Heritage Dual Degree BTU - DU

24/11/2025

🎓 Heritage GradConnect 2025
🗓 This Friday, 28 November 2025
📍 Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus – Main Campus (Atelier Mies, first floor of building LG 2C/D, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 8, 03046, Cottbus)

One of many speakers: Meenu K

📝 Registration website link: https://lnkd.in/eSxYrqjV
👥 Friends and family are welcome!

Image: BTU/Sebastian Rau and Stefania Bleggi

13/11/2025

🎓 Heritage GradConnect 2025
🗓 Friday, 28 November 2025
📍 Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus – Main Campus (Atelier Mies, first floor of building LG 2C/D, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 8, 03046, Cottbus)

One of many speakers: Melike Atmanoğlu

📝 Register by 16 November 2025 (website link: https://lnkd.in/eSxYrqjV)
👥 Friends and family are welcome!

Image: BTU/Sebastian Rau and Stefania Bleggi

23/10/2025

‼️ EVENT REMINDER ‼️

🎓 Heritage GradConnect 2025
🗓 Friday, 28 November 2025
📍 Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus – Main Campus (specific info will be shared before the event)

We are pleased to invite students, alumni, researchers, and heritage professionals to join us for Heritage GradConnect 2025, a full-day event that brings together BTU’s vibrant international heritage community to celebrate the most recent World Heritage Studies and Heritage Conservation and Site Management MA graduates.

What is NEW?!

✨25 years of the World Heritage Studies MA at BTU, offering a chance to reflect on the programme and future developments

✨In partnership with the International Association of World Heritage Professionals (IAWHP e.V.), a DAAD-funded alumni conference on 70 Years of the Hague Convention will be held at BTU from 24–29 November 2025

📌 Event Highlights – 28 November
• 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM CET: Reflections on 25 Years of WHS
• 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM CET: Graduate Conference
• 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM CET: Graduation Ceremony
• 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM CET: Afterparty

📝 Register by 16 November 2025 (website link)
👥 Friends and family are welcome!
👉 Website link: https://lnkd.in/eSxYrqjV

We look forward to welcoming you for a day of reflection, celebration, and inspiration!

Image: BTU/Sebastian Rau and Alex Kurian Mathew

15/09/2025

19/12/2024

🎉 A Year of Achievements for the Heritage Dual Degree! 🌍✨

As 2024 comes to a close, we're celebrating the accomplishments of our Heritage Dual Degree alumni and students. Here's a snapshot of this year's highlights:

🎓 Milestones Achieved:
* Five BTU students completed their exchanges in Australia, while three Deakin students joined them in Cottbus.
* Alumni from the 2022 and 2023 BTU cohorts have graduated, stepping into exciting roles and continuing their academic journeys.
* Alumni have published, presented, participated in global programmes and generally pushed forward the goals of heritage conservation around the world.

🌟 Heritage GradConnect 2024:
This year's GradConnect Conference featured thought-provoking presentations by Dual Degree alumni:
* David Rojas Acosta explored the creative interpretation of archaeological objects.
* Kavita Peterson examined how German historical museums engage with colonialism. Kavita's investigations into exhibitions and colonialism continue, now through PhD research just beginning in Australia!
* GradConnect also showcased inspiring research from BTU's other Master’s programmes and was run with support from current students, who made the event memorable.

🌏 Looking Ahead:
* A new BTU cohort is busy preparing for their Australian exchange in 2025.
* The three Deakin exchange students are thriving, diving into their studies, BTU life and German culture.
* Here’s to another year of growth, discovery, and connection in heritage studies! We look forward to sharing more in the coming months 🎊

Meanwhile, we wish you a restful end to the year and a good start to 2025! See you then.

09/10/2024

Some of our Heritage Dual Degree students are involved in an event and we'd love for you to join them: Save the date for Heritage GradConnect 2024 Cottbus – Senftenberg Central Campus!

On 11.11.2024, join us for Heritage GradConnect 2024 - a conference presenting major research works from BTU’s World Heritage Studies and Heritage Conservation and Site Management MA graduates. This will be followed by the Graduation Ceremony of WHS and HCSM programme students from Winter Semester 2023/2024 and Summer Semester 2024.

Formal invitations and further details regarding the event, including attendee registration, will be shared in the near future.

19/09/2024

Cultural heritage isn't just something you study—it’s something you experience.

As the BTU summer break continues and Trimester 2 comes to an end at Deakin, we want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the incredible heritage initiatives happening around Cottbus and Melbourne outside of the universities. Whether you’re a student taking a break from your studies or just happen to be exploring the local area, these initiatives offer a chance to connect with the rich cultural fabric of both places.

In Cottbus, immerse yourself in the history of the region by visiting the Branitz Park and Schloss, a stunning example of 19th-century landscape architecture created by Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau. The park is not just a historical site but a living piece of cultural heritage, with ongoing conservation efforts that ensure its preservation for future generations. Join a guided tour or explore the grounds to reflect on the historical significance of this beautiful site. Cottbus is also home to a wealth of museums and cultural sites, including the Staatstheater and the Stadtmuseum, which offer a fascinating glimpse into the rich history and culture of the region.

Over in Melbourne, you can get involved with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), which hosts various heritage festivals, exhibitions, and events throughout the year. The National Trust offers numerous opportunities to engage with the city’s rich cultural heritage, from guided tours of historic sites to exhibitions celebrating Melbourne's architectural history. You can even participate in conservation efforts by volunteering, helping to preserve the very sites that tell the story of Victoria’s past. Various exchange alumni have done just that, as well as helping at the fantastic Heide Museum of Modern Art and Melbourne Museum, two special Melbourne cultural institutions.

What heritage sites or initiatives did you explore this summer (or Aussie winter!)? Share your experiences with us!

