The Workshop on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage through Museums in Central Asia, co-organized by the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP) and the UNESCO Almaty Office, opened on September 8, 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. More than 20 museum professionals from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan participated in the workshop.

Mr. Philippe Delanghe, Culture Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Almaty Office, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. He expressed the hope that participants would gain new perspectives through the training and use museum platforms to encourage young people to learn about intangible cultural heritage.

At present, public awareness of intangible cultural heritage in Central Asia, particularly among young people, remains limited. Museums are often confined to static exhibitions and the preservation of artifacts and have yet to fully engage in the transmission of living heritage. The training featured Ms. Tamara Nikolić Đerić—an expert with extensive museum experience—as the instructor. During the three-day workshop, she guided participants in discussing two core topics based on regional case studies: first, how to deepen collaboration mechanisms between museums and intangible cultural heritage elements; and second, how to enable museums to take a more active role in awareness-raising, public education, and innovative safeguarding. The training aimed to encourage museums in Central Asia to redefine their missions and truly become vehicles for transmitting living heritage, thereby laying a practical foundation for the sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage.