The BAC is thrilled to announce we have started a new three-year partnership with the University of Baltistan, Skardu (UoBS) in Cultural Heritage Management and Economic Development, funded by the US Department of State, Embassy in Islamabad. This builds on the ongoing five year partnership between the BAC and the National College of Arts (NCA), in Lahore, and expands the BAC's connection to Pakistani institutions of higher education.

Nestled in the northernmost province of Pakistan in Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu is located near the Karakoram mountain range, which is home to the second-highest mountain in the world, K2, and attracts tourists, trekkers, and mountaineers from around the world. The University of Baltistan, Skardu is a public university that was founded in 2017 with programs in tourism, cultural studies, business and the sciences.

Through this partnership, the BAC will assist UoBS in developing curriculum for a new cultural heritage management program that focuses on the rich cultural and natural resources of the region, including Buddhist archaeological sites. In addition to this, the BAC will collaborate with UoBS faculty and staff on developing a digital archive of the cultural and natural heritage of the region.

"We are thrilled to start another university partnership and continue the BAC's work in historic preservation education in Pakistan. Partnerships like these provide incredible opportunities for learning and collaboration for our faculty and students, and, through the medium of cultural heritage and education, connects the BAC community to a new part of the world," shared Eleni Glekas, Director of Historic Preservation at the BAC.

This partnership is made possible by the work and dedication of Don Hunsicker, Dean of Design Studies; Eleni Glekas, Director of Historic Preservation; Chala Hadimi, Assistant Project Director; and Anna Harmison, Academic Affairs Operations Analyst.

"I want to commend the work that Eleni and our colleagues from UoBS did to write the successful grant proposal. The BAC and Eleni's expertise in this field and the enthusiasm expressed by the UoBS faculty and administration to develop a heritage conservation curriculum for its students will ensure that we will succeed in achieving our goals for this grant," said Don Hunsicker, Dean of Design Studies.