On March 28, 2019, the Centre organized a technical visit to InternationalCerntre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage under the Auspices of UNESCO (HIST), participants from 2018 MASTA Program joined this visit. Let’s take a view into this technical visit from the eyes of MUHAMMAD USAMA SOHAIL, 2018 MASTA participant from Pakistan:

“International natural and cultural heritage of Space Technology Center (referred to as ‘HIST’) is the first UNESCO-based World Heritage research institution on space technology and Remote Sensing and Digital Earth Research. HIST aims to use space technology for UNESCO and its Member States, in monitoring and protecting the world heritage and world biosphere reserves, to deal with climate change and natural disasters, provide technical services through education and training, and to enhance its space technology Capacity building to promote sustainable development.

The visit started when the participants were taken to watch a video named ‘Digital Earth Science and Space Technologies for World Heritage’. The concise and interesting nature of the videos impressed all participants, and the rich content of it also stimulated participants’ interest in space technology on natural and cultural heritage preservation.

Following this, the participants visited the Digital Earth platform, Airborne Satellite Remote Sensing Centre and Satellite Operation and Management Department, etc. During the visit, we came to have a better understanding of the relationship between the theoretical knowledge and practical cultural heritage protection. Concise and intriguing presentations were given, peaking the interest of all the participants. High Definition images were used to keep the viewers involved in the presentation at all times.

The visit concluded with a speech from the respectable Executive Deputy Director & Secretary General of HIST, Prof. Hong Tianhua. He summarized a report of HIST on a UNESCO designated area and finished his speech with comments on the current work being done with countries in need of space technologies.

The visit made us realize that the applications of space technology are very extensive and we hoped to make a contribution to heritage protection someday in the future with the help of solid professional knowledge.”