ICOMOS official: Global collaboration opens new pathways for cultural heritage digitization

Gai Jorayev, president of the International Scientific Committee on AeroSpace Heritage, International Council on Monuments and Sites, speaks at the Forum on Digital Preservation and Transmission of Cultural Heritage during the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 9, 2025. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Gai Jorayev, president of the International Scientific Committee on AeroSpace Heritage, International Council on Monuments and Sites, delivered a keynote speech titled "Digitization of Heritage Archives for the Preservation of Tangible Cultural Heritage: Ways Forward" at the Forum on Digital Preservation and Transmission of Cultural Heritage during the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit. 

Jorayev pointed out that the digitization of cultural heritage archives is more than a technical process — it is a moral responsibility that connects the past and the future. In the face of challenges such as climate change, urbanization and tourism development, establishing global standards and enhancing accessibility and sustainability have become pressing issues in heritage preservation, he added.

Jorayev called for the formulation of unified global standards for digitization, setting clear specifications for resolution, precision and file formats to ensure the sustainability and future adaptability of archives. He noted that in an era of rapid advances in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, such standards are particularly important.