Conference Tracks / Thematic Sections
- Eco‑Cultural Heritage, Cultural Landscapes and Memory of Place
Section Chair: prof. Silviu Miloiu, Ph.D.
Description:
This section explores eco‑cultural heritage as an interconnected system of natural processes, cultural practices, historical landscapes, material traces and collective memory. It invites interdisciplinary perspectives on cultural landscapes, sites of memory, ecosystem–culture relations landscape biography, historical ecology, environmental archaeology, palaeoecology and archaeological science, as well as the ways in which heritage contributes to identity formation, spatial continuity and long-term human–environment relationships..
Suggested sub‑topics:
- Cultural landscapes, biocultural diversity, ecosystem heritage and spatial transformations
- Sites of memory, collective remembrance, landscape biographies and cultural identity
- Interactions between natural and cultural heritage across time, including environmental archaeology, palaeoecology, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, geoarchaeology and archaeological science
- Long-term land use, settlement, resource management and environmental change
- Heritage as a dynamic process, not only as a static object or monument
- Literature, Narratives, Arts and Environmental Imaginaries
Section Chair: prof. PhDr. Bohumil Jiroušek, Dr.
Description:
This section focuses on the role of literature, travel writing, art and other narrative forms in shaping perceptions of nature, landscapes and cultural heritage. It welcomes contributions from literary studies, cultural geography and environmental humanities that examine how stories, representations and imaginaries influence human–environment relations. Particular attention may be given to ecocriticism, posthumanist and multispecies perspectives, climate narratives, spiritual landscapes and the symbolic construction of place.
Suggested sub‑topics:
- Cultural heritage and landscapes in literature and travelogues
- Environmental themes and representations of nature in the arts
- Narrative constructions of place, space and cultural imagination
- Ecocriticism, environmental humanities and climate imaginaries
- Multispecies, posthumanist and non-human perspectives in cultural representation
- Sacred, affective and spiritual dimensions of landscape and heritage
- Sustainable Tourism, Regional Development and Heritage‑Based Economies
Section Chair: Ing. et Ing. Nikola Sagapova, Ph.D.
Description:
This section addresses the economic dimensions of eco‑cultural heritage and its role in tourism and regional development. It covers sustainable and regenerative tourism models, community‑based initiatives, as well as the challenges of commercialization and long‑term socio‑economic sustainability in heritage‑rich regions.
Suggested sub‑topics:
- Sustainable, community‑based and regenerative tourism
- Economic impacts of heritage on regions and local communities
- Risks of commodification and strategies for long‑term sustainability
- Heritage-based local economies, creative economies, green jobs and circularity
- Carrying capacity, climate vulnerability and resilience of heritage destinations
- Benefit-sharing, social equity and community ownership in tourism development
- Community Participation, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Landscape Stewardship
Section Chair: prof. PhDr. Miloslav Lapka, CSc.
Description:
This section highlights bottom‑up approaches to heritage management that emphasize the role of local communities, traditional ecological knowledge and participatory governance. Contributions may focus on ekomuseums, place‑based learning, local narratives and community‑driven stewardship of landscapes and heritage. The section particularly welcomes work on knowledge co-production, intergenerational transmission, care, reciprocity, local agency, heritage commons and relational approaches to landscape management.
Suggested sub‑topics:
- Community participation and bottom‑up heritage governance
- Traditional ecological knowledge and local cultural practices
- Ecomuseums, place‑based learning and community stewardship
- Heritage communities, local agency and co-creation of heritage values
- Intergenerational knowledge, oral history and living traditions
- Landscape stewardship, care, responsibility and community-based resilience
- Rights-based, decolonial and ethically sensitive approaches to heritage practice
- Digital, Immersive and Technological Innovations in Heritage Studies
Section Chair: assoc. prof. RNDr. Stanislav Kraft, Ph.D.
Description:
This section explores how digital and technological innovations are transforming research, protection and interpretation of cultural and natural heritage. It invites research on VR/AR, GIS, 3D modelling, digital archives, drones, big data and digital humanities approaches in heritage studies. The section also encourages critical perspectives on AI, digital twins, participatory mapping, open data, data ethics, digital accessibility and the long-term sustainability of digital heritage infrastructures.
Suggested sub‑topics:
- VR, AR and immersive technologies in heritage interpretation
- GIS, 3D modelling and digital documentation of heritage
- Big data, digital humanities and methodological innovations
- Remote sensing, drones, LiDAR, photogrammetry and landscape-scale documentation
- AI, digital twins and predictive modelling in heritage research and management
- Participatory mapping, citizen science and community-based digital archives
- Governance, Policy and Legal Frameworks of Heritage Protection
Section Chair: assoc. prof. Diana Rokita_Poskart, Ph.D.
Description:
This section focuses on institutional, political and legal dimensions of heritage governance. It addresses local, national and international frameworks, UNESCO conventions, multi‑level governance models and the roles of public institutions, municipalities and stakeholders in heritage protection. The section is broadened to include integrated nature–culture governance, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, spatial planning, heritage impact assessment, landscape policy and transboundary cooperation.
Suggested sub‑topics:
- Heritage governance models and institutional arrangements
- National and international legal frameworks (e.g. UNESCO)
- Policy challenges, fragmentation and multi‑level governance
- Integrated governance of cultural, natural and eco-cultural heritage
- Climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and heritage resilience
- Heritage impact assessment, environmental assessment and spatial planning
- Transboundary landscapes, cross-border cooperation and policy coordination
- Legal pluralism, rights-based approaches and community participation in decision-making
- Education, Inclusion and the Social Dimensions of Eco‑Cultural Heritage
Section Chair: assoc. prof. Maria Vallström, Ph.D.
Description:
This section examines educational, social and ethical aspects of eco‑cultural heritage. It invites contributions on integration of socio-ecological aspects in the curriculum and competence development for students in the face of polycrisis. It also welcomes contributions on inclusivity and research on the social and cultural aspects of sustainability in relation to heritage. The section is expanded to address transformative change and environmental justice, linking heritage, place and environment within a relational and holistic framework.
Suggested sub‑topics:
- Innovative curricula and heritage education across levels
- Inclusion and diversity
- Heritage and social or cultural sustainability
- One Health, Planetary Health and the wellbeing of communities, landscapes and ecosystems
- Education for sustainability, ecological literacy and eco-cultural competencies
- Intergenerational responsibility, youth engagement and future-oriented heritage practices
Accepted contributions will be included in the Book of Abstracts (ISBN, University of South Bohemia).
The conference will also feature a poster session.
Selected contributions will be published in the conference proceedings in the KreativEU Journal Science, Heritage and Technology under Taylor & Francis publishing house, with publication planned for early 2027.
