UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and Pacific Region

What UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and Pacific Region does

WHITR-AP is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre established in May 2007 under an agreement between UNESCO and the People's Republic of China, headquartered at Tongji University in Shanghai. It operates three branch centers: WHITRAP Shanghai (cultural heritage conservation), WHITRAP Beijing (natural heritage conservation, hosted at Peking University), and WHITRAP Suzhou (handcrafts and traditional skills). The institute serves States Parties of the World Heritage Convention and other UNESCO Member States across the Asia-Pacific region, delivering capacity building workshops, training programs, conferences, publications, and research on World Heritage management, the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation, and the integration of tangible and intangible heritage.

The institute runs two notable network platforms: Heritage Asia-Pacific (HeritAP), a practitioner network with regular knowledge-sharing sessions (HeritAP Chat), and the International Network for Urban-rural Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions (UHC-HEI), which has grown to over 40 full member universities and affiliated partners since its founding in September 2023. Other core outputs include the AWHEIC global awards program for innovative heritage education cases (with nearly 100 international submissions in its 2023 cycle), an ongoing newsletter series now at issue 70, and recurring capacity building workshops such as the August 2026 program in Anxi, China. The institute does not develop commercial technology products; its "platforms" are membership-based knowledge exchange and training initiatives rather than software.

The operating model is institutional rather than commercial. WHITR-AP is funded through UNESCO auspices, the Chinese government, and partner organizations; training programs and workshops are offered free of charge to selected participants, with host organizations covering accommodation, meals, and local transport. The institute employs roughly 14 staff and is governed in coordination with UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS, IUCN, the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and partner universities. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and Pacific Region

Legal name

World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO

Website

https://whitr-ap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WHITR-AP is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre, established in 2007 and hosted in China, that delivers heritage conservation training, research, and capacity building programs to UNESCO Member States and heritage professionals across the Asia-Pacific region through workshops, conferences, and university networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Conservation Training and Research

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (71212), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

akta.pro primary industry

UNESCO & Protected Landmark Sites (THAJACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Heritage conservation training
• Capacity building workshops
• Cultural heritage research
• UNESCO category 2 centre
• World heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. UNESCO Category 2 Centre Funding: As a UNESCO Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO, WHITR-AP operates with institutional funding support from UNESCO, the Chinese government, and partner organizations. The institute conducts training programs and workshops where accommodation, meals, and local transport are typically covered by the host.
2. Capacity Building Programs: Training workshops and capacity building programs offered free to participants, with hosts covering participant costs including accommodation, meals, and local transport during the program period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WHITR-AP is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre that delivers training, research, and capacity-building programs for World Heritage conservation across the Asia-Pacific region. It operates three branch centres (Shanghai for cultural heritage, Beijing for natural heritage, Suzhou for handcrafts and traditional skills) and runs practitioner networks (HeritAP, UHC-HEI), awards programs (AWHEIC), and workshops targeting heritage professionals and site managers.

Product overview

The UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP) is a UNESCO Category 2 Centre that operates as a training and research institute rather than a commercial software product company. Its primary offerings consist of: (1) HeritAP - a network platform connecting heritage practitioners across Asia-Pacific; (2) UHC-HEI - an international network for universities and higher education institutions focused on heritage conservation in higher education; (3) AWHEIC - an awards program for innovative heritage education cases; (4) periodic capacity building workshops and training programs; (5) newsletters and publications; and (6) HeritAP Chat knowledge sharing sessions. The institute does not offer a traditional software product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heritage Asia-Pacific (HeritAP): A network of heritage practitioners supported by WHITRAP Shanghai, aiming to boost recognition of heritage practitioners' work and expand the influence of excellence in the Asia-Pacific region.
• UHC-HEI

