The 1st STECCI Conference Successfully Held in Vienna

The University of Sarajevo (UNSA), as the coordinator of the EU Horizon project STECCI ('Stone monument ensembles and the climate change impact – STECCI'), successfully presented the results so far at the 1st STECCI Conference held in Vienna from 25 to 27 September 2025.

The conference entitled "Preserving Cultural Heritage in Times of Climate Change" brought together experts from all over the world with a focus on preserving cultural heritage, especially stećak tombstones, from the impact of climate change. The conference was held in Vienna at the University of Applied Arts.

UNSA had a notable participation, and the core team of representatives consisted of:

• Prof. Dr. Nusret Drešković, STECCI project coordinator and chair of the Scientific Committee of the conference
• Prof. Dr. Saida Ibragić, STECCI project manager
• Assoc. Dr. Edin Bujak, research team member
• Assoc. Dr. Amina Sivac, research team member

Professors Drešković and Ibragić gave an introductory presentation of the project, emphasizing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the protection of cultural heritage. This success once again confirms the leading role of the University of Sarajevo in international scientific research projects. Such projects, funded under the European Union's "Horizon Europe" program, confirm the strategic role of science and research in solving global challenges, and strongly support cooperation within the European space.

The conference addressed four key thematic units that form the core of the work of the STECCI project. The focus was on a comprehensive approach to heritage protection in the context of climate change, covering:

Assessment of the impact of climate change and vulnerability of tangible heritage,

Advanced methodologies and environmentally sustainable solutions in heritage conservation,

Social and economic impact of climate change on cultural heritage, and

Digitization of cultural heritage.

These topics ensure that the project not only identifies threats, but also develops concrete science-based and sustainable strategies for the long-term preservation of stećak tombstones and other stone monuments in Europe.

For more information about the project and the conference, visit the STECCI project website (https://steccihorizoneu.com/).

The STECCI project, coordinated by the University of Sarajevo, brings together an international consortium of partners from eight European countries: Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien (University of Applied Arts Vienna), Zentrum für soziale Innovation GmbH from Vienna, Heritage Malta, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz - Rathgen-Forschungslabor (Germany), University of Donja Gorica (Montenegro), Academy of Arts, University of Split (Croatia), Institut Mines-Télécom (France), University of Novi Sad (Serbia).

The STECCI project, funded through the Horizon Europe program, focuses on the development of innovative and sustainable strategies for the protection of cultural heritage, especially stećak tombstones, from the impacts of climate change.