Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

eHERITAGE Project

Institution
Transilvania University of Brașov
Institution Typology
University
Country
Russian
Stakeholders involved
University researchers, cultural institutions, local communities
Summary
eHERITAGE (‘Expanding the Research and Innovation Capacity in Cultural Heritage Virtual Reality Applications’) is a Coordination and Support project which addresses the “twinning” challenges described in the topic H2020-TWINN-2015 of the Work programme. eHERITAGE’s coordinating institution University Transilvania of Brasov (UTBv) will achieve excellence in the field of virtual heritage by twinning with other 2 research centers.
Given the high touristic potential of Brasov, UTBv’s initiative fits perfectly in the regional innovation strategy for economic growth and prosperity. eHERITAGE participants will collaborate with local authorities for exploiting and disseminating virtual applications in cultural heritage conservation. The measures foreseen in eHERITAGE project will influence the social, economic and cultural environment at regional level, in a multiplicative way, making room for strategic partnerships with other research institutes or with commercial agents.
The general objective of eHERITAGE project is to increase the capacity, quality and extent of the research staff of Transilvania University of Brasov, by establishing strong and sustainable research cooperation schemes with the partners, based on close scientific and social interaction.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES

Problem addressed or learning needs
Limited engagement with cultural heritage among young people; need for tech-driven education.

Types of enhanced competences
Digital literacy, creative thinking, problem solving.

METHODS, STRATEGIES AND TOOLS

Subjects involved
Humanities, Technologies\Engineering, Foreign Languages

Duration and timeline of implementation
3-year Horizon 2020 project

Strategies and activities
3D modeling, VR development workshops, heritage digitization labs

Material Sources
VR headsets, Unity, digital archives

Methodology
Team Work, Cooperative Learning, Storytelling, Peer Tutoring, Inquiry-Based Science Learning, Flipped Classroom, Digital Storytelling, Debate

IMPACT AND RESULTS

Impact
150+ students, 10+ educators, several museums and sites.

Observed Benefits
Better heritage awareness, increased interest in tech careers.

Challenges Faced
High cost of tech, tech skill gaps in humanities students

LESSONS LEARNT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Key Success Factors
Interdisciplinary approach, EU funding, strong institutional support.

Future Improvements
Simplify tools, expand to schools.

Recommendations
Foster university-school collaboration, create open educational resources.