Great participation and a high institutional profile for the Advanced Training Course “The digitization of cultural heritage: a comparison between Italy and Latin America”, promoted by the International Italo-Latin American Organization (IILA) together with the General Directorate for Digitalization and Communication of the Ministry of Culture and the National School of Cultural Heritage and Activities, technical-scientific partners of the initiative.
The program, implemented with funding from the General Directorate for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (DGCS/MAECI), will take place in June 2026 online and in person in Rome, with the contribution of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (CCTPC) and the ICCROM – International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.
The initiative attracted strong interest from IILA member countries, attracting a total of 242 applications from cultural institutions, national archives, foreign ministries, heritage agencies, and public cultural protection organizations in Latin America.
At the end of the selection process, 20 senior officials and industry professionals will participate in both the online module and the in-person activities in Rome, while another 160 professionals will take part in the training course as online listeners, confirming the broad regional focus on the issues of digital transformation applied to cultural heritage.
The course was created with the aim of strengthening cooperation between Italy and Latin America in the field of cultural heritage digitization, encouraging the exchange of skills, best practices, and institutional experiences. The program will combine webinars, case studies, meetings with experts, and workshops dedicated to digital preservation, cultural heritage accessibility, the sustainability of digitization processes, and the application of new technologies, including generative artificial intelligence.
Particular significance attaches to the collaboration between the institutions involved, which leverages scientific, diplomatic, educational, and operational expertise developed over the years in the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage. The synergy between IILA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Culture, the National School of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, and ICCROM represents a concrete model of international cooperation geared toward specialized training and the construction of lasting professional networks between Italy and Latin America.
The online module will take place from June 3 to 12, 2026 and will be dedicated to the exchange of national experiences and practices between Latin American participants and the participating Italian institutions. The in-person module, scheduled in Rome from June 22 to 26, 2026, will offer participants direct contact with the Italian cultural system through institutional visits, technical meetings, and networking activities at centers of excellence and key cultural institutions.
The Directorate General for Digitization and Communication and Digital Library will participate in the webinar on June 9 with a presentation entitled: “The structure of the Italian Ministry of Culture, the structure of the DG for Digitization and Communication, the structure of the Digital Library and the digital ecosystem of cultural heritage (Ecomic)”.