UNESCO research consultancy | heritage and university courses in A-P region

UNESCO Bangkok has a Call for Research Consultancy: Supporting the Integration of Intangible Cultural Heritage in University Courses in the Asia-Pacific Region. Proposals by qualified consultants invited.

Deadline: 8 July 2015

Consultancy timeframe: Approximately 15-20 weeks between July to November 2015

Background of the project:

“Intangible cultural heritage” or “ICH” is defined by the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage as “the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. ICH is manifested inter alia in the following domains: (a) oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible; (b) cultural heritage; (c) performing arts; (d) social practices, rituals and festive events; (e) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; (f) traditional craftsmanship”.

With an aim to support the integration of ICH studies in university courses at post-graduate level in the Asia-Pacific Region, UNESCO will organize a regional symposium in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2015 to bring together representatives from tertiary education institutions in the region. This symposium will provide a platform for the universities to exchange their knowledge, resources and experiences in the development of ICH programmes at the post-graduate level.

As part of the activity implementation, the selected consultant will conduct a situational analysis on topics which are detailed below in “Role of the consultant”. The analysis results will be presented at the symposium to enable the participants to gain a better understanding of the situation related to the implementation of ICH post-graduate programmes by universities in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Role of the consultant:

1. Conduct research, taking into consideration an equitable geographic representation of countries across the Asia-Pacific Region, of post-graduate degrees focusing on intangible cultural heritage (ICH). In particular the consultant shall:

a. Create a list of universities in the Asia-Pacific Region that are active in teaching ICH at post-graduate level. Specify institutional infrastructures (for examples, department or faculty) that offer these studies as well as their programme requirements (for example, requirements focusing on coursework, field visits, and/or thesis completion).

b. Examine and assess curricular contents and teaching materials as well as delivery modalities (instructors and teaching methods) employed by a selection of universities (to be agreed upon with UNESCO) in implementing their ICH education programs.

c. Analyze whether the above programmes reflect, employ or refer to the basic principles of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (including, inter alia, community-based identification, inventorying and safeguarding of ICH, viability and the dynamic nature of ICH, ICH and sustainable development. Please refer to Annex II for more details.)

d. Produce a report with an executive summary to present the results of the undertaken situational analysis per Article 1 a. b. and c. (indicative maximum number of pages, including an executive summary: 40 pages).

2. Assist with the organization of the two-day regional symposium in Bangkok, Thailand, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in November 2015.

a. Contribute to the development of the symposium agenda in collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok;

b. Produce and present a 45-minute PowerPoint file to report the undertaken situational analysis per Article 1 at the symposium;

c. Facilitate and moderate the presentations and plenary sessions during the two-day symposium;

d. Produce a meeting report with an executive summary to include the participants’ inputs and overall symposium outcomes (indicative maximum number of pages, including an executive summary: 20 pages).

3. Provide UNESCO with the following documents:

a. Preliminary list of universities in the Asia-Pacific Region that are active in teaching ICH at post-graduate level per Article 1 a. by 31 July 2015.