On October 17, we celebrate the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage. See the list of events >>>
Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A Collection of Documents [in Polish]
Important UNESCO documents have been translated into Polish and published OPEN ACCESS on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the 2003 UNESCO Convention in a publication edited by Hanna Schreiber, Niematerialne dziedzictwo kulturowe. Zbiór dokumentów [Intangible Cultural Heritage. A Collection of Documents], Warsaw 2023.
Latest news
Prof. Alexandra Xanthaki at the University of Warsaw: Cultural Rights, Populism and Cultural Democracy
UNESCO Chair Participation at the 3rd Congress of the Polish International Studies Association
Has Culture Already Lost to Populism? Defending Cultural Rights in Times of Global Insecurity / 3 December 2025
„Kto mówi w imieniu tradycji?”/ 2 grudnia 2025 w Państwowym Muzeum Etnograficznym w Warszawie
New Publication: „Heritage – Between and Beyond Nature, Culture and Agency” (V&R unipress / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2025)
Publication Now Open Access: „Krytyczne studia nad dziedzictwem. Pojęcia, metody, teorie i perspektywy” (University of Warsaw Press, 2023)
Prof. Hanna Schreiber joins Advisory Board of Horizon Europe project REVIVE
“Obrazy przeszłości. Dziedzictwo” (Images of the Past. Heritage)
Inaugural lecture by Prof. Hanna Schreiber on the occasion of the 20th edition of the Academy of Heritage in Kraków
Prof. Hanna Schreiber at MONDIACULT 2025 conference in Barcelona
Prof. Hanna Schreiber trains EU member states representatives on intangible heritage
InThrace Project: Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Context of European Integration
Polish Armed Forces Engaged in Discussions on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Critical Heritage Studies in Central and Eastern Europe: Warsaw Hosts ACHS CEE Conference 2025
Second Edition of the Naples Conference on Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century, June 4-6, 2025
Report from Arts and Culture Norway’s Museum Conference 2024
Upcoming webinar (May 7, 2025): Introducing the ICOMOS International Charter and Guidance on Sites with Intangible Cultural Heritage
Prof. Hanna Schreiber at the Forum “Safe Cultural Heritage – European Challenges in Times of War and Crisis” in Kraków
Municipal Policies and Intangible Cultural Heritage – Strengthening Sustainable Cooperation
Living Heritage in
Urban Contexts
18th Annual Meeting of the South-East European Experts Network on Intangible Cultural Heritage
Calendar
Who we are?
We are UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Public and Global Governance, based on the Faculty of Political Sciences and International Studies at the University of Warsaw.
Our aim is to reflect on the question of what is considered – under what conditions and by whom – as constituting effective, ethical and sustainable governance of ICH. Our interdisciplinary team will investigate fundamental questions such as: how should a given community – including international community – govern heritage resources? When heritage resources are considered to be public goods or the commons – and when they are not? What are the criteria for effective and ethical heritage governance? What will be the most appropriate tools and methodologies to address these issues, including those stemming from artificial intelligence?
Examination of the challenges and opportunities surrounding the public and global governance of intangible cultural heritage, contextualized within frameworks such as the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration, Agenda 2030 and UNESCO’s Midterm Strategy 2022-2029, and recommendation Ethics in AI will be of our special focus.
What is ICH?
ICH is abbreviation of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, and instruments that communities, groups, and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. Unlike tangible cultural heritage, which includes physical artifacts such as monuments, buildings, and artworks, intangible cultural heritage encompasses living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to future generations. This includes oral traditions, performing arts, rituals, social practices, festive events, traditional craftsmanship, knowledge about nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship. Intangible cultural heritage plays a vital role in maintaining cultural diversity, fostering social cohesion, and promoting sustainable development.
For more information, visit https://ich.unesco.org/.
What is UNESCO Chair?
A UNESCO Chair is a prestigious title conferred by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to institutions of higher education around the world. The purpose of establishing UNESCO Chairs is to promote international cooperation in areas that are within UNESCO’s fields of competence, such as education, science, culture, and communication.
UNESCO Chairs serve as focal points for research, knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and networking in specific academic disciplines or thematic areas. They contribute to advancing UNESCO’s goals and objectives, including the promotion of peace, sustainable development, intercultural dialogue, and the dissemination of knowledge.
Institutions awarded with a UNESCO Chair designation are expected to engage in activities such as conducting research, organizing conferences and seminars, offering specialized courses, providing policy advice, and collaborating with other UNESCO Chairs and relevant stakeholders. The establishment of a UNESCO Chair reflects the commitment of the host institution to contribute to the advancement of UNESCO’s mission and to address global challenges through education, science, culture, and communication.
Our logo
[eng] The napkin, especially for the design of our Chair’s logo, was made by Mrs. Halina Pietrzyk-Kukuczka, who, together with her daughter, Dorota Cieślar, and her daughter (Mrs. Halina’s granddaughter) is involved in popularizing the tradition of making Koniakow lace. We would like to thank her warmly for pleasant cooperation!
[pl] Serwetkę, specjalnie na potrzeby zaprojektowania logo naszej Katedry, wykonała Pani Halina Pietrzyk-Kukuczka, która wraz ze swoją córką, Dorotą Cieślar, oraz jej córką (wnuczką Pani Haliny) zaangażowana jest w popularyzowanie tradycji wykonywania koronki koniakowskiej. Za przemiłę współpracę gorąco dziękujemy!
Our Team
prof. Hanna Schreiber
Kierowniczka Katedry UNESCO / UNESCO Chair Holder
hannaschreiber.com
dr Katarzyna Piotrowska
Landscape architect with over 20 years experience in heritage protection. She started her professional career at the Centre for the Protection of Historic Landscapes in Warsaw, which she continued at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage. Among other duties she was responsible for implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, heading a team and then Centre for World Heritage, and representing Poland in the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee. As head of the Heritage Policy Department in the Institute, she also supervised implementation of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Currently, at the Kraków Municipality, she holds the position of Culture and National Heritage Department’s deputy director.
dr Julia Krzesicka
UNESCO Chair Research and Organizational Assistant
Katarzyna Kuzko-Zwierz
Emilia Wiśnios
ENG
University of Warsaw graduate with a Master’s in Machine Learning. Specializes in Natural Language Processing (NLP), large language models, and the intersection of NLP with political science.
PL
Absolwentka Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego z tytułem magistra w dziedzinie uczenia maszynowego. Specjalizuje się w przetwarzaniu języka naturalnego (NLP), dużych modelach językowych oraz zastosowaniu NLP w politologii.
Mateusz Zając
ENG
PhD candidate at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences of the University of Warsaw in the discipline of political science and public administration. His PhD project is conducted under the supervision of prof. Hanna Schreiber. His main research interests include cultural diversity governance, cultural security, cultural conflicts, and intercultural dialogue.
PL
Doktorant w Szkole Doktorskiej Nauk Społecznych Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego w dyscyplinie nauki o polityce i administracji. Swój projekt doktorski realizuje pod opieką dr hab. Hanny Schreiber. Jego zainteresowania koncentrują się na zagadnieniach związanych z praktykami zarządzania różnorodnością kulturową, bezpieczeństwem kulturowym, konfliktami kulturowymi oraz dialogiem międzykulturowym.