APAC Labs showcases its interdisciplinary methodology and innovative work in the Tianfu Forum on Chinese Culture.

APAC Labs Professor Sorin Hermon was invited to participate in the 2025 Tianfu Forum on Chinese Culture, held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

The Forum, which brings together scholars and experts from around the world, is dedicated to promoting a scientific and inclusive approach to the protection, interpretation, and sustainable use of cultural heritage, fostering global collaboration and mutual understanding.

As part of the session titled “Symbiosis: Preservation and Utilisation of Cultural Heritage, Co-Built and Shared with Citizens,”, chaired by Prof. Xu Jian, Professor at the School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management, Shanghai University, Prof. Hermon presented a talk on “The Heritage Digital Twin as a Unifying Digital Framework for the Research, Preservation, and Valorisation of Cultural Heritage", showcasing the lab's on-going work at the Monastery of St. John Lambadistis and in particular the research conducted by Anastasia Tsagka, as part of her PhD thesis. 

Prof. Hermon was also hosted at the Sichuan TV, participating in a special English-language program on culture and cultural heritage, together with Prof. Li Haichao, Professor at Sichuan University and head of ceremonial pits excavations at the major archaeological site of Sanxingdui. He discussed the transformative role of digital technologies in the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage, with specific examples on the use of integrated digital and analytical tools and methods, building on the experiences of the DIGILAB mobile laboratory at the Pyla-Kokkinokremos archaeological site, excavations led by Prof. Joachim Bretschneider, Ghent University, Marina Faka, the lab's geodesic engineer coordinating these efforts. Other examples presented were the group's contribution to the digital restoration of the Palaekastro Kouros, an effort led by Dr. Rahaf Orabi, Dr. Valentina Vassallo and Dr. Martina Polig, and in collaboration with the Sitia museum, Crete, and main archaeologists involved, Prof. Jan Driessen and Dr. Alexander MacGillivray, Belgian School of Archaeology in Athens. During the interview, the innovative XRF-RIS-LIS scanner developed in collaboration with C2RMF, France and part of the PhD thesis of Dr. Rapahel Moreau, was presented as well and attracted much attention.