CCHS Director’s Reflections: Looking Back and Moving Forward

Interview with CCHS Director, May 26, 2026.

Annelie, you have now been the Director of CCHS since 1 January, roughly five months in the position. What are your thoughts so far?

First of all, I am of course very happy to have been entrusted with taking on the role of Director of CCHS, which is such an important institution at the University of Gothenburg. CCHS is an important voice for critical perspectives on cultural heritage, and that is particularly vital today, when we increasingly discuss whether politics no longer maintains an arm’s-length distance from academic conversation. We play a key role in showing how history informs our understanding of the present, and how we use and interpret the past to make sense of our lives today. 

With our different research themes – heritage and wellbeing, culinary heritage, global futures and others – we have a very strong foundation to build on. We are supported by a network of highly engaged researchers and practitioners within the cultural heritage sector, which provides both energy and direction, something I am very grateful for. Despite very limited financial resources, we manage to support and produce excellent research, high-quality research communication, and meaningful collaboration with society at large. In addition, we are involved in the Cultural Heritage Program, a unique undergraduate program focused on critically examining and managing both tangible and intangible cultural heritage from historical, political, and societal perspectives. 

I would argue that CCHS successfully fulfils the university’s three core missions—research, education, and collaboration—in a way that is truly impressive given the centre’s restrained funding. This is possible thanks to our strong network, the expertise of our colleagues, and the engagement we encounter daily among both colleagues and practitioners.

CCHS currently has an operating period as a centre until 2028. How do you see the future for the centre for the coming period?

We will continue to strive for excellence! I hope to see even more international collaborations and that we further strengthen our engagement with contemporary issues related to cultural heritage, particularly at a time when cultural heritage is increasingly mobilized in political and societal debates. At the same time, it is important that we remain open to new opportunities by engaging with emerging research agendas and building new partnerships across disciplines and sectors. This allows us to respond to shifting societal needs and to develop innovative research trajectories. 

The establishment of the new Essay Prize in Critical Heritage Studies for students at the University of Gothenburg is a good example of this direction, opening up space for new voices while encouraging critical reflection among students. 

I would like to see even more interdisciplinary and co-creative research that highlights critical perspectives on heritage, and that our students continue to critically explore and challenge the role of cultural heritage in society today.