Prof. Dr. Sophia Labadi

Sophia Labadi is Professor of Heritage at the University of Kent in the UK, Professorial Fellow at the Global Heritage Lab, University of Bonn, and the recipient of the 2023 ReimarLüst Award from the Humboldt and Thyssen Foundation. 

I specialise in critical heritage, museum studies, and global challenges. My research focuses on how heritage sites and museums can address some of the most pressing global challenges, including social justice, gender equality, food security, or sustainable development. 

I am the author of 13 books and 70 articles and reports. My books include ‘Rethinking Heritage for Sustainable Development’ (UCL Press, 2022); ‘Museums, Immigrants, and Social Justice’ (Routledge, 2017); and ‘UNESCO, Cultural Heritage, and Outstanding Universal Value’ (AltaMira Press, 2012).

My research is nourished by my experiences as consultant for international organisations and governments, including UNESCO or the World Bank. I have experimented with decolonial approaches, have engaged with community-based approaches to heritage and museum management; and developed innovative methodologies to address current social, environmental and economic challenges. 

My work has received many prizes, including the 2022 European Archaeological Heritage Prize from the European Association of Archaeologists.

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Publications 

Books and special issues as guest editor

Labadi, S. 2022. Rethinking Heritage for Sustainable Development. International Framework, Local Impacts. UCL Press

Labadi, S., Giliberto, F., Rosetti, I., Shebati, L., and Yildirim, E. 2021. Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Policy Guidance for Heritage and Development Actors. Paris: ICOMOS. 134p. 

Labadi, S. Giliberto, F. Taruvinga, P. and Jopela, A. (eds). 2020. World Heritage and Sustainable Development in Africa: Implementing the 2015 Policy. Midrand: African World Heritage Fund. 

Labadi, S. (ed). 2019. The cultural turn in international aid: impacts and challenges for heritage and the creative industries. London: Routledge, 256p

Labadi, S. 2017. Museums, Immigrants and Social Justice. London: Routledge, 160p (out in paperback in December 2019)

Labadi, S. 2016. L’impact de la culture en Europe. Évaluation des impacts socio-économiques de projets de régénération culturelle. Paris: Editions L’Harmattan, 180p

Labadi, S. and Logan, W. (eds). 2015. Urban Heritage, Development, and Sustainability: international frameworks, national and local governance. London: Routledge, 360p

Labadi, S. and Chilton, E (editors). 2014. Heritage and Human Rights. Heritage and Society. Vol. 7(2), pp. 103-188

Labadi, S. 2013. UNESCO, Cultural Heritage, and Outstanding universal value. Plymouth, MA: AltaMira Press, 204 p (out in paperback in July 2015)

Labadi, S. 2011. Evaluating the socio-economic impacts of selected regenerated heritage sites in Europe. Amsterdam: European Cultural Foundation, 129p 

Labadi, S. and Long, C (eds). 2010. Heritage and Globalisation. London: Routledge, 234p

Labadi, S. (Guest editor) Cultural Diversity. International Social Science Journal. Vol. 61(199)

Bandarin, F. and Labadi, S (eds). 2007. World Heritage: Challenges for the Millennium. Paris: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 200p

Articles 

Giliberto, F. and Labadi, S. 2023. Re-imagining Heritage tourism in Post-COVID Sub-Saharan Africa: Local Stakeholders’ Perspectives and Future Directions. Sustainability vol. 15(5), pages 1-20,

Labadi, S. 2023A role for heritage in development? In Cross, C. and Giblin, J. Critical Approaches to Heritage for Development, London: Routledge

Labadi, S. 2022. The World Heritage Convention at 50: management, credibility and sustainable development, Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development. ahead-of-print, 9000 words. 

Giliberto, F. and Labadi, S. 2022. Harnessing cultural heritage for sustainable development: an analysis of three internationally funded projects in MENA Countries. International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol.28(2), pp. 133-146

Labadi, S. 2022. Policy Briefs and Recommendations. Rethinking Heritage for Sustainable Development (also available in French and Portuguese). University of Kent. 35 pages

Majd Ardekani, A., Labadi, S., and Von Jugenfeld, R. 2021. Evaluating Visitors’ Experiences at St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury. In Arefian, F.F. et al. (eds.), Historic Cities in the Face of Disasters. The Urban Book Series. Springer, 509-521

Labadi, S. 2020. Homage à Máiréad. In Kockel, U., McDermott, P. and Campbell, L. (eds). Per Scribendum, Sumus. A cèilidh in Honour of Máiréad Nic Craith. Zürich: Lit Verlag, pp. 251-254.

Labadi, S., Jopela, A. and Taruvinga, P. 2020. Introduction. InLabadi, S. Giliberto, F. Taruvinga, P. and Jopela, A. (eds). 2020. World Heritage and Sustainable Development in Africa: Implementing the 2015 Policy. Midrand: African World Heritage Fund, pp. 6-10

Labadi, S. 2020.Afterword: Superdiversity and new approaches to heritage and identities in Europe: the way forward. In: Colomer, L. and Catalani, A. eds. Heritage Discourses in Europe: Responding to Migration, Mobility, and Cultural Identities in the 21st Century. Arc Humanities Press, 111-115.

Labadi, S. 2019.The Cultural Turn in International Aid? Setting the Scene. In: Labadi, S. (ed). The cultural turn in international aid: impacts and challenges for heritage and the creative industries. London: Routledge, 1-14.

Labadi, S. 2019. UNESCO, Culture, Aid and Development in the New Millennium. In: Labadi, S. (ed). The cultural turn in international aid: impacts and challenges for heritage and the creative industries. London: Routledge, 73-88.

Labadi, S. 2019. The Future of International Aid for Cultural Projects. In: Labadi, S. (ed). The cultural turn in international aid: impacts and challenges for heritage and the creative industries. London: Routledge, 243-252

Labadi, S. 2019. Re-examining World Heritage and sustainable development. In Bharne, V. and Sandmeier, T. (eds). Routledge Companion of Global Heritage Conservation. London: Routledge, 15-26.

Labadi, S. 2018. UNESCO, World Heritage Convention (1972). Encyclopaedia of Global Archaeology. New York: Springer. 

Labadi, S. 2018. World Heritage and Gender Equality. In: Larsen, P. and Logan, W. (eds). World Heritage and Sustainable Development: new directions in World Heritage Management. London: Routledge, 87-100

Labadi, S. 2018. Historical, theoretical and international considerations on culture, heritage and (sustainable) development. In: Larsen, P. and Logan, W. (eds). World Heritage and Sustainable Development: New Directions in World Heritage Management. London: Routledge, 37-49

Labadi, S. 2017. UNESCO, heritage and sustainable development: international discourses and local impacts. In Gould, P. and Pyburn, A. (eds). Promise and Peril: Archaeology Engaging with Economic Development. New York: Springer, pp. 45-60

Chilton, E. and Labadi, S. 2016. From the Editors. Heritage and Society. 9.1., pp. 1-2

Appendino, F., Giliberto, F. and Labadi, S. 2016. The role of Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessment in Liverpool World Heritage site. Valori e Valutazioni, 17, pp. 1-16

Labadi, S. and Logan, W. 2015. Approaches to urban heritage, development and sustainability. In: Labadi, S. and Logan, W. (eds). Urban Heritage, Development and Sustainability. London: Routledge, pp. 1-21

Labadi, S. 2015. Measuring the socio-economic impacts of heritage-led development: the cases of Liverpool (UK) and Lille (France). In: Labadi, S. and Logan, W. (eds). Urban Heritage, Development and Sustainability. London: Routledge, pp. 137-150

Labadi, S. and Gould, P. 2015. Sustainable Development: Heritage, Community, Economics. In Meskell, L (ed). Global Heritage: A Reader. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 196-216

Labadi, 2014. UNESCO, States Parties and Outstanding Universal Value. In Proceedings. Understanding Heritage Values. Eindhoven University of Technology

Labadi, S. 2014. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Convention. Encyclopaedia of Global Archaeology. New York: Springer, pp. 7434-7439

Labadi, S. 2013. The National Museum of the Immigration History (Paris; France): neo-colonialist representations, silencing, and re-appropriation. Journal of Social Archaeology. 13: 310-33

Labadi, S. 2012. Public Policy: Introduction. In: Silberman, Neil, ed. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 672-673

Labadi, S. 2012. Public Policy: conventions. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, .680-683.

Labadi, S. 2012. Public Policy: charters. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 684-687

Labadi, S. 2012. International Organizations. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 109-112

Rojas, E. and Labadi, S. 2012. Heritage Management and Development for Social Inclusion and Economic Development. The World Bank Guidance Note. Unpublished document

Labadi, S. 2011. Intangible Heritage and Sustainable Development – Realistic Outcome or Wishful Thinking? Heritage and Society. 4.1

Labadi, S. 2010. Investing in cultural diversity. International Social Science Journal. N. 199

Labadi, S. 2010. World Heritage, Authenticity and Post-authenticity. In Labadi, S. and Long, C. (eds) Heritage and Globalization. London: Routledge, 64-84

Long, C. and Labadi, S. 2010. Introduction. In Labadi, S. and Long, C. (eds) Heritage and Globalization. London: Routledge, 1-16

Labadi, S. 2010. Socio-Economic Impacts of cultural projects in Great Britain. In ARCADE. Culture as a tool for development: challenges of analysis and action. CNFPT publications, 206-223

Labadi, S. 2009. Le patrimoine culturel, facteur d’insertion sociale des jeunes des zones sensibles. ESPOIR, N°156

Labadi, S. and Wintzerith, S. 2008. ICOM and ICOMOS, between interculturalism and universalism; dans Patrimoine et Mondialisation, Groupe de Recherche sur les Musées et le Patrimoine. Paris: L’Harmattan, 77-94

Labadi, S. 2008. Review of ‘Managing heritage and Cultural Tourism Resources. Critical Essays, Volume One’; edited by Dallen J. Timothy. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change (Volume 5, number 8)

Labadi, S. 2007. Representations of the nation and cultural diversity in discourses on World Heritage. Journal of Social Archaeology, 7.2, 147-170.

Labadi, S. 2005. A review of the Global Strategy for a Balanced, Representative and Credible World Heritage List 1994-2004.Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 7.2, 89-102

Labadi, S. 2003. From a ‘clash of civilisations’ to reconciliation? A response to R. Matthews. Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, 14,1, 10-13 

Labadi, S. 2003. The Importance, Conservation and Management of Industrial Heritage sites in Chile. Industrial Patrimony, 9.1, 65-72

Labadi, S. 2001. Industrial Archaeology as Historical Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology. Papers from the Institute of Archaeology, Vol 12. Pp. 77-85