Representatives of 25 cities in Indonesia recently gained knowledge and experience of the conservation of heritage buildings during a six-day workshop, hosted by UNESCO, involving experts from the Center for Architectural Documentation Indonesia, the Indonesian Association of Architects (IAI) and Australia’s Network for Cultural Heritage Services (AusHeritage).

AusHeritage presented a workshop program on Kinmen Island, Taiwan in late June/early July for the fourth year running with the China University of Technology CUTe), Taipei. The 2015 program focused on the theme of local knowledge, communities and community development.

Following a recent visit to the National Heritage Board (NHB) in Singapore by AusHeritage vice chairman Roger Beeston, AusHeritage members Charlotte Galloway, Alex Marsden and Ian Cook met with delegates from the NHB, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the National Museum of Singapore in Australia during October 2015.

AusHeritage Chair Vinod Daniel chaired a two day strategic planning meeting (25-26 October, 2015) at the new Grand Egyptian Museum (scheduled to open in 2018) in Giza, Egypt.

AusHeritage Chairman Vinod Daniel, an expert in chemical conservation, has been asked by the State Archaeology Department to assist in the preservation of an Egyptian mummy, held at the Telangana State Museum in Hyderabad, India.

AusHeritage Chair Vinod Daniel had an India specific project briefing chat with Minister Julie Bishop in Chennai on April 15, 2015 during her visit to India.

This year commemorates the 125th Anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. A senior level AusHeritage (Australia’s International Cultural Heritage Network) visited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial Museum at Chicholi Village in Nagpur, April 7-10, 2015. The delegation included the Chair of AusHeritage Mr Vinod Daniel, Collection Expert Mr Andrew Durham and Building Expert Mr Barrie Cooper. The Australian Consul General for Western India Mr Mark Pierce joined the delegation.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Taiwan Bureau of Cultural Heritage and AusHeritage has been reported on various Taiwan media.

AusHeritage and the Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture Taiwan, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further their cooperative relationships in the fields of cultural heritage preservation and the promotion of potential world heritage sites in Taiwan.

In February, Lovell Chen senior associate and AusHeritage Treasurer Adam Mornement ran a two day workshop on the preparation of conservation management plans for the Yangon City Development Committee, in the former Myanmar capital.