Collaboration platform
The Heritage Academy is a collaboration platform between the University of Gothenburg and several cultural heritage institutions in the Västra Götaland region. The Heritage Academy serves as a meeting place for constructive and critical dialogue on heritage, on research communication, operational development and collaboration. Here, relevant perspectives, expertise and goals come together to jointly identify challenges and opportunities in the cultural heritage field.
As a powerhouse in the cultural heritage field, the Heritage Academy aim to encourage new ideas, initiate collaborations and at the same time strengthen already established networks.
During 2026–2028, the main activities will focus on networking activities, knowledge exchange, research communication and continuing education. Annually recurring public events contribute to making cultural heritage issues visible and promote increased collaboration between the university and research, museum and other heritage practice and society.
The new collaboration agreement creates the conditions for long-term collaboration that strengthens the achievement of the goals of participating organizations and contributes to the development and utilization of cultural heritage. It marks an important step towards a more cohesive and development-oriented collaboration in the cultural heritage area.
"We look forward to continuing with the Heritage Academy's activities and new actors for the coming years," say Jenny Högström Berntson and Vivian Smits, coordinators of the Heritage Academy.
"Together with the collaboration group, we have begun planning for this autumn's Heritage Fair, tentatively to be held on October 20".
At the 2025 Heritage Fair, questions about the cultural (heritage) canon, democracy and education were in focus. The theme for the 2026 Forum is being discussed by the new collaboration group and will be announced at the end of February.
Broadened collaboration going forward
For the new collaboration period, even more actors have joined and the idea is that additional parties will be able to join during the operating period.
"I am very happy that we have this collaboration agreement in place," says Henrik Janson, Head of the Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg. West Swedish actors in the cultural heritage area have been divided among themselves for too long, and the coordination that has existed has often been outside of West Sweden. In the Heritage Academy, we have a platform where the University, the region and other collaborating parties can combine their strengths into a larger whole.
Current actors:
-University of Gothenburg, Centre for Critical Heritage Studies (CCHS) through the Department of Historical Studies
-Västra Götaland Region, Cultural Administration
-Institute for Languages and Folklore, Department of Archives and Research in Gothenburg
-The National Museums of World Culture/ Museum of World Culture
-Foundation of Halland County Museums
-Västra Götaland County Administrative Board
-City of Gothenburg, Cultural Administration
-Bohuslän Museum
-Mölndal City Museum
The Heritage Academy is led by the two coordinators Vivian Smits (Cultural Administration, Västra Götaland Region) and Jenny Högström Berntson (Department of Historical Studies/Centre for Critical Heritage Studies, University of Gothenburg) together with the collaboration group which includes colleagues from the various participating parties.
