We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the International Conference “Intangible Heritage Horizons and Echoes: Safeguarding the Invisible,” which will take place at the University of Parma from 29 to 31 May 2026.

Promoted by the Heritage International Institute in collaboration with the University of Parma and Sciences Po, and supported by a broad international academic network, the conference will examine the evolving legal, social, and technological dimensions of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

Drawing on the framework of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the event will address the living and community-based nature of intangible heritage, with particular emphasis on continuity, transmission, and dynamic safeguarding practices. It will further consider the growing risks posed by armed conflicts, climate change, globalization, and digital transformation.

The conference aims to integrate academic research with policy-oriented perspectives, bringing together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore issues including human rights, international criminal law, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, restitution of cultural property, children in armed conflict, performing arts, and the interrelationship between tangible, intangible, and natural heritage.

Particular attention will be devoted to digitization and intelligent archival systems as instruments for documentation and transmission, while critically assessing the legal and ethical implications related to cultural data governance, cybersecurity, and the potential decontextualization of traditional knowledge. The event will also mark the extension of the Virtual Museum on Cultural Heritage—developed by the Heritage International Institute and recognized by the United Nations—to encompass intangible cultural heritage.

The Scientific Committee reflects the conference’s multidisciplinary and international scope. It includes Ahmed Aubais Alfatlawi, Linda Borean, Federica Burini, Cristiana Carletti, Fulvia Caruso, Yumei Chin, Khalid Khudair Dahham, Hani El Debuch, Carla Ferrario, Elisabetta Fiocchi Malaspina, Valentina Gastaldo, Laura Guercio, Ahmed F. Khalifa, Rana Kharouf, Tina Manandhar, Gianluigi Mastandrea Bonaviri, Maria Raffaella Mastandrea Bonaviri, Mirosław M. Sadowski, Daniela Pittaluga, Frederic Ramel, Isabella Salsano, Davide Scalmani, Grégory Taousson and Nora V. Weller, representing expertise across international law, cultural heritage protection, anthropology, political science, architecture, digital heritage, and related fields.

Submission Guidelines
Deadline for Abstracts: 20 March 2026
Format: Maximum 500 words (Times New Roman, 12pt)
Submission: academicdirection@hii.institute

Notification of Selection: 30 March 2026

CALL FOR PAPER