SCHER “MA Program in Security and Cultural Heritage Studies”

1. About the University

The Ionian University is located on the gem of the Mediterranean, the island of Corfu. The university originated from the Ionian Academy founded in 1824, which was the first institution of higher education in modern Greek history and in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Laboratory for Geo-cultural Analyses (GEOLAB) of the Department of Foreign Language Translation and Interpreting (D.F.L.T.I.) at the Ionian University serves as the executing body for the distinguished UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage and Cultural Heritage related Activities, which is the only chair in the Greek universities dedicated to cultural heritage studies. Ionian University co-founded with Beijing Language and Culture University the Hellenic Sinology Center. Professor Stavros KATSIOS, Director of GEOLAB, serves as the holder of the UNESCO Chair and is the Director of the Hellenic Sinology Center.

2. Program Overview

The MA program in Security and Cultural Heritage Studies offered by the UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage and the Laboratory for Geocultural Analyses (GEOLAB) of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting (D.F.L.T.I.) of the Ionian University aims to provide students with comprehensive insights into various security issues related to cultural heritage and develop high-level talents in the field of cultural heritage for China and EU countries. Students who graduate from the program will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to understand, analyze, and address the complex challenges that pose a threat to cultural heritage.

The MA program in in Security and Cultural Heritage Studies features an interdisciplinary curriculum drawing from perspectives and expertise in anthropology, archaeology, history, art history, political science, law, environmental and tourism studies, encompassing foundational modules, core modules and dissertation. In addition to basic classroom learning, opportunities such as internships, field trips, summer schools, and practical workshops are randomly provided to equip students with practical experience.

As a specialized MA Program focuses on educating and specializing students in the sustainable management and development of cultural heritage and related activities focusing on security, with specific fields of reference:

• cultural heritage and cultural resources;
• the management of the economic, social, ecological and cultural sustainability of the cultural heritage in accordance with the standards and the objectives of UNESCO;
• policies for cultural heritage and its protection;
• identifying, analyzing and assessing threats to cultural heritage;
• multilevel issues related to tangible cultural heritage in the context of globalization, thematic reforms, cultural significance, global tourism, migration, energy policy and the environmental crisis;
• cultural heritage and modern forms of conventional or/and hybrid conflicts;
• innovative participatory management of cultural heritage and its stakeholders;
• the role of communication and information technologies in the management and protection of cultural heritage and tourism;
• cultural diversity management and communication techniques for the sustainability of relevant economic sectors such as tourism;
• Illicit trafficking of art and antiquities;
• the securitization of cultural heritage.

3. Admission Requirements

1. Applicants are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree or above. There is no specific requirement about the applicant’s major, but majors related to social and human sciences are preferred.

2. Applicants are expected to demonstrate proficiency in English communication, as all courses are instructed in English. Applicants must provide valid English proficiency certificates or be subject to the Admission Commission's evaluation.

Verification report of the degree certificate you have already acquired, official graduation and degree certificates in English, official transcripts in English, CV in English, language proficiency certificate/score in English.

Admission procedures are overseen by designated interviewers from the Ionian University. Applicants who fulfill the criteria will be interviewed and selected based on comprehensive assessment. Upon approval, offer letters will be sent out uniformly.

For the required documentation, please refer to the "Admission-How to Apply" section.

4. Program Duration and Credits

Three (3) semesters (two semesters of course attendance and one semester of master's thesis research), and offering upon completion 90 ECTS. Accordingly, during the third semester of studies, students are required to submit a master thesis, only after they have successfully completed all examinations in the courses they have chosen.The dissertation documents the research process, demonstrating critical reflection (approximately 15,000-25,000 words). Students are not just required to submit their thesis but also to publicly defend it in front of the Defense Committee. The Defense Committee is comprised by 3 members of the teaching staff (occasionally, members from the DFLTI or other Ionian University’s master's programs can be called upon) and grades the thesis on a scale from 0 to 10, with 7 being the passing grade.

5. Mode of Study

Distance-learning in the English language. Parallel events and/or a summer school may be organized in hybrid form or on-site (Corfu, Greece). 

6. Awarded titles

Upon completion of the required courses, credits, and dissertation within the duration, students will be awarded the master’s degree in “Security and Cultural Heritage Studies” (Diploma of Postgraduate Studies, Level 7 in the European Qualifications Framework (EFQ)) from Ionian University. This qualification is fully applicable for PhD applications worldwide. Outstanding graduates may be prioritized for recommendation into the doctoral programs of the Ionian University. 

7. Tuition Fee

The tuition fee for this program is 5.000 Euro; any additional costs, like living expenses and accommodation fees, etc., are self-funded.

Notes:

The MA program in Security and Cultural Heritage Studies at the Ionian University, Greece, is implemented by the Department of Foreign Languages Translation and Interpreting and supported by the UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage and Cultural Heritage related Activities. The Director of the MA Program, also in his capacity as UNESCO Chair holder and director of the HSC, oversees the smooth progress of the program's enrolment and talent development:

1. Parallel sessions, seminars complimentary to the MA program may take place abroad upon decision of the Director of the MA Program;

2. For Chinese speaking applicants who did not qualify for the program due to their failure to meet the English proficiency standards alone, the Hellenic Sinology Center (HSC) may introduce them to entrusted relevant Chinese institutions in order to organize and conduct English training (with additional training fees);

3. The MA program in Security and Cultural Heritage Studies provides, according to the regulation governing its operation, supervisors for the students admitted to the program, offering one-on-one academic guidance to ensure that students can produce a high-quality dissertation and acquire their master's degree.