STEM in Heritage Sciences Erasmus Project

Project Title

STEM in Heritage Sciences

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

The transformations (societal, economic and technological) which emerged since the 1990s affected also the sector of cultural heritage protection and management (changes in conceptual basis, technological tools, legislation, scientific background, education, development of new forms of market-based heritage expert services). HERISTEM strategic partnership is created with the aim to meet these challenges and to overcome shortcomings of the university curricula where the ‘heritage’ disciplines (archaeology, art history, ethnology, history…), are still traditionally taught mostly for academic/research purposes. To this end, the most important task of the project is more systematic incorporation of STEM knowledge in education and research in heritage discipline. Recent achievements of STEM in understanding the nature and characteristics of different materials, inorganic and organic, humans, animals, plants etc., have demonstrated great potential for increasing our understanding of cultural heritage, and, hence, for developing better strategies for its protection and management. The ‘central’ discipline in HERISTEM project is archaeology. As the most interdisciplinary of all heritage disciplines it deals with different material/physical aspects of various objects of heritage, ranging from small objects, architecture, objects of art, to cultural landscapes, covering so most of the field of cultural heritage. In addition to this, it is the archaeological heritage which is today threatened the most by spatial development, and required best possible experts.

HERISTEM is conceived as a strategic partnership for implementing STEM sciences in university curricula of heritage disciplines. Today, there are no single department or institute in Europe which can effectively educate students in all domains of knowledge and methods needed in contemporary heritage research, STEM topics included. By creating a partnership, our project aims to provide effective transfer of knowledge, skills and good practices, primarily for the students of heritage disciplines, increasing so their capacities in job markets. But this process is two-way; also the STEM students will have more chances to pursue their careers in the heritage domains. Last, but not least, HERISTEM partnership is also aimed at additionally assisting to the initiative for accreditation of joint MA degree in ‘applied archaeology (PROARCHE) of the Universities of Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Sarajevo, which is planned in next few years.

The partners are 6 universities (Belgrade, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Koeln, and Cambridge), 1 museum (Serbia) and 2 private enterprises (Slovenia and Croatia). By joining their capacities and expertise the HERISTEM partnership is able to provide effective coverage of all major STEM topics currently required in the professional heritage sector. Museum and two private enterprises were selected as the most likely types of institutions for further professional careers of students, and for training them in actual working environments. Is expected that more than 700 BA and MA students of various heritage-oriented disciplines will be reached directly, and much more indirectly (with online courses and materials).

The principal teaching/learning activities:

a) 5 intensive courses (7 working days each): intensive teaching (70 – 100 hours; 25 – 30 students; 4 – 6 teachers) of STEM topics in heritage (bioarchaeology, geoarchaeology, remote sensing, GIS, laboratory analyses of materials, data computation, museography).
b) 2 seminars, (a) for staff training in e-teaching tools and (b) a seminar in entrepreneurship and job markets in heritage sectors (for students and junior staff).
c) Blended student mobility; aimed at individual students to upgrade their knowledge obtained at intensive courses, ‘hybrid mobility’, a program combining studying and practical assignments at private enterprises.
d) teachers mobility; short training for increasing capacities.
e) production of teaching materials for e-teaching platform.

Other activities (conference, exhibition, publications …) are aimed to support and disseminate the results of the major teaching/learning activities.
The principal results of the projects will be students mastering new methods and techniques (STEM-related) who will also get experiences in professional working environments. New BA, MA and PhD thesis induced by the project are expected. Teachers will upgrade their knowledge and create new networks, significantly increasing interdisciplinarity of the university curricula. Potential long-term benefits include the enriched knowledge of students, future professionals, and teachers. Partners will definitely continue and expand their collaboration (e.g. joint e-teaching platform will remain in use after the project; initiative for MA joint degree in ‘applied archaeology’). Improved teaching will also reflect in the professional heritage sector.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 308505 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERZITET U BEOGRADU & Country: RS

Project Partners

• UNIVERZITET U SARAJEVU
• UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
• THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
• ARHEJ d.o.o., Arheoloske raziskave in druge intelektualne storitve, Sevnica
• KADUCEJ d.o.o.
• Narodni muzej u Beogradu
• SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU