Following its 50th anniversary celebration in 2021, SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA) is proud to be a partner organiser for the 22nd Indo-Pacific Archaeology Association (IPPA 2022) and lead a session on rock art in November 2022.
SEAMEO SPAFA’s mission is to raise professional competence and promote awareness, education, and preservation of cultural heritage in the fields of archaeology and fine arts for SEA member countries and associates worldwide.
Mrs Somlak Charoenpot, Centre Director, expressed the excitement of joining one of the largest archaeology conferences this year.
“IPPA 2022 is a great chance for us to reconnect with many of our overseas colleagues and alumni who have ventured into the world of archaeology and found success along this beloved path. We will also have an exhibition booth at the conference to display our publications.”
“IPPA 2022 will bring together interdisciplinary experts for knowledge exchange and shaping understanding of human society in the past. Our experts will head the rock art discussion panel and help participants better comprehend and appreciate rock art in different social and artistic contexts. We hope this stirs public engagement and raises awareness in fulfilment of a common goal shared by SEAMEO SPAFA and IPPA to preserve and protect these non-renewable resources that are integral to the history of mankind and artistic inspiration.”
“Exemplary of SEAMEO SPAFA’s achievement, both local and international, are “Rain Motion: Connecting with the Sky of Southeast Asia” and “Phor Baan Han Mueng: Preservation of Local Architecture in Phrae Province” projects. The former project highlights SEA’s cultural heritage pertaining to rain and interpreted collective data into contemporary dance for public enjoyment. The latter, in collaboration with ICCROM, strengthened awareness of the bonds between people and their traditional settlements and the importance of nurturing every individual’s community in order to foster local resilience.”
“SEAMEO SPAFA’s education mission resonates with IPPA’s objectives to elevate knowledge and ethical standards around research into prehistory. Faced with the severity of the pandemic of recent years, we conducted online courses to ensure continuation of learning and, by utilising technologies that broadened the group of attendees, we managed this with great success.”
“Digitalisation was always coming. The pandemic has merely been a catalyst forcing it to arrive faster. Among its advantages are reducing inequality of education access, strengthening peace and justice, and enabling formation of partnerships all over the world.”
"Joining IPPA 2022 gives us the opportunity to keep in touch with upcoming trends and needs in prehistoric fields in ways that are invaluable to our stakeholders. It will help us discern more clearly what our future direction should be and earn recognition for Thailand as a regional hub for archaeological and fine arts learning.”
“Besides updating regional and global trends, we are investing more in developing essential skills and know-how. We are weaving together a theoretical and practical approach to developing ready-for-work heritage professionals and ultimately this will enable us to export trained expertise to regional countries and other parts of the world.”