INNOVATION

Interdisciplinary approach
The Institute dialogues and partners with a diverse body of stakeholders that are invested in cultural heritage.  A perfect example of our interdisciplinary approach is seen through our Archaeological Cultural Heritage Unlisted Conference, with conservators, archaeologists, financial experts, and entrepreneurs. One of the most striking additions was to debut the creation of a new, revolutionary video camera, presented by inventor Jeff Glasse. In addition, the presence of simultaneous translators for the participants and participating public was another way of making the issues discussed more accessible and relevant to a larger, international audience.  Video recordings of the conference proceedings are available on the videos page.  The presentations will be made available shortly, followed by a publication of the proceedings in PDF format.

Heritage filmed
The Institute is also pushing the envelope through the use of video to document the past, integrating social media and video in our teaching portfolio - to live and document Roman culture in new, exciting ways. View videos of Ostia Antica, which were produced in 2010 with students from Northeastern University.  In the summer of 2011 the AIRC conducted a second summer seminar with NEU to produce more videos on this important, site, Rome's port city.  (You can view both a video summary of the program as well as student interviews.) The importance of these video endeavors has been highlighted already by their presence at the Banca Finnat Workshop (May 11, 2011, Palazzo Altieri), cited as a successful tool in engaging the public to participate in culture. Furthering these initiatives, we presented at the AUR-BSR conference on cultural heritage in December 2011 and at Stanford University in January 2012.

Sustainable preservation of Rome
Sustainability is another key component of the Institute's innovative mission. Internally as a small, dynamic organization we operate in the US and Rome with a minimal carbon footprint.  Externally, we impress on our students the multiple facets of Rome's conservation, preservation, and evolution over 3,000 years, the truly Eternal City. In fact, we are pleased to launch in the fall of 2013 our new semester program, "History, Media, and Cultural Heritage," the fruit of experience gained in nearly a decade of activity.