Heritage and cultural identity are intrinsic to the human experience, serving as a testament to the historical and cultural legacy of communities and nations. Architecture and the arts have played an instrumental role in shaping this legacy, from the spiritual and social dimensions of sacred architecture to the preservation of built heritage. In the modern world, the significance of preserving cultural heritage is more crucial than ever, with the threat of globalization and homogenization posing a threat to the unique identities of communities around the globe.

One of the primary areas of focus in the field of heritage conservation is the role of sacred architecture in shaping cultural identity. Sacred architecture has long been used as a means of expressing religious and spiritual beliefs, and the design and construction of these structures can have a profound impact on the communities they serve. It is doubtless that feeling unity with one’s heritage can promote social cohesion and serve as a physical manifestation of cultural heritage.

Another critical area of focus is the preservation of built heritage. The destruction and loss of cultural heritage sites have become increasingly common, with conflicts, natural disasters, and development posing a threat to these valuable pieces of history. Built heritage can also be used to promote cultural understanding and dialogue. Through the creation of cultural centers, public art installations, and other community-oriented initiatives, architects and artists can create spaces that promote cross-cultural communication and celebrate diversity.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of heritage and identity conservation. Many governments and organizations around the world have taken steps to promote conservation efforts and provide funding for preservation projects. For example, UNESCO's World Heritage List identifies and protects sites of cultural and natural significance around the world, and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) provides guidelines for the conservation of cultural heritage.

The “Conservation of Architecture Heritage (CAH) – 8^th Edition” Conference offers a platform for scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts to engage in dialogue and share insights and best practices on the preservation of cultural heritage. By exploring the role of sacred architecture, the preservation of built heritage, and the promotion of cultural understanding, we can ensure that our collective memory and cultural identity are preserved for generations to come.

Scope

The “Conservation of Architecture Heritage (CAH) – 8^th Edition: Culture Preservation and sustainable tourism development” Conference aims to provide a platform for scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts to engage in dialogue and share insights and best practices on the preservation of cultural heritage. The conference will explore the role of sacred architecture, the preservation of built heritage, and the promotion of cultural understanding, to ensure that our collective memory and cultural identity are preserved for generations to come. Through the creation of cultural centers, public art installations, and other community-oriented initiatives, we can create spaces that promote cross-cultural communication and celebrate diversity.

Statement of Purpose

The “Conservation of Architecture Heritage (CAH) – 8th Edition” Conference aims to address the critical need for preserving our cultural heritage in the face of globalization and homogenization. The conference will focus on the significance of heritage conservation, particularly the role of sacred architecture in shaping cultural identity, and the preservation of built heritage. It will provide a platform for scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts to share best practices and explore solutions to the challenges faced in the preservation of cultural heritage. By bringing together experts in the field, the conference aims to promote a better understanding of the importance of heritage and identity conservation and its role in shaping our collective memory and cultural identity.

• 1. The Concept of Heritage Sites, their Conservation and Sustainable Adaptation

  1-1 Preservation of the architectural buildings
  1-2 Benefits from the architectural heritage and sustainable adaptation
  1-3 The governmental and NGO’s role in the conservation of the cultural heritage
  1-4 Educating new generations about cultural and sustainable heritage
  1-5 Sustainable adaptive reuse strategies
  1-6 Heritage Building, Adaptive reuse and Environmental control

• 2. Heritage Studies, Management, and Promotion

  2-1 Museology and its Impact on Touristic Attraction and Economic Benefit
  2-2 Natural and Environmental Heritage and its Role in Culture
  2-3 Contemporary Artistic Representations of Heritage
  2-4 Political Conflicts and Community Engagement in Forming Heritage
  2-5 Communal Sense of Places Belonging and Engagement
  2-6 Critical Heritage Studies and the Legacy of Nations

• 3. The Importance and Prominence of Architectural Heritage and its links with Sustainability

  3-1 Significance of cultural heritage and socio-economic value
  3-2 Value of heritage Sites to residents and their sense of belonging
  3-3 Tangible archaeology and its architectural sites
  3-4 Intangible cultural heritage assets
  3-5 Rural Heritage (Tangible and Intangible assets)