02/09/2024

As we near the European Heritage Days next week on September 14-15, 2024, we’re excited to embrace this year’s theme: 'Routes, Connections and Networks – Links in our Heritage.' 🌍

This theme is at the heart of the Heritage Dual Degree. Our program isn’t just about studying in a classroom—it's about experiencing the world, connecting with different cultures, and understanding how our shared heritage links us all. Whether they start their journey at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg or Deakin University, our students and alumni are part of a global network connected to the rich cultural landscapes of Germany, Australia and many places in between.

The European Heritage Days initiative aim to celebrate cultural diversity, foster appreciation for Europe's rich heritage, promote tolerance, raise awareness about protecting cultural assets, and encourage responses to contemporary social, political, and economic challenges.

During the 2024 edition, why not take this opportunity to:
• 🏯Explore Heritage Sites: See how physical routes and networks have shaped the history in your local area, and think about how your heritage connects you to other parts of the world.
• 💭Engage with Cultural Practices: Reflect on the traditions, stories, and ideas you’ve encountered. How do these experiences connect you to both your heritage and that of others?
• 💬Share Your Journey: If you’re a current or former student, we’d love to hear about the connections you’ve made through the Heritage Dual Degree; please share your stories from both sides of the world in the comments.

As we celebrate European Heritage Days, let’s honour the routes and connections that unite our pasts and shape our futures.

23/08/2024

As the summer holidays are well and truly underway in Germany, we wanted to use the pause to consider the cultural heritage on offer around the two campuses involved in the Dual Degree. While both and both have relatively new campuses, they are filled with heritage if you know where to look.

For instance, the BTU campus in Cottbus features the serene "Brunnen des Friedens" ('Fountain of Peace'), a symbol of tranquillity and unity. This beautiful fountain, nestled in the heart of the campus, invites reflection and represents the harmony between tradition and innovation. This collective work of students and employees was created in 1984 under the direction of Walter Heinrich, painter and graphic artist responsible for the students' folk art work in the areas of painting, graphics, ceramics and applied art at the former Engineering College (a forebear of the current university) since 1976.

Meanwhile, at Deakin University's Melbourne campus, you can find out about the difficult heritage of the former children's home that sat on the site. Additionally, the Deakin University Art Gallery and associated campus sculpture trail showcase a collection of contemporary and Indigenous art, celebrating the cultural diversity and artistic heritage of Australia.

So, next time you pass through Melbourne or Cottbus, take a fresh look at your surroundings and enjoy connecting with some academic heritage. These campuses are more than just places of learning—they are galleries of culture and history, waiting to be explored. 🌍📚 "

31/07/2024

A theme which emerges time and again from our Alumni testimonials is the value of practical experiences gained during the Dual Degree.

One part of that is the Heritage in the Field course at Deakin University, which BTU and Deakin Dual Degree students complete together over trimester two (July - September). We're looking forward to hearing more about the current project soon, but for now, we thought we'd take a look and see what our students got up to in 2022 and 2023:

2022 - Fletcher Jones Garden Digital Tour in Warrnambool

In 2022, the student team created a new digital tour highlighting the community heritage of the Fletcher Jones Garden in Warrnambool, a town about 250km away from Melbourne. The resulting tour includes engaging graphics and multimedia features and gives a fascinating glimpse of how the gardens developed and the ongoing significance of the site to the local community. You can still explore it yourself at www.fjgardens.com.

2023 - Rethinking Conservation and Interpretation at the Old Melbourne Gaol

The student team worked as consultants for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and undertook a comprehensive review of best practices at similar sites to the Old Melbourne Gaol, a former prison in the heart of Melbourne. They identified opportunities for future Interpretation and Conservation which would enhance the values of the site. They also planned a public programme for families and schools, exploring forensics in the Gaol.

Diverse field projects like this give students valuable insights into heritage work, building skills and experience they take forward into their future careers in heritage and museums.

01/07/2024

At , trimester 2 begins today, which means our BTU students’ 2024 Australian exchange is already more than halfway through! ⏳ And while they may have just been on the Inter-trimester break, it’s been a busy time for our current batch, as they’ve been making the most of their downtime to explore Australia.

In this week’s , Stefania Bleggi (Stefania Bleggi) from Italy 🇮🇹 tells us about her travels and what she plans to do with the rest of her time in Australia:

“Studying at Deakin is super stimulating, a fantastic Uni where theory is applied to practice. But there is also space for lot of fun. With the Double Degree buddies both from BTU and Deakin, we organized study and climbing sessions, dinners and more. Then, the inter-trimester break: full of traveling and adventures, road-trips, sailing-trips, discovering amazing and gorgeous places, exploring rainforests, secret waterfalls and the Great Barrier Reef doing scuba diving for the first time.

Now it’s time to come back to studying and achieving some personal and professional goals — from improving my French, to finding heritage work opportunities like volunteering at the National Trust (VIC) or working on conservation projects. Sadly, it also means that we are almost at the end of the Australian adventure, but I am thrilled to start another one in Belgium in September.

See ya in spring mates!!!”

Have a great trimester 2 Stefania, and enjoy your next exchange in Belgium!

Are you thinking about applying to BTU to be part of the dual degree? If so, you have just two more weeks to get your applications in before they close on 15 July. Good luck!

20/06/2024

The Heritage Dual Degree is a wonderful learning experience, but what happens next for our students is just as exciting. We've put together a few facts and figures to share an idea of what our alumni are up to now.

Not everyone is working in heritage, but those that are are doing so in a rich range of organisations and with a variety of different foci. Some are heritage officers, project managers or architects. Others are working in museums or cultural institutions, engaging with heritage bearers and communities.

We're proud of everything they have done and continue to achieve and look forward to hearing even more about their next chapters in years to come.