Scholars from the ANU Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies contributed to major international discussions on heritage interpretation, global heritage governance and the future of World Heritage at events held in Seoul and Busan, Republic of Korea, in July 2026.

Professor Laurajane Smith and Associate Professor Yujie Zhu were invited to participate in the 2026 International Conference on Heritage Interpretation and Presentation: Challenges and the Future of Heritage Interpretation — Towards the Revision of International Norms, held in Seoul, and related side events during the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan.

The events brought together heritage experts, policy makers, international organisations and World Heritage stakeholders to consider how heritage interpretation can respond to urgent global challenges, including conflict, contested memory, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, climate change, crisis and community participation.

At the World Heritage Committee side events in Busan, CHMS scholars contributed to discussions on how heritage interpretation can move beyond technical communication to become a critical practice for dialogue, inclusion and ethical decision-making. Professor Smith moderated an international panel discussion that connected debates on heritage, conflict, governance and public responsibility. Associate Professor Zhu contributed perspectives on transnational heritage, museums, difficult memory and the role of heritage networks in addressing the afterlives of war.

Their participation highlighted the Centre’s contribution to international heritage policy and UNESCO-related discussions. It also demonstrated the role of critical heritage studies in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing cultural heritage today: how to interpret difficult pasts, how to support dialogue across borders, and how to ensure that heritage remains socially meaningful in a rapidly changing world.

The invitation reflects CHMS’s international leadership in heritage interpretation, memory, museums and critical heritage studies, and demonstrates ANU’s broader contribution to global conversations on more inclusive, ethical and future-oriented heritage practice.