Call for ApplicationsCourse: "Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) in a World Heritage Context"
In cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport and ICOMOS International the Austrian Commission for UNESCO offers a certification course on „Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) in a World Heritage Context“ based on the „Guidance and Toolkit Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context“ (2022).
Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) are an essential tool for protecting heritage sites. They provide a structured framework for evaluating the potential impacts of planned developments on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World Heritage properties – helping to avoid or mitigate adverse effects while enabling sustainable decision-making.
This continuing education course, organised by the Austrian Commission for UNESCO together with ICOMOS International and the Federal Ministry for Arts and Culture, is aimed at planners, architects, engineers, spatial planners, heritage experts, public authorities, investors and developers. The course is based on the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context (2022).
The course is structured in three phases: Two online modules (8 & 11 June 2026) introduce World Heritage concepts and HIA methodology. Three in-person modules in Vienna (15–17 June 2026) include interactive workshops, group exercises and an on-site visit. A final online presentation session (1 July 2026) gives participants the opportunity to present their completed case study reports.
The course is held in English and is limited to 10–24 participants. The participation fee is EUR 500,-, covering teaching materials, meals during in-person sessions and a Certificate of Completion from ICOMOS International. The registration deadline is 22 May 2026 – apply by e-mail to events@unesco.at with a short CV and motivation letter (max. 1 page)
Nähere Informationen und Kursprogramm finden sich hier zum Download:
Downloads
- Call_for_Participants_HIA_Course_short.pdf 194 KB (pdf)
- Call_for_participants_ICOMOS_HIA_Course_2026.pdf 239 KB (pdf)
