Collaboration

In December 2017, Dr. Le Vinh An, Dean of the Duy Tan University Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts, was honored to be the only Vietnamese representative at an international conference on the topic of “The Establishment of a Network for Safeguarding and Developing the Cultural Heritage of the Mekong Basin Countries”, held in Bangkok and at the Ayutthaya heritage site in Thailand. Dr. An’s presentation was well-received and his proposal to start training architects in Heritage Conservation and Tourism was supported by many of the international experts present.

The conference was jointly organized by Waseda University in Japan, the UNESCO World Heritage Institute, Silpakorn University in Thailand and the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Center. Ministers, heritage institute directors, heads of educational programs and representatives of countries with cultural heritages in the Mekong River basin, from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, attended.

 

Sixteen presentations were made at the conference and raised many important issues concerning heritage preservation and development. The experts reaffirmed the importance of each of the heritage sites and proposed appropriate preservation strategies. They agreed to begin collaborating to train specialists in architectural heritage conservation, to improve the long-term financial revenue from heritage sites and develop the local tourist industry.

Dr. An gave a detailed talk entitled: “The complex of Hue monuments: An introduction to its significance and plans for future development”, including an assessment of the emotional, cultural and historical value. He proposed solutions for the preservation, the promotion of tourism around the sites complex, such as shopping and cultural and arts performances, and their integration with other sites in and around Hue.

In a workshop session, Dr. An expressed his support for the proposal of an international association to educate post-graduates and architects in Heritage Conservation and Tourism in the Mekong basin, including Vietnam. Vietnam is home to a huge number of heritage sites, with many located in Central Vietnam, such as the Hue monuments, Hoi An ancient town, the My Son Holy land, Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, the Ho Dynasty Citadel, the Champa Temple and Tower architectural heritage sites, extending from Thua Thien Hue to Ninh Thuan province, and other sites of traditional houses, communal temples, pagodas and so on. The Central Vietnamese heritage is globally significant, encompassing indigenous cultural, historical, architectural, artistic and ecological values. This is why an extensive and highly-qualified team of experts is now needed to preserve and develop it.

 

Located in the heart of the Central Vietnamese heritage, DTU has a long tradition of educating tourism and architecture professionals. A new major in Heritage Conservation and Tourism will graduate specialists to improve the preservation Central Vietnam’s heritage and nationwide. All the conference attendees pledged their support to work together to assist in the development of training programs in Vietnam.

“I heartily agree with Dr. An’s proposal to create an international educational program in cultural heritage preservation,” said Dr. Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool, Director of the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre in Thailand. “Conservationalists must allocate time to broadening their knowledge and meanwhile conduct the necessary practical fieldwork to fully understand our heritage. The creation of a program at DTU will provide us with a team of experts in the near future.”

Professor Zar Chi Min of the Mandalay Technological University Faculty of Architecture and International Relations, in Myanmar, said: “I believe that training a team of conservationists is now vital. Educational collaboration at actual heritage sites will allow researchers to study the latest international information and methods of cultural preservation and I fully agree with Dr. An’s proposal. We will develop specific plans to promote the creation of this joint educational program.”

According to Dr. An, the program will not only focus on academic details, but initially how to equip students with the ability to research cultural heritage, plan its restoration and preservation onsite and promote tourism. Training locations will include sites, such as Nara in Japan, Bagan in Myanmar, Bangkok and Ayutthaya in Thailand, Watphu and Luangprabang in Laos and Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Cambodia. Researchers will work with leading international experts in the field.

For more information about architecture education at DTU, see: http://duytan.edu.vn/architecture/the-faculty-of-architecture-skm/