In the Issue 15/2024 of the journal “@rhivi”, the books “Holistic Impact Assessment of Cultural Heritage Interventions – The SoPHIA Model” and “Digital Transformation and Cultural Policies in Europe” by authors and editors from the Institute for Development and International Relations are presented by Sunčana Franić and Aleksandra Uzelac.
Research activities in the Department for Culture and Communication at IRMO continue in the realm of sustainable cultural development through institutional projects such as CULTDEV (2019–2023) and the ongoing CULTMED (2023–2027). Among the outcomes of past research are two books that address sustainability in culture from various perspectives. The Sustainable Development Goals highlight cultural heritage and digital transformation as crucial elements in shaping cultural policies. “Holistic Impact Assessment of Cultural Heritage Interventions – The SoPHIA Model” and “Digital Transformation and Cultural Policies in Europe” explore the complex interactions between cultural values and innovation in culture, their societal impacts, and the diverse aspects of cultural heritage in shaping social policies.
The book “Digital Transformation and Cultural Policies in Europe”, edited By Ole Marius Hylland and Jaka Primorac, examines the new challenges and opportunities arising from the digital transformation of the cultural sector and ways to formulate policies responsive to these changes. This publication is the result of a three-year research project, “Rapids and Backwaters: Adapting Fast and Slow to a Digital Cultural Turn”, coordinated by the Telemark Research Institute and funded by the Norwegian Science Foundation. The book is available as open access on the Routledge website.
The goal of the second book, “Holistic Impact Assessment of Cultural Heritage Interventions – The SoPHIA Model”, authored by Sanja Tišma, Aleksandra Uzelac, and Sunčana Franić, is to contribute to the discussion on the suitability of existing evaluation models for cultural heritage projects. It introduces a more comprehensive model that includes various factors in assessing these projects. This book resulted from IRMO’s team efforts on the “SoPHIA – Social Platform for Holistic Heritage Impact Assessment” project (2020–2022), funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program. The book can be ordered from the publisher Jesenski & Turk.
Despite different focuses, both books explore the complex dynamics between culture as a key element of development and contemporary social challenges. While the first book focuses on analyzing the potential of cultural heritage to advance society, the second examines how digital transformation shapes our understanding and management of cultural resources. Together, they provide a comprehensive view of the importance of preserving cultural heritage, its role in modern society, and a better understanding of the current policy framework in digital culture.
More information on the book “Digital Transformation and Cultural Policies in Europe” is available here.
More information on the book “Holistic Impact Assessment of Cultural Heritage Interventions – The SoPHIA Model” (in Croatian only) is available here.
