:00 to 19:30.
Tea break schedule
| Break | Day | Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tea Break & Group Photo | Day 1 | 10:50–11:20 | 30 min |
| Tea Break | Day 1 | 15:30–15:50 | 20 min |
| Tea Break | Day 2 | 10:30–10:50 | 20 min |
| Tea Break | Day 2 | 15:30–15:50 | 20 min |
Discussion tools
What each group needs to produce
Each parallel session group uses the One-Page Report Template to structure its breakout discussion from 12:40 to 13:00 on Day 1. The outcomes feed directly into the afternoon plenary reports.
One-Page Report Template
| Parallel Session | A / B / C / D |
|---|---|
| 3 Key Takeaways | Most memorable cases or insights from the session (1–2 sentences each) |
| 3 Most Transferable Practices | Practices with the greatest potential for replication (1–2 sentences each) |
| 3 Common Challenges | The most significant barriers faced (one sentence each) |
| 3 Recommendations | How to address these challenges (one sentence each) |
| Rapporteur | Name & Country |
Breakout discussion guiding questions
ACross-Cultural Dialogue and International Understanding
- Key takeaways: Which cases gave you new insights into ‘cross-cultural ICH education’? Please summarise the three most important takeaways.
- Transferable practices: Which cross-cultural dialogue models are most adaptable across different country contexts? Please select three and justify your choices.
- Challenges and recommendations: What are the three biggest obstacles (e.g. language barriers, curriculum time constraints, international partner matching) and how can they be overcome?
BBeyond Skills: Values, Social Justice, and Civic Competence
- Key takeaways: Which cases shifted your understanding of what ICH education can achieve? Please summarise the three most important takeaways.
- Transferable practices: What are the ‘safe entry points’ for using ICH to discuss sensitive issues such as gender, class, and peace? Please identify three strategies.
- Challenges and recommendations: How can we meaningfully assess changes in student attitudes and values? What are the three biggest difficulties, and how can they be overcome?
CCross-Sector Partnerships: Schools, Communities, Families, and Institutions in Deep Collaboration
- Key takeaways: Which partnership models surprised or inspired you most? Please summarise the three most important takeaways.
- Transferable practices: Among these ‘collaborative models’, what are the most critical first steps for initiating partnerships? Please identify three transferable lessons.
- Challenges and recommendations: What are the three biggest obstacles (e.g. time costs, communication costs, coordination of interests) and how can they be overcome?
DInnovative Pedagogies: AI, Technology, and Interdisciplinary Integration
- Key takeaways: Which pedagogical innovations surprised or excited you most? Please summarise the three most important takeaways.
- Transferable practices: What are the unique and irreplaceable values of AI-assisted learning, interdisciplinary integration, and traditional craftsmanship respectively? Please identify the three most transferable insights.
- Challenges and recommendations: What are the three biggest challenges (e.g. equipment, training, curriculum time, interdisciplinary collaboration, technology application) and how can they be overcome in different school contexts?
Two-day structure at a glance
| Day 1 · 3 August | Day 2 · 4 August | |
| Morning | Opening Plenary & Parallel Sessions (2 rounds) | Invited Presentation & “Beyond School Walls” Plenary (Parts 1 & 2) |
| Midday | Breakout Discussions & Lunch | Lunch |
| Early Afternoon | Plenary Reports (Round 1) | Plenary Reports (Round 2) |
| Late Afternoon | Capacity-Building Workshop & ICH Experiential Workshop | ICUA Capacity-Building Workshop & Breakout Discussions (Future Planning & Feedback) |
| Early Evening | Day 1 Wrap-up | Closing Plenary |
| Evening | Free | Networking Reception |