Ifrane— Participants in the Winter University of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency (BMAQ) called today in Ifrane for initiatives to collect, preserve, and protect threatened cultural heritage through the creation of integrated digital platforms
At the conclusion of the session, held under the theme “Digital Platforms and the Challenge of Preserving Institutions in Times of Emergencies and Crises,” participants called for the creation of comprehensive systems to document and regularly update threatened heritage elements, connecting them with images, documents, maps, and oral histories, with the goal of building a genuine collective memory accessible to both researchers and the public.
In this context, participants emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration among museums, universities, research centers, heritage institutions, and digital experts to develop innovative solutions for protecting heritage, analyzing risks, and monitoring vulnerabilities that impact historical sites and Palestinian cultural expressions.
Participants also stressed the importance of strengthening Moroccan and Palestinian institutional capacities in data management, particularly by establishing specialized units for data collection, analysis, and modeling, while encouraging the responsible use of artificial intelligence in scenario planning, narrative analysis, and prototype development, all with careful attention to the central role of human judgment and ethical principles.
Participants also urged the promotion of student projects addressing cybersecurity, heritage protection, urban inequality, and social and economic challenges, alongside the strengthening of sustainable partnerships between universities, local authorities, professional associations, and social organizations, to give young researchers greater access to real-world issues and data.
From a methodological perspective, participants recommended extending the Winter University’s duration to allow more time for students to familiarize themselves with digital tools, diversify teams by bringing together Moroccan and Palestinian students from different disciplines, and ensure academic follow-up for promising projects after the event to support their publication or scientific recognition.
They also proposed the creation of an interactive digital platform dedicated to the Winter University, which would consolidate projects and outputs from past editions, provide a library of digital tools, and offer a space for communication among students, institutions, and academics, with the goal of fostering knowledge accumulation and sustaining collaboration.
This edition of the Winter University promoted the exchange of experiences between Moroccan and Palestinian students, aiming to enhance institutional resilience and safeguard heritage through digital tools and modern technologies.
Organized in collaboration with Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and the Chair of Moroccan Studies at Al-Quds University, this event is part of an intellectual initiative examining the intersections of technological transformation, institutional resilience, and heritage protection through a series of workshops on artificial intelligence, digital security, and the valorization of cultural heritage.
