The Faculty of Philosophy and the UNESCO Chair take part in the international workshop organised by the University of Lausanne, presenting a report on the role of intangible cultural heritage in strengthening social cohesion and supporting the integration of Middle Eastern refugees.

Between 18–19 May 2026, the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest, through the UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development, is represented at the international workshop “Workshops on the Importance of Culture and Heritage for Refugees. Resilience and Higher Education”, organised at the University of Lausanne within the framework of the European project VERIS – Voices of Palmyra, CIVIS Open Lab.

The event brings together researchers, international experts, and academic institutions concerned with the relationship between cultural heritage, education, inclusion, and resilience in contexts shaped by forced migration, social vulnerability, and challenges to community cohesion.

The report “UNESCO Report on Intangible Cultural Heritage as a Tool for Social Cohesion and Integration of Middle Eastern Refugees”, authored by Lecturer Dr. Oana Șerban and Dr. Lilian Ciachir, will be presented during the workshop and explores how intangible cultural heritage can become a tool for strengthening social cohesion, rebuilding a sense of belonging, and supporting refugee inclusion.

Drawing on the findings of the VERIS project, the report proposes a shift in perspective: from the mere symbolic recognition of the cultural heritage of vulnerable communities toward participatory models of cultural justice, in which refugees become active agents in the processes of defining, transmitting, and governing heritage.

The analysis highlights that forced displacement affects not only material security but also collective memory, cultural practices, and the continuity of community identities. In this context, intangible cultural heritage — traditions, rituals, narratives, and forms of expression — may contribute to rebuilding resilience, strengthening social belonging, and developing sustainable mechanisms of inclusion.

Participation in the Lausanne workshops forms part of a broader framework of research and international cooperation developed within the VERIS – Voices of Palmyra project, aimed at exploring the relationship between cultural heritage, memory, resilience, and the inclusion of communities affected by forced displacement.

As a continuation of these activities, the photo-album volume Imagining Homeland: Palmyra’s (In)Tangible Heritage and the Voices of Displacement is scheduled for publication in June, co-edited by Lecturer Dr. Oana Șerban and Professor Patrick M. Michel (University of Lausanne). The work documents the practical and participatory dimensions of the research carried out under the auspices of the VERIS project, bringing together reflections on cultural heritage, memory, experiences of displacement, and mechanisms of resilience developed within vulnerable communities.

The volume illustrates how tangible and intangible heritage can become spaces for reconnection, belonging, and symbolic reconstruction for people affected by forced migration. The book, authored by Patrick M. Michel and Oana Șerban, will be published by the University of Bucharest Publishing Press and documents the voices of displacement alongside the (in)tangible heritage of Palmyra.

The participation of the University of Bucharest reflects its institutional commitment to intercultural dialogue, international academic cooperation, and socially impactful research, in line with the values promoted by UNESCO and the objectives of CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance.

Through involvement in international initiatives dedicated to cultural heritage and inclusion, as well as through the development of academic and editorial outcomes associated with the VERIS project, the Faculty of Philosophy and the UNESCO Chair reaffirm their commitment to promoting intercultural dialogue, resilience, and human dignity in increasingly complex global contexts.