Nature and Culture in the Digital Era
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Inauguration of the UNESCO HAND Chair (Heritage, Art & Nature in a Digital world)
Monday 22 June 2026, Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels
In December 2025, UCLouvain was awarded one of the prestigious UNESCO Chairs for the Heritage, Art, Nature and Digital (HAND) project. Co-chaired by Professors Olivier Servais, a historian and anthropologist, and Marie-Sophie de Clippele, a specialist in nature and culture law, the chair is dedicated to the relationships between nature, culture and digital technology.
On Monday 22 June 2026, a scientific symposium and an inaugural session will be held at the Royal Library of Belgium to mark the establishment of the chair.
Scientific symposium (2.30-6.30 pm)
Title: Nature and Culture in the Digital Age: Preserving, Reinventing and Living in the World of Tomorrow
This international symposium will examine the fundamental reshaping of the relationship between nature and culture in the face of the twin revolutions of digital technology and artificial intelligence. Far from merely highlighting vulnerability, it will analyse how these technologies are transforming our relationship with resources, whether in the restoration of works of art, the preservation of endangered cultural expressions, or the extraction of strategic raw materials.
By bringing together the perspectives of international experts, the event moves beyond the fear of inevitable “plundering” to explore innovative paths to resilience. How can we move from a mindset of extraction to a dynamic of regeneration in an increasingly virtual world? Discussions will focus on innovative analyses for reconciling heritage preservation, environmental sustainability and social inclusion, thereby sketching the contours of a future where technology drives balance rather than disruption.
Programme
- 2.30 pm: Welcome and introduction
- 3.00 pm: Panel 1: “To whom do cultural artefacts belong? Circulation, restitution and heritage justice”. Panellists: Placide Mumbembele (University of Kinshasa), Valérie Rosoux (FNRS-UCLouvain), Didier Viviers (ULB-Royal Academy of Belgium)
- 4.00 pm: Panel 2: “Resource and data extraction, and digital transformation — towards inclusive and sustainable frameworks”. Panellists: François Gemenne (FNRS-ULiège), Amélie Lachapelle (UNamur), Yves Moreau (KU Leuven)
- 5.00 coffee break
- 5.30 pm: Panel 3: “Strengthening cultural diversity in the digital age — balancing protection, innovation and cognitive justice”. Panellists: Véronique Guèvremont (Université Laval), Tommaso Venturini (University of Geneva), Eric Adja (Agence francophone de l'IA)
Inaugural session (7.00-10.00 pm)
Programme
- 7.00 pm: Ceremony
- 8.00 pm: Reception
Speakers:
- Vanessa Matz, Federal Minister for Public action and Modernisation, in charge of Digital Affairs and Science Policy
- Elisabeth Degryse, Wallonia-Brussels Federation Minister-President, in charge of Higher Education, Culture and International Relations
- Lodovico Folin Calabi, Head of Unesco Office in Brussels and representative to the EU
- Prof. Françoise Smets, UCLouvain Rector
- Prof. Marie-Sophie de Clippele and Prof. Olivier Servais, UNESCO HAND Co-Chairs