Innovation in Cultural Heritage Research
In the frame of the launch of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 (EYCH), this publication (Policy Review) aims to evaluate the potentials and challenges of a shared European cultural heritage. Research on these complex challenges provide evidence and advice towards better education, cultural, social and other policies at European, national and regional levels.
Thus, this policy review first explains the importance of a European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, bringing the term and notion of [European] “Cultural Heritage” into people’s minds as an interdisciplinary research activity and way to engage with cultural diversity. The EYCH could then have the ability to foster a positive and dynamic European Identity and that a shared and comment European cultural heritage can contribute to a more tolerant, democratic and participative European society.
According to surveys, most of European citizens think that European cultural heritage is important for their identity as well as an important job hub, while three quarters of the respondents think that the public authorities should allocate more resources to Europe’s cultural heritage. Therefore, the EYCH labels, prizes and events appear to be very important for the Europeans.
This policy review also remarks the most important place research plays in the EYCH, more specifically for the social sciences and humanities. Research can help understanding the importance of cultural heritage in society and its potential for social cohesion, economic growth and sustainable development.
The last parts for this policy review formulates concrete proposals and opportunities for the future: it seems that cultural heritage has to be placed in the post 2020 European Research agenda in order to sustain its current role and impact.