Products and services

• HeritAP (Heritage Asia-Pacific) A network platform connecting heritage practitioners and institutions across the Asia-Pacific region, facilitating exchange of knowledge and experience and bridging theory and practice in heritage conservation and management.
• UHC-HEI (International Network for Urban-rural Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions) A non-profit, non-governmental, voluntary membership international platform of universities and higher education institutions collaborating on education, research, and action in urban and rural heritage conservation and sustainable development.
• AWHEIC (Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovation Cases) Global awards program recognizing innovative cases in World Heritage education, with categories including Stars of Outstanding, Stars of Discovery, and Stars of the Future, drawing nearly 100 international submissions per cycle.
• Asia Pacific Regional Capacity Building Workshops In-person training workshops on World Heritage management covering tangible-intangible synergies, management planning, and conservation practices, delivered to approximately 20 heritage professionals per program.
• WHITRAP Newsletters Regular newsletter publication series (Newsletter 1 through 70+) documenting World Heritage conservation activities, training programs, research findings, and news across the Asia-Pacific region.
• HeritAP Chat Knowledge sharing sessions covering topics such as digital technology, heritage interpretation, and conservation practices in relation to World Heritage contribution to SDGs.
• World Heritage Map Interactive mapping resource showcasing World Heritage sites in the Asia-Pacific region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 cases selected from nearly 100 submissions worldwide in the 2023 AWHEIC competition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ICOMOS ChinacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 May 2026WHITR-AP Beijing and ICOMOS China co-host the Capacity-Building Workshop in the Asia-Pacific Region in Anxi, China (August 2026), targeting integrated tangible-intangible heritage management.
• School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking UniversitycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 May 2026Peking University co-organizes the 2026 Capacity-Building Workshop and provides academic expertise through its School of Archaeology and Museology for heritage conservation training.
• UNESCO Regional Office for East AsiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia serves as a guidance unit for the 2026 Capacity-Building Workshop, providing institutional support and alignment with UNESCO frameworks.
• Tongji University / College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2023WHITR-AP Shanghai is hosted at Tongji University. CAUP and WHITR-AP co-organize conferences, research projects, and established the UHC-HEI Network together in September 2023.
• Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute Co., LTD (TJUPDI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2023TJUPDI co-organized the 2023 International Conference on Urban Heritage Conservation and Design for Sustainable Development alongside WHITR-AP and Tongji University.
• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2007ICCROM collaborated in the founding symposium of WHITR-AP in May 2007 and continues as an advisory body partner for heritage conservation training and research programs.
• Chinese National Commission for UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2007The Chinese National Commission for UNESCO co-organized the founding symposium of WHITR-AP in May 2007 and continues to support the institute's operations.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHITR-AP operates as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO, serving States Parties of the World Heritage Convention and UNESCO Member States in the Asia-Pacific region to promote conservation and development of World Heritage.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICOMOS is listed as a linked organization and partner, contributing to the UHC-HEI Network and collaborating on capacity building workshops such as the 2026 Anxi workshop.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN is listed as a linked organization, contributing advisory expertise for World Heritage conservation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): IUCN is a global authority on natural heritage and biodiversity conservation, providing advisory input on World Heritage nominations. It is a linked organization to WHITR-AP and operates at a much larger scale across all natural heritage globally, while WHITR-AP focuses on Asia-Pacific training.
• U.S. National Park Service: The U.S. National Park Service manages federal historic sites and runs extensive training programs for heritage professionals. It shares WHITR-AP's capacity building focus but operates as a large US federal agency with vastly more resources.
• Historic England: Historic England is the UK government's statutory adviser on heritage conservation, with broad mandate across cultural, architectural, and archaeological heritage. It operates at significantly larger scale with paid advisory services, comparable to WHITR-AP's heritage conservation training and advisory mission.

Direct peers

• Getty Conservation Institute: The Getty Conservation Institute is a private research institute dedicated to advancing conservation practice in the visual arts. It shares WHITR-AP's training, research, and capacity building mandate, but operates globally from the US with significantly larger resources.
• Aga Khan Trust for Culture: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture focuses on the conservation and revitalization of historic environments in Muslim societies. It shares WHITR-AP's capacity building and integrated heritage management approach, operating across multiple geographies with comparable program structures.
• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property): ICCROM is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to heritage conservation training and research globally. It is a co-founding partner of WHITR-AP and serves as an advisory body, sharing the same mandate of capacity building for cultural property preservation.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): ICOMOS is a global non-governmental organization providing expertise on cultural heritage conservation, including World Heritage. ICOMOS is a core partner of WHITR-AP in the UHC-HEI Network and capacity building workshops, sharing the same advisory and capacity building mandate.
• World Monuments Fund: World Monuments Fund is a private non-profit that preserves historic sites through advocacy, expertise, and grant-making. It shares WHITR-AP's focus on cultural heritage preservation and operates similar site-focused programs globally.
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is the secretariat for the World Heritage Convention and oversees WHITR-AP as a Category 2 Centre. It is the direct institutional parent and operates the global framework that WHITR-AP implements regionally in Asia-Pacific.

Emerging players

• Cambridge Heritage Research Centre: The Cambridge Heritage Research Centre is a university-based academic center for interdisciplinary heritage research. It shares WHITR-AP's research and education mandate through the UHC-HEI network, but operates as a UK academic center rather than an intergovernmental training institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unesco-world-heritage-institute-of-training-and-research-for-asia-and-pacific-region

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and Pacific Region