Preservation, Production and Reproduction: Urban Heritage Transformation around the World

Preservation, Production and Reproduction:
Urban Heritage Transformation around the World

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou, China
29 – 30 August 2025

We are pleased to announce that the submission deadline for the conference has been extended to 10 May 2025 to accommodate various academic schedules. For updated submission guidelines and conference details, please see below.

Preservation, Production and Reproduction: Urban Heritage Transformation around the World invites scholars from a variety of disciplines to explore the dynamic relationship between preserving cultural heritage and fostering urban growth. Our goal is to understand how cities worldwide balance heritage preservation with economic development, social cohesion, and sustainability. By gathering diverse perspectives, this conference seeks to redefine how heritage shapes the future of cities and contributes to policies, education, and practices that support both cultural continuity and urban innovation.

We invite case studies that explore the balance between economic development and cultural heritage preservation, as well as papers examining how heritage not only connects to the past but also evolves in the present, guiding future directions. Comparative studies, whether in one presentation or in the form of panels, are especially welcome. Through a strong integration of theory and empirical research, we aim to push the boundaries of existing knowledge, reframe our understanding of “heritage,” and contribute to the development of public policy, education, and sustainable strategies in heritage preservation and urban development.

Important dates

• 10 May 2025: Submission deadline for abstract (individual and panel)/full paper for PhD scholarship. Please submit your abstract/panel proposal by sending an email to Heritageconference@xjtlu.edu.cn
• 31 May 2025: Notification of acceptance

Keynote speaker

We are delighted that we have one keynote speaker confirmed

• Professor Soumyen Bandyopadhyay, Sir James Stirling Chair in Architecture, Associate Dean, Research, for the School of the Arts (SotA) in the University of Liverppol, where he leads the Heritage Research Institute, and chairs the inter-university grouping, Heritage Alliance of the New Silk Road (HANSR). He also directs the Centre for the Study of Architecture and Cultural Heritage of India, Arabia and the Maghreb (ArCHIAM), an interdisciplinary research forum with projects in Oman, Qatar, Morocco and India.

Conference organising committee

• Professor Xiaoling Zhang, HoD, Department of Media and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-leader for the Heritage and Communication cluster, CCCS Research Centre, XJTLU, China
• Dr Adam Brillhart, Department of Architecture, Design School; Co-leader for the Heritage and Communication cluster, CCCS Research Centre, XJTLU, China
• Dr Kerry Traynor, Department of Communication and Media, Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, School of the Arts, University of Liverpool; Chair, Interdisciplinary Research Group for Liverpool City Region, the UK
• Dr Liu, Chanjun, HoD, Department of International Communication, School of Journalism and New Media, Xian Jiaotong University, China
• Professor Yu Song, Director, the XIPU Institution, XJTLU, China

Contact us

For more details regarding submission of abstracts, themes of the conference, etc., please contact Xiaoling.Zhang@xjtlu.edu.cn, or Adam.Brillhart@xjtlu.edu.cn.