Preserving Intangible Heritage Through Education and Cultural Dialogue

As part of our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Swiss International University actively contributes to the preservation and documentation of intangible cultural heritage. This includes efforts to safeguard traditional knowledge, languages, customs, and practices—particularly those at risk of being forgotten or displaced.

One of our key initiatives in 2025 is our ongoing collaboration with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) in Dubai. Together, we host interactive public events that record and celebrate Emirati traditions, oral histories, and cultural values. These events not only engage our students but are also open to the wider community, ensuring cultural preservation through shared experience, dialogue, and documentation.

Through guided heritage tours, live storytelling, traditional meals, and student interviews with Emirati elders, we help document living cultural expressions and foster respect for the diversity of cultures in the UAE. These materials are archived as part of our institutional heritage program.

At Swiss International University, we believe that preserving intangible heritage is not only about the past—it is also an investment in intercultural understanding, identity, and sustainable communities for the future.

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