YAL1 - The Sustainable Preservation of Cultural Heritage: An Introduction to a Global Challenge of Our Time

4 July 2016 – 5 August 2016
Hosted by Yale University

The challenges of the 21st century in protecting the tangible and intangible, cultural and natural heritage of the world are global in character and need to be also addressed on a global level. Cultural and natural heritage are increasingly threatened with destruction not only by the traditional causes of decay, but also by changing social and economic conditions.

The world is changing at a rapid pace and conservation efforts must keep up with these challenges. For example, in the last years we have seen the phenomena of cultural cleansing rising in the Middle East and Africa, while natural disasters have taken a toll and underlined the need to develop sustainable and global strategies for preservation.

This course offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding complex factors that challenge the preservation of cultural heritage. Guest speakers with relevant expertise will be invited to participate in many of the class sessions.

In addition, the course will draw on the collections of the Yale University Museums for discussion and as the basis of student assignments.

Download the detailed Course Description.

Field Trip

The program will include a welcome lunch / campus tour, and farewell dinner. The course will also include a day trip to the United Nations in New York City.

Target Audience/ Prerequisites

Bachelor students

This course requires a TOEFL of 100 on the internet-based test.
There is no academic prerequisite for the course.

Delivery Method & Learning Outcomes

Seminar with discussion and group work.

Students are required to complete the reading assignments and be prepared to discuss the major themes in the readings. Students will be split up into groups and will be required to complete a group project under supervision.  Projects will be case-based and will employ a multi-disciplinary approach.

The projects will allow students with differing interests and areas of expertise to work together. These projects will be carried out in parallel, with presentations scheduled for the final week.

After completing the course and project, students will be able to identify the key factors—natural and human—that threaten cultural heritage and will be conversant in preservation methods.

In addition, through their group projects, students will be able to apply their knowledge to real world case studies in cultural preservation.

Assessment

Week II: Essay: select a cultural heritage object/ site/ document/ artefact and describe why it matters to you (10%)

Week III: Literature review for specific assignment (15%)
Week III: Research plan for group assignment (15%)

Week V: Written final project report (40%)
Week V: Presentation of work in plenum (20%)

Credit equivalent at host university & Contact hours

1 Yale College credit (1 Yale credit is usually equals 3 or 4 course credit hours at other US institutions)

32.5 total contact hours (classroom) + 8 field trip hours (excluding self-study hours)

Lecturer(s) / Tutor(s)

Stefan Simon, Director for the Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Accommodation

IARU GSP students will be housed together in one of Yale’s undergraduate residential colleges. Colleges have their own courtyard, dining hall, common room, library, laundry facility, and computer cluster.

Room assignments are made upon check-in at the residential colleges. More details about the summer colleges and which dining halls will be open will be posted on the Yale Summer Session website.

Additional information:
Students must arrive by Sunday 3, July, 2016.
Students will be able to check in from 10am-4pm.
Check-out date: Saturday 06 AUG, 2016
(Students may also check out on Friday 05 August, 2016)

Costs

Figures are estimates only. Click on each item for details.

Required and/or Recommended Insurance(s)

Yale Summer Session will register you and charge you for US based health insurance during the 5 weeks of the program. Once enrolled, you can download your card which you must carry with you at all times.

Further Information

For the nominated students: Upon acceptance to Yale Summer Session (YSS), students will be required to submit an on-line application and upload additional application materials. Students will receive an e-mail from YSS with detailed instructions on what needs to be submitted. In addition to the on-line application, they will have to provide a bank letter stating they have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the program. This is needed for us to petition for an I-20 for the student visa. We will also need a scan of their name page of their passport.

Yale Summer Session website: http://summer.yale.edu/

For admitted students: http://summer.yale.edu/admitted

For further information about this course, please contact Ms. Kathy Trputec This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..