The 2024 “Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases” (AWHEIC) winners were announced by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under UNESCO’s auspices (WHITRAP) at the World Heritage Committee. The “Macau Memory” Cultural and Historical Website established by the Macau Foundation was honored with the“Star of Discovery” award. Since its launch in 2019, the “Macau Memory” Cultural and Historical Website has received attention, support and active engagement from readers, not only in Macau but also across mainland China and around the world. Serving as a collaborative platform, “Macau Memory” aims to protect historical resources, preserve traditional culture, foster emotional ties, and facilitate exchange and interaction. The website has particularly excelled in revitalizing historical heritage and promoting educational cultivation, earning widespread recognition from the education sector, the community, as well as international acclaim.

The 46th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is currently taking place in New Delhi, India. As part of the meeting, WHITRAP held a side event at the Bharat Mandapam on the afternoon of July 23rd. The event, themed “Science, Creativity, Empowerment – World Heritage Education Towards the Future”, was moderated by Prof. Yong SHAO, the Secretary-General of WHITRAP. It commenced with a congratulatory letter from Mr. Changwei QIN, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, delivered by Dr. Xin LI, Deputy Secretary-General of WHITRAP. The letter emphasized that the future of heritage education should feature a high-level integration of education with technology and culture, as this is mandated by the mission of UNESCO. Important guests from various countries, representatives of World Heritage Category II centers, and some award-winning representatives were invited to attend the event. The winners of AWHEIC for the year 2024 were announced, featuring ten awards each for “Star of Outstanding”, “Star of Discovery” and “Star of the Future”. Among them, the “Macau Memory” Cultural and Historical Website has been awarded the “Star of Discovery”.

The competition for 2024 AWHEIC was more intense than ever, with a total of 30 cases selected from over 100 cases worldwide. The application submitted by the Macau Foundation entitled “Cross-sector Collaboration and Co-construction of Heritage: Constructing the ‘Macau Memory’ Cultural and Historical Data Platform” was awarded one of the ten “Star of Discovery” awards, making it the exclusive project from the Macau SAR to be recognized. The organizers highly praised the projects receiving the award, noting that projects winning “Star of Discovery” are “committed to deep value exploration, achieved innovative education method, which is of global demonstrative significance.”

The establishment of AWHEIC is aimed at encouraging and recognizing world heritage revitalization projects, particularly through the enhancement of the systematic, innovative, and inclusive aspects of world heritage education using modern technology. It aims to commend significant achievements in international exchange and cooperation.

Ms. Lisa Wong, Head of the Activities Division of the Macau Foundation was invited to participate in the online event on behalf of the “Macau Memory” team. Dr. Zhiliang Wu, President of the Board of Directors of the Macau Foundation is delighted that the project has received this award. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region, and the 40th anniversary of the Macau Foundation, adding significant meaning to the Macau Memory project. He highlights the fact that the “Macau Memory” Cultural and Historical Website also aligns with the purpose of UNESCO in protecting and preserving historical heritage. The project is dedicated to enhancing public awareness of historical heritage and promoting interdisciplinary innovation and development. The platform has attracted many young people, citizens, and scholars who are interested in historical culture, and it currently has over 3.8 million website visits. Dr. Zhiliang Wu expresses the Macau Foundation’s commitment to continue sincere cooperation with all sectors to jointly build a carrier and platform for Macau to connect with the world’s historical heritage. He extends special thanks to WHITRAP for establishing the project, as he believes it plays a positive role in inspiring global revitalization and utilization of historical heritage and promoting cultural inclusiveness.

The “Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases” (AWHEIC) was co-organized by World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITRAP) and the International Center for UNESCO ASPnet (ICUA), and directed by the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO. Based on the international platform, innovative practical experience is widely shared. Cross-border cooperation is promoted to encourage different stakeholders to be involved in the process of World Heritage education. In 2021, WHITRAP launched the global call for innovative case studies on World Heritage Education. In 2022, the “Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases” was launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.