Griffith University shares impact of heritage conversations on local communities

Unlike many other industrialised centres around the world, Australia’s cities and towns are well-served by the laws and community goodwill which help protect our heritage architecture.

And it’s this attention to conservation which Associate Professor Karine Dupre wants to impress upon those taking part in Griffith University’s latest online course ‘Cities of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Why Heritage Conservation Matters’, available on the FutureLearn social learning platform.

Beginning on April 9, the two-week course will cover a wide range of heritage conservation issues including understanding the true value of architectural conservation and the different global strategies for heritage assessment and conservation.

“Heritage is what we leave for the next generation and that creates community identity by linking our past and informing our future, “Associate Professor Dupre, one of the lead educators on the course said.

Associate Professor Karine Dupre

Young Australian architects and urban planners receive a tick of approval from the Griffith academic who believes our country remains strong and committed to preserving the unique features and facades of our colonial history despite a surging population.

“You only have to look at many other countries with rich histories which have bulldozed so much of their beautiful heritage past.

“In Australia, we have a relatively young history but there remains a concerted effort to preserve our colonial history.”

Open to anyone interested in heritage conservation, the course will introduce students to an array of global case studies while gaining a deeper understanding of the different challenges faced worldwide and opening up pathways to find out more about getting involved.

“It is fascinating to look at urban areas across the world and see the impact that positive heritage preservation has on shaping the identity and spirit of a community.

“If we don’t take care of the past, we are destined to become a society without soul,” Associate Professor Dupre said.

About FutureLearn

Founded by The Open University in 2012, FutureLearn is a leading social learning platform, enabling online learning through conversation. With over 7 million people from over 200 countries across the globe — a community that is continuously growing — it offers free and paid for online courses from world-leading UK and international universities, as well as organisations such as Accenture, the British Council and Cancer Research UK. FutureLearn’s course portfolio covers a wealth of areas to promote lifelong learning for a range of applications including general interest, an introduction to university studies, continuing professional development and fully online postgraduate degrees.