• 4. Archeology Management and Sustainable Restoration

  4-1 Community investment in heritage preservation
  4-2 Restoration in the construction reduction
  4-3 Tourism for cultural heritage and sustainable tourism practices
  4-4 Sustainable Governance's strategies for maintaining and investing the assets of the past
  4-5 Historical Landscapes as Cultural Heritage

• 5. Citizens’ Involvement and Their Roles in Conserving Their History

  5-1 Historic highlight of the reconstruction and conservation of some heritage site
  5-2 Promotion of Heritage and History in Culture and the Public Eye
  5-3 Social participation in the protection plan
  5-4 The effective role of women in the conservation ethics group process
  5-5 Raising awareness about the preservation value of architectural heritage

• 6. Concepts, Methods, and Technology Used in Sustainable Heritage Asset Conservation

  6-1 New materials, innovative methods, and successful creative experiments
  6-2 Innovative and sustainable technological methods for preserving and mapping ancient monuments
  6-3 Non-Destructive Assessments of Decay Processes
  6-4 The usage of rays, ultrasounds, and new techniques in the conservation process
  6-5 Preservation of artistic artwork, and Interior heritage site
  6-6 Digital Heritage and the Incorporation of Mapping, Photogrammetry and Gamification Techniques
  6-7 Creative Practices and the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage

• 7. Post-Crisis Heritage Conservation and Management

  7-1 Post Crisis Architectural and Urban Conservation
  7-2 Post crisis heritage regeneration
  7-3 Dark Heritage/ Difficult Heritage conservation and management
  7-4 Community role in regenerating heritage during crisis
  7-5 Refugees ephemeral heritage and Heritage Mobility

• 8. Case Studies and Best Practices for the Long-Term and Sustainable Preservation of Heritage Sites

  8-1 Sustainability impact assessment
  8-2 Solutions for green restoration
  8-3 Adaptation to climate change
  8-4 Long term strategy and awareness campaigns

All accepted submissions to the conference, after a rigorous double-blinded peer-review process by the respective and a highly-extinguished Editorial Board, will be published in one of the following:

• Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation (ASTI), an IEREK Interdisciplinary book series published by Springer Nature. (Scopus indexed)  

About ASTI

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) is a series of peer-reviewed books based on important emerging research that redefines the current disciplinary boundaries in science, technology and innovation (STI) in order to develop integrated concepts for sustainable development. It not only discusses the progress made towards securing more resources, allocating smarter solutions, and rebalancing the relationship between nature and people, but also provides in-depth insights from comprehensive research that addresses the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as set out by the UN for 2030.

The series draws on the best research papers from various IEREK and other international conferences to promote the creation and development of viable solutions for a sustainable future and a positive societal transformation with the help of integrated and innovative science-based approaches. Including interdisciplinary contributions, it presents innovative approaches and highlights how they can best support both economic and sustainable development, through better use of data, more effective institutions, and global, local and individual action, for the welfare of all societies. The series particularly features conceptual and empirical contributions from various interrelated fields of science, technology and innovation, with an emphasis on digital transformation, that focus on providing practical solutions to ensure food, water and energy security to achieve the SDGs. It also presents new case studies offering concrete examples of how to resolve sustainable urbanization and environmental issues in different regions of the world. Read More.

The ASTI series is fully indexed in Scopus and any chapter/ paper published as part of this series will be seen on the Scopus database. Some titles have been successfully indexed or submitted for indexation in Web of Science (ISI).

A special issue at the International Journal on

Journal of Namibian Studies; a Q1 Scopus-indexed journal (ISSN print 1863-5954; ISSN online 2197-5523) which focuses on topics related to history, culture, politics, society, and the environment. Authors are invited to submit their extended papers to the Journal to be published in a special issue.

A special issue at the International Journal on Built Heritage By SpringerOpen indexed in Scopus. After submission, the Guest Editors will select outstanding papers for consideration in the journal and invitations will be sent to the selected contributors. Once approved by the Editor-in-Chief, the articles will appear on BH by SpringerOpen by the first quarter of 2024.

