Cultural heritage management (and mismanagement)

Uzbekistan's calling card is its Silk Road monuments, and since coming to power in 2016, President Mirziyoyev has put tourism at the centre of his development plans. Leveraging cultural heritage is therefore critical to Uzbekistan's national branding and to economic growth. But the desire to commercialise cultural assets, modernise cities, and build infrastructure sometimes conflicts with the preservation of monuments and traditional neighbourhoods. Drawing upon more than a decade as a consultant and writer in Uzbekistan, Sophie's seminar will explore the challenges Uzbekistan faces in cultural heritage management, what's gone right, and why some things are going wrong.