Students Are Interested in World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Sites offer an inspiring platform for students to learn and experience. World Heritage Sites can also benefit from innovative students who contribute to the site’s development through study projects, internships or theses. Students can provide ideas and new perspectives, for example, for interpretation and communication of World Heritage Sites – in line with the theme of the Nordic World Heritage Conference held in September.
Cooperation with educational institutions at the World Heritage Conference
This blog revisits the Nordic World Heritage Conference, which took place in September 2024. Jamk University of Applied Sciences has for several years been part of the steering group for the Central Finland World Heritage Centre. When planning of the Nordic World Heritage Conference 2024 began in Central Finland, cooperation with students naturally emerged as a key theme. The project decided to recruit an intern to work particularly with communication tasks. At the same time, the team considered how students could bring added value to both the event content and participant experience. The aim was to offer multiple students the opportunity to learn both about event organisation and the conference themes.
Faith Osunde, who is particularly interested in marketing and content production, was recruited as an intern for the event’s organising team.
“The Nordic World Heritage Conference was a big learning curve for me. Working as an intern for the organizing committee and serving as a host during the conference helped me get real-life experience of the Finnish tourism industry and how it works. It is quite a valuable experience that has shaped me moving forward as a growing professional.” Faith
In addition, six other students were recruited to act as hosts on the buses and at the event venues. This proved to be an excellent idea, as we received an enormous amount of positive feedback regarding the students’ presence and the added value they brought. The students themselves also said they enjoyed their roles, especially the discussions with international conference participants. They also found it valuable and interesting to follow the lectures and get acquainted with the conference content.
“It was my first time being in a gathering with so many professionals from the industry. It was amazing to hear them, learn about the topic of discussion, and interact with them.” Ashen
Student collaboration – future developers of World Heritage Sites
The experience gave the students insight into event and service production as well as practical training in customer-oriented thinking. The highlights the students mentioned included the inspiring conference presentations, the memorable hike to the Struve Geodetic Arc point at Oravivuori, the visit to the Old Church of Petäjävesi and the dinner at the charming Kumpunen farm.
“I found the hike on the Oravivuori trail to be particularly interesting. I had the opportunity to chat with guests about their experiences while working in the tourism industry.” Mercy
From the students’ perspective, one of the most important learnings was strengthening their professional networks. The conference deepened their understanding of the importance of networking and long-term collaboration among professionals and stakeholders in the field. It also highlighted the role of sustainable development in the cultural and tourism sectors – where we stand today and how much more effort is still needed to ensure a sustainable future.
”The conference reinforced the values of networking and the need for continued relationships between various stakeholders within the industry and its affiliates.” Faith
“My best part was the opportunity to form connections and relationships with the professionals at the conference. I feel this helps me stand out from my peers both here in Finland and Vietnam (my home).” Annie
New online course on World Heritage
The collaboration around the Central Finland World Heritage Centre has also sparked discussions and identified the need to further develop education related to the theme. In spring 2025, Jamk, the University of Jyväskylä (JYU) and Humak University of Applied Sciences will jointly pilot the course Understanding and Developing UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The course will be delivered as an independent online study module. More information about the course and the registration link is available below: Understanding and Developing UNESCO World Heritage Sites (online) | JAMK University of Applied Sciences – JAMK
The course has been designed to bring together both academic and applied perspectives. JYU provides a theoretical, international and broad understanding of the topic, while the applied universities contribute a more practical approach with project-based development elements. We are excited about this collaboration and the upcoming pilot course. Naturally, both the planning and implementation will be carried out in cooperation with the World Heritage Sites of Central Finland and the Association of World Heritage Sites in Finland.
There are many opportunities in cooperation between students and educational institutions: product development, communication, research, expert collaboration, service testing and event production. We, as representatives of educational institutions, are also very interested in and grateful for this cooperation, which offers our students opportunities to participate, experience and make an impact. Together we build a sustainable future!
The blog was written together by:
Susanna Nuijanmaa, Senior Lecturer and Degree Programme Coordinator, Jamk University of Applied Sciences, Tourism Management degree programme
Faith Osunde, third-year student, Jamk University of Applied Sciences, Tourism Management degree programme
Article published 7 February 2025
