1. Alicia Castillo Mena, "Presenting the project", UCM

Since 2010, the Cultural Heritage Management research group at Complutense University of Madrid has worked on over 20 citizen science projects. Though the interview, Alicia Castillo Mena, the group's director, tells us about the key challenges she has encountered and highlights some of her most interesting projects from the field of social innovation. These include organizing International Congresses of Good Practices in World Heritage and conducting participatory research initiatives with communities and stakeholders in Europe and Latin America. While some of these projects limit the production of collective knowledge to expert groups and communities, others extend it to vulnerable and peripheral neighbourhoods in World Heritage cities or high-risk contexts, such as the project implemented after the volcanic eruption on the Island of La Palma. The interview emphasizes the belief that participatory research in cultural heritage management should prioritize commitment, shared responsibility, learning, enjoyment, and respect among all participants involved. 

More information about the Cultural Heritage Management research group at Complutense University of Madrid.