The University of Palermo (UNIPA) is a consolidated cultural, scientific and teaching presence in central-western Sicily. Its 16 Departments cover the most important domains of contemporary scientific and technological knowledge. About 122 courses (first and second cycle) are yearly offered as well as 44 master and specialization and 23 PhD courses, targeted to the training of specific professional figures, often in cooperation with external institutions and companies. The University of Palermo is involved in the project with professors of Department of Architecture (d’Arch-Dipartimento di Architettura). The Department of Architecture is formed by: 80 teaching staff members, 28 PhD students, 12 administrative and technical staff members. Except for PhD students and Postdoc fellows, teaching staff members are full-time professors of the University of Palermo. They belong to a wide range of academic fields, all in the realm of architecture and cultural Heritage. Therefore, they offer different point of views as well as different approaches to the knowledge of physical transformation of natural and built space. Nevertheless, their studies boast a common capacity to envisage, design, plan, represent and deal with these transformations. Appropriate communication of the character and peculiarities of the transformations is also particularly sought after by DARCH. DARCH’S research is focused on all the wide range of studies of physical environment: cultural and building heritage, design, architectural design, urban design, urban and regional planning, landscape design, design management, preservation projects and preservation-oriented diagnostics. Moreover, UNIPA has previous experience in similar heritage-related projects. UNIPA is a partner in iHERITAGE project financed by ENI CBC MED Program 2014-2020, aimed to promote cross-border technological transfer among countries of the Mediterranean basin involved in the project, by using the latest ICT technologies (AR/VR/MR) for the enhancement and the innovative fruition of Mediterranean UNESCO cultural and architectural heritage. Therefore, UNIPA represents a valuable Programme HEIs that will enrich TOURITAGE with its expertise of staff members in the field of Heritage Management education. UNIPA is also elected, by the consortium, to become the Project Coordinator due to their experience in conducting similar funded projects.
