Launch of New Cycle of UNESCO-VOCATIONS PATRIMOINE Co-Sponsored Fellowships for World Heritage Site Managers

World Heritage site managers and people intending to pursue a career in World Heritage site management are being invited to apply for Fellowships offered through the UNESCO-VOCATIONS PATRIMOINE World Heritage Site Managers Programme.

This programme - launched in January 2006 - is made possible as a result of an innovative public-private partnership between the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the French non-governmental organization, Association Vocations Patrimoine, supported by the multinational groups, AXA and MAZARS. It supports the World Heritage Committee's Capacity Building objectives by facilitating access to advanced level interdisciplinary training in World Heritage studies.

At present, the Fellowships are only offered in connection with the Master of Arts in World Heritage Studies at Brandenburg Technical University, Cottbus, Germany (http://www.tu-cottbus.de/whs), and with the Master of Science in World Heritage Management at University College Dublin, Ireland (http://www.ucd.ie/bioenvsci/postgrad/masters_world_heritage.htm). Applicants should therefore either be in receipt of an offer on or in the process of applying to one of these courses. Applicants should be under 45 years of age.

In addition to proven academic excellence, candidates will be required to submit a proposal for research on a management issue at a World Heritage property to be carried out as part of the Fellowship. These proposals should explicitly support the objectives and priorities of the World Heritage Committee in the field of World Heritage management https://whc.unesco.org/. Special attention will be given to candidates who wish to focus their research on the management of a property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Each of the five Fellowships on offer covers tuition fees, one round trip air ticket between the Fellow's home and the university plus one round trip air ticket to the World Heritage property where the field work will take place; a monthly stipend of Euro 1300 to cover living expenses (accommodation, utilities, food, books, local transport and other out of pocket expenses), and mandatory health insurance.

Priority will be given to applicants from low income countries and to professionals already working at a World Heritage property.

Applicants may submit their application to the official national liaison body for UNESCO (usually the National Commission - see Communities section on http://portal.unesco.org/), which will select a maximum of 2 candidates from each country to forward to UNESCO. Applications must reach UNESCO by 31 March 2007.