CERL Affiliated Faculty Member Professor Lynn Meskell presented on July 21, 2026, at an event on the sidelines of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan entitled “Unveiling Shared Pasts and Shaping Common Futures.” Her talk, “Weaponizing Heritage in 21st Century Conflict,” explored how cultural heritage sites can be instrumentalized by warring parties, and described possible protection frameworks for use in the future.

Lynn Meskell is Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor at the University of Pennsylvania with joint appointments in the Department of Anthropology of the School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and Department of City and Regional Planning in the Weitzman School of Design, and the Penn Museum as a Curator in the Asian and Near East Sections. Read her bio here.

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