The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has opened applications for LanD 2027 Training on Cultural Landscapes Documentation, an international capacity-building programme focused on documenting cultural landscapes as dynamic, living systems.
Co-organised with the CHEDAR project, the programme is being developed in collaboration with ICOMOS International Scientific Committees, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and other international heritage organisations. Notably, LanD 2027 is the first regional training programme dedicated to the holistic documentation of cultural landscapes.
The initiative will select 20 heritage professionals from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Selected participants will attend on-site training in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, from April 26 to May 5, 2027. Beforehand, they will complete introductory Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) running from January through April 2027.
Documenting Living Cultural Landscapes
LanD 2027 aims to strengthen professional approaches to cultural landscape documentation through integrated, people-centred, and nature-culture methodologies. At the same time, the programme combines traditional knowledge with advanced documentation technologies.
Rather than treating landscapes as static heritage sites, the training considers the multiple tangible and intangible layers that shape them. These include environmental conditions, cultural practices, historical development, and community knowledge.
Hili Oasis will serve as the programme’s hands-on case study. Consequently, participants will explore how holistic documentation can contribute to informed conservation and sustainable heritage management within a complex cultural landscape.
International experts in heritage documentation will lead the training. In addition, the programme is designed to encourage interdisciplinary exchange between heritage specialists working across different professional fields.
Who Can Apply
LanD 2027 is open to early- and mid-career professionals across the MENA region. Eligible disciplines include architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, archaeology, heritage conservation, geography, GIS, environmental sciences, anthropology, ethnography, social sciences and heritage management and policy.
Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and have three to five years of professional heritage experience. Familiarity with heritage documentation or fieldwork is considered an advantage.
Furthermore, participants should be able to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary and international teams. A working knowledge of English is also required.
Applications remain open until October 15, 2026. Further information about eligibility and the application process is available through the official LanD 2027 programme page.
Through LanD 2027, DCT Abu Dhabi continues to invest in the expertise required to document, protect, and manage cultural heritage. Ultimately, the programme positions professional knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration as essential tools for preserving cultural landscapes and their evolving relationships with communities and nature.