About Built Heritage Journal

Built Heritage aims to enhance pluralism and criticism in debates on heritage conservation and revitalization with a globalized perspective. The conceptual basis of this refereed journal lies on the fundamental cultural differences concerning built heritage conservation, recognizing these differences as a source for creativity and a motivation for cutting-edge experimentation. It fosters scientific exchange between Chinese and international scholars and practitioners, offering a platform to record the latest developments in the field. Encouraging international authorship and evaluation, it allows for the homologation of research and practice with regards to cultural diversity.

Built Heritage promotes the awareness for built heritage conservation in China and internationally, inviting scholars to reflect on current hot topics discussions as: the role of contemporary architecture in historic environments; the balance between conservation and development; new tools of heritage management; policy, culture and identity; energy consumption and sustainability.

• IEREK Press Journals, a multidisciplinary publisher that aims to cultivate and disseminate research.

Environmental Science & Sustainable Development (ESSD)

ESSD is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal that aims to systematically develop the research-driven curiosity and evidence-based discourse of aspiring scholars that seek to contribute to the academic community. As the world is currently living in an age of information where sources are widely available on the Internet, we at ESSD seek to efficiently utilize the available information to help create robust and evidence-based knowledge. In the process, we offer researchers, in general, and young and aspiring ones in particular a quicker way to get their work published and gain exposure through online open access. We pride ourselves on getting submitted work to be published quickly, through the use of our worldwide pool of subject specialist peer reviewers. Find out more about ESSD International Journal here.

The Academic Research Community Publication (ARChive)

ARChive is an open-access journal that publishes conference proceedings on a wide range of topics relating to social sciences. Consequently, it accepts original research papers on a wide spectrum of subjects. ARChive is a journal published on behalf of researchers that perpetually make an effort to contribute to their fields and provide them with high visibility of research submitted. The series publishes, both, theoretical and experimental high-quality papers of current and perpetual interest. It serves to cultivate, propagate, and essentially archive academic research that has been authored and submitted for academic conferences.

Find out more about ARChive International Journal here.

Proceedings of Science and Technology (Resourceedings)

Resourceedings is an open access journal that publishes conference proceedings. Conference proceedings compromise of different disciplines, ranging from Engineering including built environments, architecture, and sustainability. Disciplines also include Technology and Energy. Resourceedings is a journal that publishes research articles that shed light on different crucial issues in order to provide them with solutions and suggestions. The journal publishes articles submitted by researchers of interest in different fields.

Find out more about Resourceedings International Journal here.

BAHETH International Journal - Arabian Researchers Database (Arabic Papers only)

“BAHETH” in Architecture, Engineering, and Technology, is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original academic research in the fields of Architecture, Engineering, and Technology. The journal welcomes research in the Arabic Language with an English Abstract. Papers submitted to this journal in Arabic must be presented in the English Language in the conference.

Find out more about BAHETH International Journal here.

A. Physical Attendance

• The fee covers:

  • The conference Kit inclusive of: a printed abstracts book, a softcopy of the abstracts book on a USB/CD, Conference notebook, IEREK pen, Conference Flyers/ Printouts.

  • IEREK Participation/ Contribution Certificate

  • Preliminary Acceptance Letters

  • Consideration for publishing in the IEREK ASTI series by Springer or IEREK Press

  • Lunches and Coffee Breaks

• If multiple abstracts are submitted by the same first author submitted to the conference, a 25% discount is applied to each additional submission.

• Each research paper should have one main author who should pay the full fee (Author fees) regardless of attendance. Co-authors, each, have their own fees to pay to attend the event. This applies to online attendance as well as physical attendance.

• A research paper fee allows only one author, whether main or co-author, to attend the conference and receive only one copy of the conference Abstract book in both hard and soft copies. Extras can be requested for an additional fee.

• Professionals are categorized as participants who are not affiliated with universities such as practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs etc.

• Students must provide proof of enrollment in a university by providing an enrollment certificate or a valid university ID (with issue/ expiry date) etc.

