Moroccan and Algerian universities to exchange expertise in legacy protection

Moroccan and Algerian that are universities members of the UNESCO forum will meet next year in Algeria to exchange expertise in patrimony protection.

According to UNESCO's under-director general for culture, Hernan Cresno Toral, the Algerian delegation to a UNESCO heritage forum, held December 6-8 in the Atlas mountains resort station of Ifrane, said it was interested in the experience to preserve the ancient city of Fes.

The exact date of the inter-university meeting will be set later, said Toral.

Participants in the forum, which brought together a network of 225 universities, called for using the Internet in international endeavors to safeguard the world legacy.

The example of a computer program created to safeguard the Moroccan ancient city of Fes was cited as a model which saves archives about some 13,500 buildings, housing, population and environment.

Al Akhawayn University, which hosted the forum, will create a UNESCO chair for legacy education. The forum adopted a statement backing the chair project and calling for the setting up of a network of local, regional and national forums.