More than a thousand cultural heritage professionals from 130 countries are preparing to gather in Kuching, Malaysia, for the 22nd International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) General Assembly (October 15-24, 2026). Over the course of ten days, delegates will exchange ideas, strengthen international collaboration, and help shape the future of cultural heritage conservation. Here are some of the ways Getty Conservation Institute experts are contributing to this global convening:
📆 October 16, 9:30 a.m. | Annual General Meeting of the ISC20C
At the annual general meeting of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on 20th-Century Heritage (ISC20C), Susan Macdonald, head of our Buildings and Sites Department, concludes her term as co-president. The new Bureau welcomes Margherita Pedroni, conservation architect with our Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative, as vice president.
📆 October 18 | Old Cities, New Challenges Alumni Event
We will host an afternoon tea for alumni of our Old Cities, New Challenges (OCNC) course on urban conservation in Southeast Asia, organized with Think City. The event will provide an opportunity for participants to share how they have applied course learnings in their work and to strengthen professional networks across cohorts. Learn more about the course:
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📆 October 20, 1:30 p.m. | From Conservation to Cultural Heritage Economy: Think City's Regional Journey
Susan Macdonald will participate in a panel discussion and Q&A with Think City, drawing on the OCNC course and findings from our joint research project “Assessing the Impacts of Heritage-Led Urban Rehabilitation: The Case of George Town, Penang, Malaysia.” Read the report:
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📆 October 21, 8:30 a.m. | Education and Training for the Conservation of Twentieth-Century Heritage
Margherita Pedroni, together with co-authors and Conservation Institute colleagues Chandler McCoy, Elsa Haarstad, and Susan Macdonald, will present on the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative's (CMAI) training and education work. The presentation will share CMAI's training strategy and pedagogical approach, highlighting two complementary blended-learning tracks: an in-depth international course and a series of regional training programs.
📆 October 21, 1:30 p.m. | Reflecting on UNESCO’s 80th Year: Connecting Heritage, Building Peace
Susan Macdonald will speak at the event, celebrating the launch of The Industrial Heritage of South-East Asia: A New Regional Study for UNESCO in partnership with The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) and ISC20C. The talk will explore Industrial Heritage and the Twentieth-Century Historic Thematic Framework.
📃 Poster Presentation | “From Appreciation to Adaptation: 20th Century Heritage and Climate Change”
The poster was developed by Margherita Pedroni and the Climate Change and Heritage Working Group of ICOMOS. It proposes a three-fold framework for approaching twentieth-century buildings in the context of the climate crisis: appreciating their latent climatic qualities; acting to retain embodied carbon and improve operational efficiency; and adapting to accommodate emerging climatic risks.
Let us know if you're planning to attend ICOMOS-GA 2026. We look forward to connecting with colleagues and partners in Kuching!