About the UNESCO Chair in Economics of Culture and Heritage

Welcome to the UNESCO Chair in Economics of Culture and Heritage: Strategies for Protection and Development, established in 2022 at the University of Turin within the Department of Economics and Statistics "Cognetti De Martis" and in partnership with the Santagata Foundation. This Chair honors the legacy of Prof. Walter Santagata, whose pioneering research laid the groundwork for this initiative. 

The primary goal of the UNESCO Chair is to enhance understanding of how the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage can be integrated into sustainable development processes by supporting the design of evidence-based public policies that leverage cultural heritage as a driver of economic growth. This is achieved through a multidisciplinary approach which involves economics, law, management, geography and applying rigorous economic research methodologies, such as impact assessments, valuation methods, econometrics, quasi-experimental approaches, socio-economic indicators, cluster analysis, and spatial mapping techniques. The Chair also focuses on best-practices and applications of integrated approaches to managing and safeguarding both tangible and intangible resources to provide a holistic analysis of the complex relationship between culture and economic development within World Heritage Sites. 

The Chair's mission extends beyond research, actively disseminating scientific findings through education and capacity-building programs. These efforts aim to blend scholarly inquiry with practical knowledge transfer, ensuring that our research contributes to global discussions on how to best harness culture and heritage for sustainable development. 

As per the UNESCO 2030 Agenda, the Chair in Economics of Culture and Heritage targets the following

Sustainable Development Goals