The Leiden-Delft-Erasmus collaboration in the fields of heritage, (urban) design, and culture (history) is entering a new phase with the establishment of the Global Heritage and Development program. This program focuses on integrating research and education on current issues at the intersection of heritage, spatial development, and societal transitions. The first joint activity, a thesis lab on the Atlantic Wall, will begin this fall.
The first joint research and education session took place on October 9th in the Hortus Botanicus in Delft. Researchers from the three universities gathered to explore and shape the program's substantive direction and thematic priorities.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for (inter)faculty meetings and knowledge exchange between various disciplines.
The program builds on the earlier Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Global Heritage and Development. The three universities share unique expertise in spatial planning and heritage issues.
Dr. Ir. Gerdy Verschuure-Stuip, assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology, will lead the renewed program. Her research focuses on heritage, landscape biography and architecture, participatory transformation processes, inclusive design, public space, green heritage, and historical defense lines.
We are delighted with this new start. The Leiden-Delft-Erasmus partnership provides an excellent foundation for precisely this type of collaboration, where researchers and lecturers strengthen each other's knowledge and students gain a wealth of insights. -Prof.dr. Wim van den Doel,
Dean van Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities
In a densely populated country like the Netherlands, there is a great need for knowledge about how to manage heritage within urban and landscape development processes. Consider provincial heritage challenges for new construction, the preservation and renewal of urban identities, and advisory services for landscape interventions. By bringing archaeologists, urban planners, and cultural historians together, new and, above all, applicable insights emerge.
The Delft University of Technology is the lead partner for the program. The steering committee is chaired by Prof. Dick van Gameren, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, and also consists of Prof. Jan Kolen, Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, and Prof. Martine van Selm, Dean of the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication.