On the occasion of Europe Day, the European Union member-state embassies based in Qatar have come together with the cultural heritage institutions of Qatar to highlight the importance of collaborating to preserve cultural heritage.  The 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage provides the backdrop for this event.  During a panel discussion, experts will address the challenges related with preserving cultural heritage, areas of collaboration between Europe and the Middle East, and opportunities to work together to ensure that the past is preserved and available in the future.

The event, which is co-sponsored by EU embassies in Qatar with the support of EUNIC (the European Cultural Cluster in Doha), will take place in partnership with Qatar National Library (QNL) during the current Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It will be accompanied by a digital exhibition from Europeana, the European cultural heritage platform (https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en).

Date: 9 May 2018

Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Language: English

Target Audience: Academics, Public

Seats are limited. Please register by clicking the button below.

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Speakers:

Keynote: Dr. Sohair Westawy, Executive Director, Qatar National Library

Panel:

- Mr Kees Wieringa, Director, Sheikh Faisal Bin QassimAl Thani Museum

- Dr. Anna Paolini, Director, UNESCO Representative in the Arab States of Gulf & Yemen

- Mr Stephane Ipert, Acting Director of the Heritage Library, Qatar National Library

- Dr. Ferhan Sakal, Head of Archaeological Operations, Qatar Museums

- Dr.Mounia Chekhab, Curator, Museum of Islamic Art

Moderator: Mrs. Mona Hamed Hussain, Director of Legal Affairs, Qatar Museums

Includes a piano concert by Mrs. Sonja Park

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Europeana Digital Exhibition

Europeana is the EU digital cultural heritage platform. It provides access to over 50 million digitized items including books, music and artworks. Europeana contributes to an open, knowledgeable and creative society by making it easier for people to use cultural heritage material for work, learning, or pleasure. The digital exhibition at QNL is the result of the 2017 ‘GIF It Up’ competition which invited cultural heritage enthusiasts around the world to create brand new GIFs from the digitized cultural heritage material available through European and other international digital libraries.

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About The European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018: Where the Past Meets the Future

The year will see a series of initiatives and events across the World to enable people to become closer to and more involved with their cultural heritage. Cultural heritage brings communities together and builds shared understandings of the places we live in. Thanks to technology and the internet, it is now more accessible than ever.

The aim of the European Year of Cultural Heritage is to encourage the sharing and appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage and to raise awareness of our common history and values.

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About The EUNIC cluster in Qatar

It is the first of its kind to be established in the GCC region. It gathers EU countries represented in Qatar with the aim to promote cultural and linguistic diversity, develop exchanges between European and Qatari youth, and foster European and Qatari artist exchanges.

The EUNIC cluster in Qatar will contribute to enhancing the cultural relationships between EU member States and Qatar and promoting the cultural diversity of Europe.