The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) is a network of universities from Asia, Australasia and the Americas. The association established the APRU University Museums Research Symposium in 2012 to bring participants together for the sharing of research and education initiatives concerning their universities’ cultural and scientific collections.
This year, we will reflect on the research and preservation of architectural heritage and its place in the urban landscape. Architectural heritage involves multidisciplinary perspectives and collaborations which demonstrate expertise in science, culture, and the environment. Continuity and change have become crucial considerations when looking at our built environment and heritage buildings, as evident in recent examples of public health and climate concerns. The Asia-Pacific landscape especially provides a cross-cultural platform on which developments in architectural heritage research, education and practice can flourish, allowing ideas exchanged during the Symposium among universities, museums, and its collaborators to form a foundation upon which future research can be based on.
The sub-themes of the symposium are developed to encourage participants from various related fields to discuss, debate and reflect on:
- Architectural heritage as a pedagogical resource
- Architectural preservation and documentation on university campuses
- Reflections on the changes in approach of the evolving nature of architectural heritage
- University archives as research resources
- Bequest of estates to universities, donations, and good stewardships
- Capacity building in strengthening the social ecosystem in architectural heritage
- People-centred approach to conservation
- University partnerships with industries in preserving or maintaining heritage sites
- New conservation standards, available scientific investigations and technologies
- Moral and ethical issues and practices of built heritage
- Advocacy and continuity of architectural heritage for future generations
- Sustainability and heritage development in a world of change (climate change, natural disasters, and COVID-19)
Programme
A panel overview per day is now available. The full programme booklet is now available here.
If you have any enquiries, please email apru2021@nus.edu.sg.