Dr. Iuliia Eremenko’s presentation at the Georg-Simmel Center for Metropolitan Studies workshop

Dr. Iuliia Eremenko, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw, participated in the “Questioning Urban Future-Making in the Times of Disrupture” workshop. This event was organized by the “Urban Futures at Risk” research group at the Georg-Simmel Center for Metropolitan Studies, Humboldt University, from December 5th to 7th, 2023. During the session titled “Agency for Urban Future(s),” chaired by Oleksandra Nenko from the Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS) at the University of Turku, and with Anna Zhelnina from Utrecht University as the discussant, Dr. Eremenko presented her work, “The Role of Local Experts in Protecting World Heritage Cities: Toruń’s Post-COVID-19 Experience.” The study, conducted as part of the grant “Local experts in Polish and German World Heritage Cities: understanding their role in polycentric governance of heritage sites” (project 2021/43/P/HS5/02926), received co-funding from the National Science Centre and the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 945339.

Her presentation highlighted the pivotal role of local experts in shaping the future of World Heritage cities like Toruń, especially in the challenging context of post-pandemic recovery. Dr. Eremenko offered insights into Toruń’s approach to balancing heritage preservation with contemporary urban demands, emphasizing the importance of incorporating local expertise in urban planning for the protection of World Heritage sites.