B. Extra Fees

Payment Methods

 Payment of the registration fee can be made via the following methods (only after online registration):

1. Bank transfer to the following bank account(s):

Bank Account (EUR):

Bank Account Name/ Beneficiary name: IEREK

Beneficiary (IEREK) Address:11 Behera St. Janaklis, Abu Qir, Alexandria, Egypt

Bank Account (EUR): 100023143822

IBAN: EG730010005600000100023143822

SWIFT/BIC: CIBEEGCX044

Bank Name: Commercial International Bank (CIB) – Egypt S.A.E

Bank Address: 649 EL Horreya Rd, Janaklis, Elraml, Alexandria, Egypt

post code: 21141

Reason for Transaction: “CrossMED 2024 Participation”

*** Please note that the transaction fee is solely the payee’s/ Remitter’s responsibility. The Beneficiary should receive the total amount specified above without deductions. Incomplete amounts may result in an outstanding amount and a request for completion***

***After you have completed the payment, kindly inform us with full transaction details. The transaction will remain marked as pending until we receive confirmation. After you make your transfer, kindly send us a

scanned copy of the receipt to [email protected]***

2. Online payment gateway (PayPal)

Participants who would like to complete their payments online must send a request to the conference coordinator/ email and CC [email protected] to receive a customized link to complete their payments.

3. Cash in IEREK branches

Payment in person can be arranged. Please contact the conference coordinator/ Email to receive further information.

Payment Terms and Guidelines:

• Authors who have registered and completed payment for virtual attendance CAN request a change to physical attendance. However, a change from physical to virtual is NOT possible.

• After online registration and payment, the registration fee cannot be reimbursed.

• Final Acceptance/ rejection of your full/ extended paper (if submitted) can only be given after the peer review process.

• Inclusion in the conference program, acceptance letters issuance and consideration for publication must be preceded by registration and payment completion.

• Online Payment (only) should only be completed once a proforma invoice is issued with respective instructions for successful payment.

• Contact our Financial Department for inquiries/ requests.

Attending a conference dramatically enhances both your professional and personal development. They help you sharpen the saw, meet and converse with industry experts, expand your resources and grow your professional network. IEREK Conference will help you:

1. Open Discussions: We bring together leading academic scientists, from different universities and countries, to exchange and share their experiences and research results.

2. Internationally Accredited Certificate: The participants are granted internationally recognized certificates acknowledged by IEREK, the University, and Partnering Organizations.

3. Publication: Selected high-quality manuscripts will be published, after peer review, in the Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) book series by Springer or by IEREK Press Journals, both of which are indexed in world-renowned databases.

4. Research Technologies: Conferences can expand your resources by providing a great opportunity to promote gathered information on new technologies related to your research.

5. Networking: You can engage with industry experts to discuss with them the very latest research projects they could be working on and increase your chances of collaboration in future projects.

6. Academic Reputation: Attending many conferences will make you a known figure in academic circles and an active member of the academic community.

7. Conference Abstracts Material: Delegates will receive the conference Abstracts book in both hardcover and digital format on a CD. Shipping fees may apply.

IEREK has an unyielding policy regarding plagiarism. We believe that copying/taking the ideas and work of other Authors without permission and credit is fraudulent. The Reviewing committee and IEREK employees have the authority to reject a paper during its reviewing process, based on the paper being subjected to either minor or major plagiarism.

Authors must refer to, and abide by, the following instructions in submitting their abstracts/ papers:

Step 1: Abstract Submission Process

• The author should prepare and submit an Abstract of at least 150 – 300 words through the website.
• The abstract should be concise and clearly state the proposed research study's purpose, results, and conclusions.
• The author should select the most relevant topic for the paper from the corresponding conference topics.
• The author can use/download an Abstract Writing Template prior to submission
• To submit your abstract, you first need to (1) click on the “Register” button on the conference page, (2) click on “Submit Now” and:
  • Select the Topic in which you are making the submission
  • Insert the title of your study in the "Paper Title" section
  • Insert the full abstract in the "Abstract" section/upload a file in the .pdf, .doc, .docm, or .docx format
  • Add in writing 3 – 5 keywords that define the field, subfield, topic, and research area covered by the article to help other researchers understand and find your work.
  • Provide the names, affiliations, and E-mails of all authors/ co-authors involved
  • Confirm your submission by ticking having read the instructions and “submit Abstract”

