Recently, the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was inaugurated in Beijing. China will promote international communication and cooperation in ICH field in Asia-Pacific Region through the training center and make a positive contribution to ICH protection cause of the world, especially Asia-Pacific Region. 

Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Culture Zhao Shaohua and Wang Wenzhang and UNESCO Assistant Director General Francesco Bandarin attended the inauguration ceremony. Zhao Shaohua believed that the establishment of the training center conveyed China’s good intensions to contribute to the ICH protection cause of the world and the sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region. The center will promote ICH protection ability construction of the region by conducting ICH training. 

Bandarin believed that from a global perspective, international ICH protection is facing grim situation and he hoped that the newly established center can develop into a real international agency to serve all the countries in Asia-Pacific Region. 

It is informed that the center will persist in the working principle of Basing in China, Serving the Asia-Pacific Region and Facing the World and be guided by the overall and international principle featured with forward looking and long term. The center will commit itself to publicizing and promoting the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to help the community and individuals to participate in ICH protection in the Asia-Pacific Region, improve the ICH protection abilities of the UNESCO members in the Asia-Pacific Region by combining long or short term trainings and field surveys and develop multi-lateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region under the framework of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

The center possesses unique advantages in training. First, the center has first-class teachers in ICH protection field who would introduce advanced ICH protection experience in the world into Asia-Pacific Region; second, as an international agency with the support of UNESCO, the center still owns intellectual support from UNESCO and can launch wide cooperation with the Ability Construction Section of ICH Department under UNESCO and UNESCO advisory body as well as the cultural and educational agencies and research entities of all the countries in Asia-Pacific Region. The center will start international trainings this year to foster a group of ICH protection talents. 

At present, the center has preliminarily set up cooperation with universities and research institutions including Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Beijing University, Chinese National Academy of Arts and Minzu university of China. The center will also establish basis for training, research, communication and teaching, make ICH programmes and set up ICH foundation. [Chinese version is available on jyb.cn]

(Source: IPR in China)