The Maldives has held discussions with Shanghai University in China on educational opportunities and human resource development in culture and heritage.
The discussions took place during Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Heena Waleed's ongoing visit to China.
During a visit to Shanghai University, Minister Heena discussed opportunities for collaboration in the arts and cultural heritage, alongside opportunities for human resource development and education in these fields.
Shanghai University has been providing higher education since 1994 under the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. The university offers a range of academic programmes in history, culture and heritage, including academic studies related to history and heritage and programmes designed to develop professionals in heritage preservation.
The Government places particular emphasis on expanding research into history and heritage and preserving them for future generations.
As part of these efforts, the Government introduced the Signature Scholarship, which provides the largest scholarship grant opportunity offered to date for studies in this field. The initiative forms part of efforts to expand research into different areas of Maldivian history and preserve the country's history.
In addition to preserving historical buildings, efforts to include the Maldives' coral stone mosques on the permanent World Heritage List form an important part of the country's heritage preservation work.
Another important initiative is a project being carried out across three islands in Boduthiladhunmathi in memory of Ghazi Bandaarain to make information about Maldivian history more easily accessible. The project will provide visitors to the islands with information about various historical events.
The project will also make this information available to tourists, providing another avenue to convey the richness of Maldivian history.