Step 2.1: Abstract Acceptance

• After acceptance of your abstract of at least (150 – 300 words), you will receive a proforma invoice and specific instructions to complete the payment online or by bank transfer (See Conference Fees) to confirm your participation,
• Once your abstract has been accepted, please refer to the important dates tab and carefully review the announced dates to avoid late payment, as late payment comes at an extra charge (early bird/regular/late).
• After successfully completing payment, you will be issued upon request with the following:
  • A signed/ stamped abstract acceptance letter
  • Please note that acceptance of participation, abstract submission, and extended abstract/short paper submissions all have different deadlines. To stay up to date and avoid paying extra fees, or delaying your paper, please carefully review the important dates tab.
  • Receipt of Payment/ Payment Invoice
  • Visa Invitation Letter, if needed
• After abstract acceptance, you may be given the option to extend the abstract to publish your work in the conference proceedings in ASTI published by Springer Nature (indexed in Scopus/SCImago) (optional not obligatory).

  This is not a prerequisite for presenting your work at the conference. Meaning, you can present your submitted abstract without intending to publish your work.

Step 2.2: Abstract Extension / Short Paper (Optional)

• Your short paper / extended abstract should be 4 – 6 pages long and submitted before the paper submission deadline, in English, and fit within one of the conference topics.
• The Extended abstract i.e., the short paper should follow the research paper structure as follows: Abstract (+keywords), Introduction, problem statement, and study aim, Review of the Literature, Methodology, results and conclusion/ discussion, References list using the Paper Writing Template.
• The submission (short paper i.e. extended abstract) should be made following the same procedure followed for the abstract or sent to the conference email.
• Here: Authors may need more pages than the allotted maximum of 6 to insert figures, tables, appendixes, etc. In this case, they can submit regular papers (max. 12 pages) with the same fixed fee. For a detailed outline of the fees, please refer to the payment table in the conference fees tab.
• The conference does welcome Arabic submissions (with abstracts written in the english language), which will only be considered for publication in BAHETH by IEREK Press.

Step 3: Rigorous Peer Review Process (double-blind)

This process can only be initiated after payment completion and confirmation:

• If submitted, the extension (short paper) will be preliminarily checked (iThenticate plagiarism/ similarity screening Software, readability, and scope) and it will be peer-reviewed. If similarity issues are detected, the following will apply:
  • % from all sources: 10-15%
  • % from one source: 3-5%
  • Higher than 30% (all sources): Reject completely
  • Lower than 30% (all sources): Ask for revision to decrease the similarities
• IEREK has an unyielding policy regarding plagiarism. We believe that copying/ taking the ideas and work of other Authors without permission and credit is fraudulent. The Reviewing committee and IEREK employees have the authority to reject a paper during its reviewing process, on the basis of the paper being subjected to either minor or major plagiarism.
• Each paper/ chapter is evaluated by a minimum of two reviewers, after which a final decision by the responsible Editor is made. There is no maximum to the number of times a paper can be reviewed, depending on the quality of the submission.
• If your short paper is accepted by the Editors for publishing with comments/ requested modifications, our Editors (publishing department) will contact you once a decision is made and you will be asked to revise and correct it. After resubmission, it will be re-checked. Note: There may be more than one round of peer review and the decision rests with the editors of the title. Missed deadlines may result in complete exclusion/ rejection from the final publication.
• If your short paper is accepted for publishing without edits/ comments, the corresponding author will be contacted to provide the final version of their chapters/ papers following Springer Guidelines and sign the Springer consent-to-publish (CTP) form to authorize publication in the conference proceedings.
• A back-and-forth process: modifications will be sent back to the responsible Editor/ Series Editor and another round of evaluation conducted where needed. Participants/ Authors should regularly check their emails (Junk/ Spam folders).
• If you are not interested in publishing an extended abstract in the proceedings in ASTI by Springer Nature, please inform the conference support ([email protected]).

