Two educators from Cyprus participated in an international teacher-training programme on living heritage in education, held in Hong Kong from 1 to 5 August 2026.
The programme was organised by the International Centre for UNESCO ASPnet and the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education, bringing together educators and representatives from various countries to exchange experiences and best practices on incorporating intangible cultural heritage into school education.
Cyprus was represented by Niki Georgiou, an Economics teacher at Agios Neophytos Lyceum in Paphos, and Panayiota Ignatiou, a teacher at Kato Pyrgos Tillirias Primary School.
The two educators were selected through an international evaluation process to present educational practices they had developed at their schools, linked to elements of Cyprus' living cultural heritage.
Specifically, they showcased the art of Fythkiotiko weaving and the traditional charcoal-making process through educational activities that combine experiential learning with local traditions, cultural heritage and sustainability.
The initiatives were developed through a number of educational programmes, including Teaching and Learning with Living Heritage, coordinated by the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO in cooperation with UNESCO, the Culture Ambassador Schools programme of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, and the Student Company Programme of Junior Achievement Cyprus.
The participation of the two educators highlighted Cyprus' contribution in the field of cultural education and the connection between schooling and local living heritage.
It also demonstrated the ability of Cypriot educational practices to contribute actively to the international dialogue on the role of culture in education and on the contribution of living heritage to sustainable development.
The teachers' participation in the Hong Kong programme was supported by the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth.
