Heritage Diplomacy: Connecting Histories and Futures

The project brings together experts from the humanities, computing studies and the social sciences to produce new, field defining scholarship and platforms of knowledge exchange between academia and institutions that see cultural heritage as a productive means for promoting societal cohesion within and across borders, and the values of internationalism and international diplomacy. It is oriented by the concept of heritage diplomacy, and innovation comes from integrating two distinct ways of approaching this term.

The first approach addresses the heritage sector as an increasingly important actor in foreign policy, diplomatic strategy, people-people ties and international cooperation. To that end, heritage is seen as a series of intersecting ecosystems operating at different scales, involving multiple actors and sectors of public and cultural policy.

The second approach involves examining Asia’s long history of diplomatic gifting as a legacy of intercultural conduct. Understanding material culture histories of diplomacy as a form of shared heritage foregrounds narratives of connected pasts for both scholars and public audiences in ways that foster productive connections in the present.

Through its radical interdisciplinary methodology, Heritage Diplomacy in Asia will train Singaporean scholars at different career stages, and advance the fields of heritage studies, cultural policy, digital humanities, and international affairs in novel and important ways. It will bring together academics from several universities in Singapore, along with museum curators, conservators, cultural policy experts, embassies, businesses and government ministries to generate new forms of dialogue and practice. Addressing long-term transformations facing cultural heritage globally, the project will help Singapore become the intellectual leader in heritage diplomacy and digital heritage methodologies in Asia.