A two-day seminar on the digitisation of Maldivian heritage has commenced, forming part of the Signature Research Scholarship programme.
The event, organised by the National Center for the Study of Maldivian Heritage Research in collaboration with China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Australia’s RMIT University, brings together experienced professors to equip scholarship participants and heritage practitioners with cutting-edge techniques and international standards for digital preservation.
The first session was held on the 13 December, with the second day focusing on advancing skills to safeguard the nation’s cultural legacy for future generations.
Initiated under the President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s leadership, the digitisation efforts are part of the broader ‘Maldives 2.0’ initiative to modernise the heritage sector. This seminar aligns with the President’s emphasis on restoring Maldivian nationalism, highlighted in both his inaugural and recent presidential statements.
Last year’s commitment to a national heritage restoration project included funding for 50 researchers, while this year’s priorities expand opportunities for scholarship recipients, with 40 Signature Scholarship positions dedicated to revitalising heritage research.