Voices of Palmyra: CIVIS Open Lab project explores heritage and refugee inclusion

Academics, students, researchers, and members of refugee communities with a shared interest in cultural heritage, migration, and social inclusion got together in Romania for the “VERIS – Voices of Palmyra: Engaging (In)tangible Memorial Heritage in Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion” CIVIS Open Lab project. Hosted by the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest, the event was organised in partnership with the University of Lausanne, the University of Glasgow, and Je suit Refugee Service Romania.

After the opening session held by Dr. Patrick Michel (UNIL), Dr. Oana Șerban and Dr. Liliana Dumitrache (UB), and Dr. Brittnee Leysen (UofG), the Open Lab offered a full day of interactive activities. Participants engaged in virtual reality experiences that reconstructed the ancient city of Palmyra, embroidery workshops, and storytelling sessions where refugees shared their personal journeys.

The workshop Immersive experiences in traumatic pasts. Visiting Palmyra: the past and the present connected by VR, coordinated by Dr. Patrick Michel (University of Lausanne), offered the refugees the chance to experience the now destroyed ancient city in virtual reality - an experience behind which lies extensive archival digitization work:

The monument may be gone, but the documents remain. Using these resources, we created a database and 3D models in 2017 through what we call post-mortem photogrammetry. Palmyra allows us to move through space as well as time – from one place to another, and from one era to another, from the Roman period to the Byzantine,” Professor Michel explained.

The method is called post-mortem because, unlike traditional photogrammetry that relies on the monument itself, here the models were reconstructed using archival photographs and images taken after the bombing of the temple.

The project emphasises that the value of heritage is not found only in data or digital images. Inspired by the Faro Convention (2005), it focuses on the role of communities: “A monument has meaning for people, it’s more than just stone. The true social impact of research comes when we succeed in reconnecting people with their own history”, Michel noted.

Exploring heritage through embroidery workshops

Alongside VR, participants also explored heritage through embroidery workshops, reinterpreting motifs inspired by Palmyra’s architecture. The results reflected shared both designs and individual creativity. Some participants, already skilled in traditional embroidery, produced highly precise work, while others experimented with more personal interpretations.

Dr. Patrick Michel emphasised the importance of culture in human life, especially during times of crisis:

If we think of the pyramid of needs, after food and health comes culture. People cannot live without it. Identity is layered, and our project gives people tools to rediscover their past as a way to build their future. And architectural patterns can be translated onto textiles. Every stitch tells a story of resilience and belonging”, said Michel.

All of the pieces will be analysed from historical, psychological, and philosophical perspectives through collaboration between teams in Lausanne, Bucharest, and Glasgow. They will also be exhibited at CIVIS Days 2026, alongside a book documenting the project’s experiences.

A shared space bringing together academics and vulnerable communities

The project began in 2020, when the first workshops on heritage and inclusion were organized in collaboration with UNDP Syria. Over the following years, activities expanded to Jordan and Syria (2022–2023), Switzerland (2023), Syria again (2024), and in 2025 reached Lebanon, Jordan, and Romania.

Through CIVIS, this Open Lab is more than a standalone academic event – it becomes a platform where research and lived experience meet. On one hand, the workshops give refugees ways to reclaim their identity and express themselves, turning cultural heritage into a living resource. On the other, partner universities gain insights from interdisciplinary research on how culture and science contribute to social inclusion.

In this way, CIVIS creates a shared space where academic and vulnerable communities come together, exchange ideas, and foster intercultural dialogue. “We act for a better future” – this, according to Michel, captures the spirit of the Voices of Palmyra project.

Through the Open Labs and their projects, CIVIS supports the development of universities that are participatory, inclusive, and open. By building a community of universities and citizens, we ensure that the alliance has real impact for people outside the university at local, regional and international levels.