From 1st to 19th July, 2014, sponsored by the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS), the “2nd International Workshop -- Application of Space Technologies in Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites” was organized successfully in Beijing and Zhengzhou by the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the Auspices of UNESCO and Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI) of CAS. Coming from 12 developing countries in Asia and Africa such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar, Egypt, Ethiopia, 20 managers and researchers of world heritage have undergone training for nearly three weeks.
On the morning of 2nd July, the opening ceremony began at the headquarters of RADI. Director of RADI and HIST Guo Huadong, Deputy Director-General of CAS Bureau of International Cooperation Cao Jinghua, Deputy Director-General of the Dept. of World Cultural Heritage of China State Administration of Cultural Heritage Lu Qiong, Representative of China Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Liu Hongchun and all the HIST staff attended the Ceremony.
The ceremony was moderated by Hong Tianhua, Executive Deputy Director and Secretary-General of HIST. Prof. Guo Huadong extended his warmest welcome to the trainees and gave a brief introduction on the application of space technologies on world heritage management as well as conservation, and on the training courses. He also expressed his best wishes to the trainees for a joyful stay in China. Prof. Cao Jinghua expressed his deep appreciation to the organization of the Workshop. He also called on HIST to keep track of the trainees' work by using space technologies they would have learnt in Beijing on conservation and management of world heritage sites. Ms. Lu Qiong briefed the trainees on the achievements in the work of world cultural heritage in China. She expressed her wishes to more communications with Asian countries in the fields of world heritage conservation and management. Prof. N. Ishwaran, State-Recruited Expert of China at HIST addressed the trainees as representative of the Workshop lecturers while Dr. Anmed Ibrahim made a speech on behalf of all the trainees.
After the Opening Ceremony, all the trainees watched the 3D demonstration video named “Space Observation and Understanding of World Heritage”, visited the satellite ground control hall to see the operation and control system of RADI’s ground station network. After that, Prof. Cao Jinghua gave the first lecture on CAS and its International Cooperation, focusing on the technological resources and international cooperation of CAS.

The training lasted for nearly three weeks. The first week of the workshop mainly focused on the basic knowledge, including introduction of RADI, General Status of global and Chinese world heritage, Optical Remote Sensing, Microwave Remote Sensing, basic knowledge on GIS, etc. The lecturers include Liu Jie, Hong Tianhua, N.Ishwaran, Wang Chao, Liu Yalan and Liu Liangyun. Through training, the trainees mastered the basic knowledge of space technologies and the World Heritage Convention as well as general status of China’s World Heritage sites.

During the second week, the courses focused on case studies on the application of space technologies on World Heritage sites conservation, practice of remote sensing software and geological information system software, and study tour to Summer Palace. The lecturers included Wang Xinyuan, Wang Cheng, Chen Fulong, Chen Fang, Sun Liping, etc. Through the courses, trainees had a clear understanding of the application of space technologies on the conservation and management of world heritage sites. They also learnt how to operate remote sensing and GIS softwares.

During the third week, the trainees went to Zhengzhou Base of HIST in Henan, where Ma Xiaolin, Deputy Director of Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, lectured on "Resources and Management of World Culture Heritage in Henan". Professor Mo Duowen from Peking University lectured on "Holocene Environmental Changes and the Evolution of the Neolithic Cultures of China". From 15th to 16th July, all the trainees made study tours to the World Heritage sites of Longmen Grottos and the Centre of Heaven and Earth.

The closing ceremony was held in Beijing on the afternoon of 17th July. Hong Tianhua, Executive Deputy Director and Secretary-General of HIST, Wang Xinyuan, Deputy Director of HIST, and N.Ishwaran, State Recruited Expert of China at HIST and some other representatives of HIST attended the ceremony.
The Trainees were full of joy while watching the video show of the three-week workshop activities. Each and every trainee talked over their happy feelings of the training and expressed their gratitude to the organizers.
Mr. Hong Tianhua made a brief summary on the Workshop which, firstly, provided the trainees with a basic knowledge of space technologies and practice of remote sensing and GIS software. Furthermore, through the Workshop, the trainees got a general idea of the World Heritage Convention and the general status of China’s World Heritage sites, and how space technologies are applied to the conservation and management of World Heritage sites. What's more, the trainees established deep friendship among themselves and built a close link with HIST which laid a solid foundation for the future potential project collaboration. Finally, Mr. Hong called on the trainees to better apply what they had learnt in China to conservation and management of World Heritage sites in their respective countries, and bring the friendship of China and Chinese people back home. Prof. Wang Xinyuan and Prof. Ishwaran also extended their best wishes to the trainees and hoped that they keep in a close contact with HIST and explore possibilities of mutual project collaboration in the future.
Following that, they issued certificates to all the trainees. Some outstanding students also received copies of the “Remote Sensing Atlas of World Heritage in China (English version)” from Prof. Wang Xinyuan. A unique calendar of 2015 with their photos on it was sent to all the trainees as a memorial gift.

All the trainees took floor actively. They were satisfied with the teaching facilities, the hard work of the lectures and the sound arrangement of the Workshop. They expressed their deep appreciation for the nice organizing of the Workshop and their gratefulness to all the relevant staff of HIST and the volunteers for their hospitality and services. They highly valued the opportunity of studying in China and wished to keep in a regular touch with HIST.
Just like the 1st Workshop in 2012, the 2nd workshop even achieved a greater success. To begin with, the channel of recruiting trainees from the less developed countries in Asia and Africa through the national commission of UNESCO proves to be reliable and successful. Through this channel, HIST has been widely publicized and highly recognized by the member states of UNESCO in Asia and Africa; Secondly, the curriculum has been gradually formed through two workshops. It includes basic knowledge of space technologies and their application in conservation and management of World Heritage sites, practice of remote sensing and GIS softwares; case studies and field study tours to World Heritage Sites in China, and so on. Thirdly, HIST and its hosting institution RADI of CAS has been highly promoted in various countries of Asia and Africa. Finally, a wide network of potential project collaboration has been built up on using space technologies for conservation and management of World Heritage sites in Asia and Africa.