On December 4, 2025, the University for Continuing Education Krems, in collaboration with the Palazzo Grassi-Pinault Collection, will host the conference “Science Diplomacy and Heritage: On the Politics of Fragments, the Role of Science, and the Perception of Lacunas.” Representatives from science, diplomacy, and the arts from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East will discuss the interplay between science and diplomacy and the role of artistic practice in promoting cultural heritage. The conference is the first in a series of conferences organized by the Science Diplomacy and Culture section of the European Science Diplomacy Alliance (EUSDA). The University for Continuing Education Krems is responsible for the section and initiated the conference series.
“Culture is one of the foundations of human identity, but it is often under threat in a rapidly changing world. In an era marked by increasing tensions, climate change, and technological advances, the intersection between artistic practice, research, diplomacy, and cultural heritage offers fertile ground for dialogue,” says Dr. Christina Hainzl, summarizing the starting point for the conference. Hainzl, head of the Research Lab Democracy and Society in Transition at the University for Continuing Education Krems, is organizing the conference together with Eric Piaget from the European university alliance EUTOPIA, the European Union Science Diplomacy Alliance and UNESCO, in collaboration with Palazzo Grassi — Punta della Dogana and IDM — Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe.
Panel one is dedicated to the dialogue between cultural heritage and scientific innovations, as well as their diplomatic dimension. Panel two reflects on the connections and gaps in contemporary social and cultural narratives and includes an artist talk and a performance by artist and filmmaker Ali Cherri. The two introductory keynotes feature prominent speakers: archaeologist Dan Hicks, professor at the University of Oxford and curator at the Pitts River Museum, Oxford, and Dr. Peggy Oti-Boateng, executive director of the African Academy of Sciences based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The conference is aimed at researchers, curators, cultural heritage and museum experts, artists, diplomats, and anyone with an interest in a transdisciplinary perspective on the topic.
“Science Diplomacy and Heritage: On the Politics of Fragments, the Role of Science, and the Perception of Lacunas”
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2025
Duration: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (registration from 9:30 a.m.)
Location: Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi, Venice
Admission is free!
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