Strengthening Cooperation between Hue University of Sciences and Marche Polytechnic University, Italy in heritage conservation and tourism development in Central Vietnam

This visit was a significant opportunity for both sides to strengthen their partnership and exchange expertise in cultural heritage conservation linked to sustainable tourism development through the application of technology, particularly information technology, and to propose new directions for future collaboration.

At the UNIVPM Rector’s Office, the HUSC delegation held an official meeting with Prof. Marco D’Orazio – Vice Rector of UNIVPM, together with Prof. Fausto Pugnaloni (former UNIVPM leader and Honorary Professor of Hue University), Prof. Eva Savina Malinverni (Italian Project coordinator), and Prof. Antonello Alici. The two parties reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the bilateral project titled “Research on strategic solutions for national cultural heritage conservation associated with tourism development in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue provinces through IT application”. This project has been implemented since December 2022 and is expected to conclude in 2025.

The mission’s goals include:

·        Identifying the cultural heritage values of the three provinces,

·        Assessing the heritage potential and current state of IT applications in heritage research and preservation,

·        Creating a database of representative heritage sites,

·        Developing a conservation model linked to tourism development through IT application in the three provinces.

This initiative contributes meaningfully to heritage conservation and regional development in Central Vietnam.

At the cooperation evaluation workshop held at the Faculty of Engineering – UNIVPM, the HUSC delegation presented a comprehensive progress report on the project and proposed expanded research directions such as sustainable development in lagoon and coastal areas of Central Vietnam, heritage conservation in the context of climate change, and building a digital database for heritage management. The UNIVPM professors also shared in-depth presentations on remote sensing technologies, climate-adaptive cultural heritage conservation, and water resource management, enriching the scope of future research collaboration.

Beyond official meetings and seminars, the delegation visited and studied heritage management models at Marina Dorica Port, the Mole Vanvitelliana heritage site, and the Marche Regional Department of Cultural Heritage and Tourism. These visits offered valuable practical insights into the integration of heritage conservation with sustainable tourism, infrastructure management, and digital technology in conservation monitoring.

The working trip achieved success, meeting all the expected goals. Both sides agreed to continue enhancing academic exchange, expanding research and training collaboration, organizing annual international workshops, and developing a new cooperation proposal for the 2025–2030 period. The future plan will focus on urgent themes such as climate change, heritage conservation, and sustainable urban development. These efforts will be concretized through short-term training programs, specialized courses, and exchanges of faculty and researchers between the two institutions.

 

This visit not only deepened the scientific collaboration between HUSC and UNIVPM but also opened new prospects for applying modern technology to heritage preservation and sustainable development in Central Vietnam in the coming years.

Assoc. Prof. Hoang Cong Tin introduced HUSC participants

Prof. Marco D’Orazio introduced the university

Discussion among the leaders and project members between HUSC và UNIVPM

Prof. Marco D’Orazio offered a souvenir gift to HUSC members

PGS.TS. Võ Thanh Tùng, Hiệu trưởng HUSC tặng quà lưu niệm cho UNIVPM

Assoc. Prof. Vo Thanh Tung - Rector offered a souvenir gift to UNIVPM

Assoc. Prof. Vo Thanh Tung - Rector offered a souvenir gift to Prof. Fausto Pugnaloni