THEMATIC SESSION with the participation of the students from Moscow Pedagogical State University (Moscow, Russia) and Universities of Ethiopia "UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES"
On April 17, 2026, the international thematic session "UNESCO World Heritage Sites" is held at Moscow Pedagogical State University.
On April 17, 2026, the Faculty of Regional Studies, Ethnic and Cultural Education and the UNESCO Chair on International Education and the Integration of Migrants of Moscow Pedagogical State University (Russia) are holding an online international thematic session "UNESCO World Heritage Sites". The meeting with relevant departments of the Ethiopian universities is held as part of the UNITWIN international cooperation program and coincides with the World Heritage Day, celebrated by the global community on April 18. The session explores the conservation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The current meeting is the third as part of the project "Intercultural Dialogue and Cooperation in Education", implemented by the UNESCO Chair of MPGU in partnership with the countries of the Global South. Within the year 2025, online meetings with the students from Universities in Egypt and Bangladesh were held. The goal of these Sessions is to educate young people on preservation and popularization of the world cultural, historical, and natural heritage, as well as to contribute to the development of their intercultural competence. The meeting is widely supported by the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and the Ethiopian National Office for UNESCO, to be in line with UNESCO’s mandate to promote inclusive, intercultural, and intergenerational dialogue on heritage preservation and sustainable development. We welcome greetings by Mrs. Ksenia Gaverdovskaya, Senior Counselor to the Secretariat of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Alemu Getahun Hailu, Secretary General of the Ethiopian National Office for UNESCO. Participants of the Session are students and professors of the partner academic institutions – Moscow Pedagogical State University (Moscow, Russia) and Universities of Ethiopia. The presentations on the UNESCO cultural heritage in Russia will be delivered by the MPGU master's students studying on the program “Teaching and popularization of the Russian language, culture and history of Russia among foreign citizens”. Mrs. Margarita Vakhrina will guide the listeners through the centuries of Russian art in her presentation "The Universe on a Palm: from Medieval Icons to Avant-Garde Visions". Mrs. Victoria Dyakonova will introduce the participants of the meeting to the north-Russian folklore and tales, focusing on "Sadko: The Legendary Musician of Novgorod". The last presentation by Mrs. Victoria Martes is dedicated to one of the “crown jewels” of Russian culture, "Russian Ballet". Students from Ethiopia, in their turn, will introduce the participants to the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the country. Mr. Mekdes Tilahun Yihun will deliver a presentation "The Living Heritage Paradigm: Integrating Community Stewardship with Modern Conservation", stressing the importance of engagement of the local communities in the cultural heritage conservation. Ms. Ribka Tewodreos will talk about the ways technology influences culture representation and preservation in the presentation "Digital Custodianship: Leveraging Emerging Tech for Heritage Preservation in Developing Contexts". The final presentation of the meeting, delivered by Ms. Fentahun Endele Lashiteh, will consider "Cross-Continental Perspectives: Sustainable Tourism and the Economic Vitality of World Heritage Sites". We invite all those who are willing to discuss world cultural heritage and cross-cultural education to participate in the discussion as the conclusion to the reports. The working language is English. The Provisional agenda is attached. The Session starts at 2:30 PM Moscow time on 17th of April (Friday) Link to join: https://clck.ru/3T6qPf Moderator of the Session and Coordinator of the project: Mrs. Marina Krivenkaya, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of UNESCO Chair on International Education and the Integration of Migrants, Director of the Center for Regional Studies and Humanitarian and Educational Cooperation, PhD in Linguistics, Institute of Social and Humanitarian Education, MPGU: +7 (916) 678-4623, ma.krivenkaya@mpgu.su The website of the project: https://mpgu.su/mezhkulturnyj-partnerstvo-obrazovanii/