The Polytechnic University of Tomar (UPTomar) participated in the international conference “Gamification as a Catalyst for Sustainable Cultural Heritage Practices”, held from 15 to 17 September in Adana, Turkey, within the framework of the Erasmus+ Heritage Game project. Organised by Adana Alparslan Türke? Science and Technology University (ATU), the event brought together more than 200 participants from over twenty countries.
The opening session featured remarks by UPTomar’s Rector, Professor João Coroado, in his capacity as President of KreativEU and member of the Conference Honour Committee, and by Vice-Rector Professor Célio Gonçalo Marques, as Coordinator of the Heritage Game project and Chair of the Conference Scientific Committee. The role of universities in bringing knowledge closer to society and in creating new ways of engaging communities, particularly younger generations, in the appreciation, understanding, and preservation of cultural heritage was among the key themes highlighted during the conference. The conference opening was also attended by the Rector of ATU, the Vice-Governor of Adana, Hasan Balc?, and the Mayor of Sar?çam, Bilal Uluda?.
As a keynote speaker, Professor Célio Gonçalo Marques delivered the presentation “Gamifying Heritage: The Walked Road and the Path Ahead”, focusing on the potential of gamification as a tool for bringing communities closer to cultural heritage.
The conference also featured the presentation of the paper “Heritage Game: Empowering Local Stakeholders Through a Web Authoring Platform for Gamified Cultural Heritage Experiences”. Authored by Professors Célio Gonçalo Marques, Hélder Pestana, Inês Serrano, Inês Araújo and Sónia Fidalgo Pais of the Polytechnic University of Tomar, the paper presents a web-based platform that enables municipalities, museums, and other organisations to independently create and manage gamified cultural heritage experiences, reducing technological barriers and fostering greater community engagement with cultural heritage.
During the international conference, the gamification initiative “Secrets of the Tagus Valley”, developed by Hugo Gomes, Alein Mischa de Guzman, Seth Changi, and Luiz Oosterbeek from the Museum of Prehistoric Art and the Sacred of the Tagus Valley in Mação, was also presented. The presentation was delivered by Seth Changi, a student collaborator at the Museum. The application provides a concrete example of the implementation of the model and web-based platform developed within the Heritage Game project, demonstrating how these tools can support local organisations in creating digital and gamified experiences for the exploration, interpretation, and promotion of cultural heritage.
At the closing session of the conference, UPTomar Vice-Rector Professor Célio Gonçalo Marques presented the final results of the Heritage Game project, coordinated by UPTomar and developed in partnership with six European universities belonging to the KreativEU alliance. As part of the event, meetings of the Steering Committee (SC) and the Key Project Team (KPT) were also held, providing an opportunity to monitor the project's implementation, review progress, and further strengthen cooperation among the partner institutions.
Alongside the conference activities, UPTomar Rector and President of KreativEU, Professor João Coroado, and UPTomar Vice-Rector and Secretary-General of KreativEU, Professor Célio Gonçalo Marques, were received by the Mayor of Sar?çam, Bilal Uluda?, at the Municipality of Sar?çam. The meeting provided an opportunity to explore new avenues for cooperation within the framework of the European university alliance, particularly in the fields of education, culture, and innovation, contributing to stronger links between higher education institutions and local communities.
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