University students are participating in a training programme that seeks to raise awareness about the need to preserve the cultural heritage of historic buildings.
Public lectures, publications and visits to building restoration sites form the basis of the training programme, which is hosted by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach).
The initiative, which features students from several specialised universities and institutes, will continue throughout 2011. Workshops, courses and research of heritage preservation are also part of the programme, which Adach is providing in co-operation with other organisations.
Three women who study architecture at United Arab Emirates University have completed a research project on the contemporary architectural heritage of Abu Dhabi.
As part of the Adach emergency restoration programme, they documented the state of historic buildings.
They also collected oral accounts of architectural history by interviewing the owners or residents of heritage buildings in Al Ain.
In addition, the students learned construction techniques through their training, such as making clay bricks, using traditional building materials, and conducting chemical experiments.
The experiments help to analyse materials for the purpose of restoring historical buildings.
Adach is seeking through the programme to develop its capabilities as a centre of knowledge and excellence in preserving cultural heritage.