Reaching an agreement can often be a challenge when the UNESCO committee convenes to designate sites as having extraordinary cultural or natural value - and there is a need for experts on the matter.

There are now 10 degree programs worldwide that examine topics relating to the listed sites, including the first "World Heritage Studies" program in Germany, founded in 1999.

The unique program isn't offered at one of Germany's biggest and most renowned universities but rather at the small Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, in a rural area near the Polish border.

The idea for the degree arose from various cooperative programs the university had undertaken with the World Heritage Center in Paris, said professor and former head of the World Heritage master's course Marie-Theres Albert. It's also turning Cottbus into a more international place, she added.

Practical application

"The cooperation with UNESCO is outstanding, and we are able to work directly with the center in Paris as well as the German and other national UNESCO commissions," Albert said.

The master's program is part of the network comprising all of the important academic and political institutions affiliated with the World Heritage project. These institutions present the questions and issues that make up the core of the master's theses required as part of the program.

The research that students undertake is then used, either to evaluate candidate sites or in order to support existing sites.

Program has proved itself

When the BTU introduced the master's program 10 years ago, it attracted some chuckles. But now young people from across the world are migrating to the small city in eastern Germany to study.

"That's crazy - people learn best by working with each other, and they see that their own perspective isn't the whole story," said Christin from Chile. A fellow student from China has just worked on a project relating to an ancient water redirection system from her home country, while a Japanese student uses videos to show how houses in her country are built to resist earthquakes.

Iva is from Croatia, and her topic is the historic water management system in Dubrovnik. She is especially pleased that each student at the program can offer personal insights into the cultural treasures of his or her country.

"You learn about the world. But the professors can't teach you that alone," she said. "I mean, no single person can explain the architectural history of the entire world, but with the help of the other students, it works."

Interdisciplinary, international and intercultural

The degree course lasts four semesters and requires at least a bachelor's degree before enrolling. World Heritage Studies focuses on the three I's: interdisciplinary, international and intercultural. The students' concentrations are just as diverse as their nationalities.

Iva, for instance, studied tourism before, and now she studies alongside architects, humanities scholars and even those who have degrees in the natural sciences.

Each student in the program is required to take the same proportion of courses in the social sciences, and their lecturers come from various departments at the BTU. Professor Joerg Kuehn, director and head of the World Heritage Studies master's program, praises it as "one of the shining stars" of the BTU.

"And we can say that without arrogance," he added.

A degree that opens doors

The career opportunities for the program's graduates are also strong, said Kuehn: "A degree from the WHS is internationally recognized and guarantees a good job ranging from a position with the UNESCO in Paris to work in cultural and monument support in the students' home countries."

Professor Kuehn says he is pleased each time he sees what his former students are doing. Perhaps one of them will help in the decision facing the committee this year about Germany's own World Heritage candidate, a water management system located in the Upper Harz region.

On August 3, the committee will announce which new sites will be added to or removed from the list.

Author: Sascha Erler, Klaus Kraemer (gsw)
Editor: Kate Bowen