Ahmedabad : Anant National University (AnantU), Ahmedabad is the University partner at the on-going Vadnagar International Conference for Promoting Archaeological Heritage & Culture. AnantU’s long standing association with the UNESCO, was further strengthened with this event, as UNESCO’s Chair and Anant National University faculty, Professor Amreshwar Galla delivered the keynote address at the conference. AnantU presented nine posters about student work and research at the conference. The university also got into a MoU with the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Sports, Youth & Culture Activities Department, Government of Gujarat as a part of this conference.
The collaboration (MoU) included guiding the study of tangible heritage monuments, sites and collections and intangible elements in the state of Gujarat. The MoU incorporated that both the parties will facilitate workshops on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in India. They will collaborate on organizing the first South-East Asian conference focused on textiles, maritime and other allied themes in Gujarat towards the end of 2022.
The MoU also stated that a detailed study will be undertaken to make museums more inclusive, focusing on universal access for Persons with Disability (PWD) in Gujarat under the 2018 National Legislation. A coffee table volume on the four World Heritage sites in Gujarat as part of the 50th Anniversary of the UNESCO 1972 World Heritage Convention, was also captured in the MoU. In addition to these, both parties will develop the dossier for Ahmedabad to be inscribed for Textiles, on the UNESCO List of Creative Cities.
Commenting on the highlights of the conference, Dr Amareswar Galla, UNESCO Chair on Inclusive Museums and Sustainable Heritage Development, Anant National University, said, “We are proud to have associated with the Vadnagar International Conference. The conference served as a platform for innovative ideas, strategies and a different perspective from across the globe in the domain of Archaeological Heritage and Conservation”.
The posters that AnantU presented at the conference, represented the drawing and research, completed by the students as part of the two flagship modules offered by the UNESCO Chair at Anant National University. The posters also included representation of experiences that the students had gathered as part of their Live-Action Projects in the Anant Fellowship programme. Additionally, AnantU students’ sketches of the city of Vadnagar were also presented at the conference.