Step 4: Extended paper 

• After the conference, the authors of the best papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their research, 8 – 12+ pages in length, (optional) of their short papers for publishing in an edited volume to be published by Springer Nature.
• Publishing your short paper (i.e., extended abstract) in the conference proceedings does not prevent the submission of the full version for publishing consideration after the conference if the similarity percentages (SR%) in Step 3 are taken into account.

Registration

To help the organizers plan for inter-disciplinary dialogue, participants are requested to choose from the conference themes/ Topics upon registration.

They must also refer to, and abide by, the following instructions in registering and submitting their abstracts/ papers:

Types of Participation

1. Attend/ Present Virtually and Publish in Conference proceedings

Organized from the comfort of your own home, the conference offers a virtual attendance option for your convenience. That said, participants will have a chance to present their abstract/research, online, and have their work considered for publication in the proceedings.

Virtual presenters are required to submit an abstract and extend this abstract following the “author instructions” below and before the deadline (see Important Dates). At least one author must pay the registration fee (see Conference Fees).

For any reason, authors may wish to submit pre-recorded video presentations no later than 15 days prior to the conference. Alternatively, they may wish to record a voice-over PowerPoint presentation for submission to the conference organizers.

2. Attend/ Present in-person and Publish in indexed Conference proceedings 

Organized at the University of Portsmouth, UK, offering a Physical attendance option for your convenience. That said, participants will have a chance to present their abstract/research, on campus, and have their work considered for publication in the ASTI Series by Springer as part of the conference proceedings.

See Author Instructions and Conference Fees for more information.

3. Registration to publish in the proceedings without presenting/ attending

If your extended abstract (short paper) is accepted, it may be published in the conference proceedings book in the Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation Book Series by Springer (indexed in Scopus) even if you are not attending the conference. In this case, the accepted work will not be included in the final conference program and the fee will cover the cost of editorial handling and peer-review evaluation of your paper (See Author Instructions and Publishing Opportunities)

4. Non-presenting participant

Non-presenting participants may also wish to attend the conference as Audience Members or Co-authors contributing to an already submitted abstract/ paper.

- For participants who need Entry Visas to the country where the conference will be held, IEREK will issue the corresponding invitation letter for accepted applicants to facilitate visa issuance.

- Please notice that we will endeavor to assist you in obtaining a visa but the responsibility is yours and the decision rests solely with the appropriate Embassy.

Invitation Letter Issuance Process

1- In case the participant is an author who has submitted a research paper to the conference, it must get accepted by the Scientific Committee

2- Required participation fees must be paid

3- The participant should send the following information to the conference's official email:

* A clear copy of passport

* Passport number

* Full name as written in your passport.

* Date of Issuing and Expiration

* Date of Birth

* Email address of the nearest Embassy/Consulate to you

* Mobile Number including country code

4- Conference coordinator will issue the needful invitation letter and send a copy to the participant's email, in addition to another one to the corresponding email address of embassy/consulate

5- The participant should print out the invitation letter along with all other required documents by the embassy/consulate and apply for VISA

 A.Physical Attendance

ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, is a global, not-for-profit organization that aims to provide unique identifiers for authors, researchers, and scholars. ORCiD effectively eliminates duplication and errors regarding author names, affiliations, previous works, and all related academic data.

IEREK is a proud member of ORCiD, and we contribute directly to their initiative of clear and identifiable markers for researchers and scholars. As the first Egyptian partner to ORCiD in the organization’s history, we strongly believe that by utilizing ORCiD’s database and verification services, we become one step closer to achieving an accurate, and identifiable academic landscape.

We encourage our authors to input their ORCiD ID when registering for one of our conferences, submitting an abstract, or a full paper. By doing so, you directly link your research to your identity and affiliation and can showcase your various academic efforts all in one place. By Registering your ORCiD ID, you also increase your works’ visibility and provide easy access to your entire library of research and academic activity.

Click here to learn more about ORCiD, and here to register your ORCiD ID for free.