The University and the UK–Italy Dialogue on Safeguarding Cultural Heritage
Published: 30 September 2025
Commentary
In this blog, Prof Patrizia Riganti from the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability reflects on a recent event with the Consul General of Italy in Scotland.
On 10 September 2025, the Consulate General of Italy in Edinburgh hosted the seminar Valuing Cultural Capital for Social Wellbeing at Italy House, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow and the Italian Institute of Culture. The aim was to nurture a sustained UK–Italy dialogue on how cultural heritage is recognised and integrated in public decision-making by bringing together government, cultural agencies and academia to share methods, priorities and evidence.
Speakers included Veronica Ferrucci, Consul General of Italy in Edinburgh; Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow; Ms Lisa Baird, Deputy Director for Culture & Historic Environment at the Scottish Government; Dr Adam Jackson, Head of Strategy and Policy at Historic Environment Scotland; Ms Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, Director-General of ICCROM (joining remotely from Rome); Mr Harman Sagger, Head Economist for Arts, Heritage and Tourism at the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); and Professor Patrizia Riganti (University of Glasgow), Principal Investigator of the AHRC–DCMS funded CAVEAT project.
L-R: Professor Riganti; UofG; Ms Baird;, Scottish Government; Mr Sagger, DCMS; Dr Jackson, HES; Sir Muscatelli, Principal UofG
Image credit: Consulate General of Italy – Edinburgh
In her opening remarks, the Consul General recalled the origins of this dialogue in Glasgow in May 2023, when Professor Riganti and Ambassador Inigo Lambertini met at a discussion convened by Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli. The Consul General was part of those early exchanges. They underlined the complementarity of expertiseat both ministerial and academic level, and the current momentum in the UK through DCMS’s Culture & Heritage Capital initiative. In this context, knowledge and governmental exchange can be especially productive and support a more integrated approach to policy and practice.
From those first conversations, the programme evolved step by step: a seminar at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Rome (December 2023), a roundtable at the Italian Ministry of Culture (January 2025), and now the Edinburgh seminar at Italy House. Each occasion broadened participation and refined how guidance on the application of valuation methods can support decisions across agencies and places.
Ms Veronica Ferrucci
Image credit: Consulate General of Italy – Edinburgh
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli underlined the timeliness of this work and commended the progress made so farin building a structured international conversation that connects governments with academic research and practice. He observed that the University of Glasgow is well placed to support this dialogue, given ongoing work on heritage and public value, while keeping the emphasis on shared learning and practical collaboration.
From the speaker contributions: Ms Lisa Baird set out the Scottish Government view on linking culture to wellbeing, place and participation; Dr Adam Jackson highlighted Historic Environment Scotland’s practice-based experience and the need for consistent methods in stewardship; and Ms Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral outlined ICCROM’s role in promoting conservation standards and capacity-building internationally. Mr Harman Sagger then presented progress on DCMS’s Culture & Heritage Capital (CHC) framework, which seeks to embed cultural and heritage value—both use and non-use—within social cost–benefit analysis and appraisal, helping to develop a shared language for outcomes such as wellbeing, participation and place quality. Professor Riganti showed how the CAVEAT project contributes evidence and tools that can inform these policy discussions and support the translation of research into practice.
Following the speakers, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli chaired the panel discussion, taking questions from the audience and moderating an open exchange among policymakers, agencies and researchers. The discussion highlighted three points: the value of keeping government, agencies and universities in the same room so that evidence and policy inform one another; the need to connect methods with meanings, pairing quantitative appraisal with cultural narratives about identity, memory and civic purpose; and the importance of integration across conservation practice, economic appraisal and social outcomes so that decisions align with wider goals, including wellbeing, participation, place quality and climate resilience.
This series of events is therefore building more than bilateral cooperation. It is shaping a platform where cultural heritage is understood not only as a legacy of the past but as a strategic asset for the future, linked to wellbeing, sustainability and inclusive growth. By situating the debate within the trusted context of diplomatic venues and academic collaboration, the dialogue has gained visibility and legitimacy.
The Edinburgh seminar marked another important step in this journey, consolidating a partnership that is now well established and looking ahead with confidence. As Consul General Veronica Ferrucci noted, the initiative began with informal conversations and has developed into a sustained programme of exchange—one that continues to show how international cooperation can enrich both research and policy in cultural heritage.
First published: 30 September 2025