CIPA/TMO Inari School 2026

On the Digitisation of Sámi Cultural Heritage

This school is dedicated to training participants in the digitisation of Sámi cultural heritage, placing strong emphasis on culturally sensitive, ethical, and community-informed practices. Recognising the responsibilities that come with working with Indigenous heritage, the programme combines critical reflection with hands-on learning, encouraging participants to explore a range of technical approaches while respecting Sámi knowledge systems, values, and rights. Through carefully selected case studies and close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, the summer school aims to foster thoughtful and responsible digitisation practices that support both heritage preservation and cultural continuity.

Location and Ethical Framework

The activities are preliminarily planned to take place in Inari and/or Utsjoki. The main activities will take place either at the Sajos Cultural Centre in Inari, located in connection with the Sámi Parliament, or alternatively in Utsjoki at the Ailigas Institute.

Learning Activities and Case Studies

The programme will focus on practical digitisation activities informed by ethical considerations and local collaboration. Planned activities include:

• Digitisation of small-scale objects, such as non-reflective artworks by local artists, with relevant contact persons and rights holders identified through processes aligned with Indigenous research ethics and institutional guidelines.
• Digitisation of wooden structures, including selected building exteriors and built environments, where appropriate and agreed. Potential sites and collaborators are currently being identified through an ethics-informed process guided by Indigenous research principles.

In Utsjoki activities may take place at locations such as the Utsjoki Church Cottages and the Mantojärvi / Máttajávri area. In Inari, the specific sites are still to be confirmed. Across all locations, activities will be shaped by what is considered appropriate, meaningful, and feasible in collaboration with local partners.

Logistics and Practical Arrangements

Transportation between Inari and Utsjoki (approximately 100 km) will be organised by minibus and cars as part of the programme.

Accommodation for participants will be provided in a combination of cottages and at the Wilderness Hotel. Breakfast is included at the hotel, while all other meals will be provided as part of the summer school programme.

If required, accommodation options in the Utsjoki area will be confirmed at a later stage, depending on final activity locations and participant needs.

A Collaborative Learning Environment

By integrating ethical reflection, technical training, and close collaboration with Sámi institutions and stakeholders, this summer school offers participants the opportunity to engage deeply with the complexities of digitising Indigenous cultural heritage. The programme seeks not only to build technical skills, but also to strengthen awareness of responsibility, reciprocity, and long-term impact in digital heritage work.

Who will be instructing you?

Within our CIPA/TMO Inari School you will be, as always, in the best hands! We are happy to announce the enrolment of the following renowned specialists to act as your tutors and facilitators:

Prof. Andreas Georgopoulos (National Technical University Athens, Laboratory of Photogrammetry)

Get to know Andreas Georgopoulos…

Andreas Georgopoulos is basically a Surveyor Engineer, who fell in love with Photogrammetry about 40 years ago. Hence he obtained his MSc and PhD (UCL) on this subject and afterwards he chose to teach it to younger students of Surveying as a Professor at NTUA, Lab of Photogrammetry. Cultural Heritage and Monuments are his second love and all these years he is trying to make the one work for the other with some success. He teaches Photogrammetry and Monument Recording to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Surveying and Architecture. His research activities include all kinds of contemporary optical methods for geometrically documenting monuments of all sizes. Among others, he has worked for the geometric documentation of Knossos (in Crete), of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (in Jerusalem), of the Dafni Monastery (in Athens), of monasteries on Mount Athos, Byzantine Churches in Cyprus and many more monuments all over Greece.

Prof. Mona Hess (University of Bamberg, Chair for Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation)

Get to know Mona Hess…

Mona Hess has graduate degrees in architecture from Munich University of Technology, heritage conservation from University of Bamberg, both Germany, and a PhD in 3D imaging metrology for cultural heritage from University College London (UK) in 2015. She has a 19-year-experience in interdisciplinary research projects for 3D imaging metrology and digital documentation for cultural heritage buildings and museum artefacts. Since 2017 she is full professor and course director for the new M.Sc. in Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation at the University of Bamberg, Germany, and was vice-womens’ officer of the university 2019 to 2022. She is also co-chair at the Centre for Innovative Applications of Computer Science and vice-chair at the Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies (KDWT) at the University of Bamberg. She has published papers and book chapters in the cultural heritage and geomatics community (CIPA and ISPRS) She has been an expert member at CIPA since 2019. She is on the executive committee of CIPA from 2024 as Commission Chair for Education and Dissemination together with Prof. Dr. Andreas Georgopoulos.

Prof. Dimitrios Skarlatos (Cyprus University of Technology, Vice Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Technology)

Get to know Dimitrios Skarlatos…

Dimitrios Skarlatos is Professor in the department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics in Cyprus University of Technology. Part of his research is focusing on UAV archaeological site mapping and 3D recording of CH objects, such as monuments and museum exhibits. He is the lead surveyor in Mazotos shipwreck, underwater excavation, since 2010 and has been involved in two more shipwreck’s 3D reconstruction. Prof. Skarlatos has successfully coordinated iMARECULTURE, a Research and Innovation project (RIA), under a call for virtual museums. The project focused in promoting maritime cultural heritage, through several XR applications and serious games. He is the EuroSDR academic delegate of Cyprus (since 2010), co-chair in ISPRS WG II/7 for Underwater Data Acquisition and Processing (2016-2026), and CIPA Commission Chair for Technologies for Cultural Heritage Geometric Documentation (2024-2027).

Schedule

How to Apply

Find more information on how to register, participation fees and other relevant information

Who makes all of this possible?

This Summer School is a joint activity by:

The project “3DBigDataSpace” is co-funded under the Digital Europe Programme (project number 101173385) of the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority [European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA)]. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

This project additionally receives funding by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).