Record of Passing the World Heritage Meister Certification Exam

Good evening, this is Che Bunbun.

I have recently passed the World Heritage Meister Certification Exam. The World Heritage Meister Exam is an examination hosted by the NPO World Heritage Academy. It requires not only the ability to explain World Heritage sites but also the ability to analyze the problems facing these sites and consider potential improvements. While the Level 1 exam uses a multiple-choice format to test knowledge, the Meister exam is entirely essay-based. You must appropriately present example World Heritage sites and discuss them in response to the questions. While the pass rate for Level 1 is around 20%, the Meister exam pass rate is about 40-50%. Is the Meister exam easy for those who have passed Level 1?

The answer is "no."

I myself failed twice. As a film writer and blogger who writes thousands of characters every day, I was confident in my essay-writing skills, but I was easily rejected.

Someone like me has finally been able to hold the ticket to success.

I would like to write down my study methods for those who will take the Meister exam in the future.

★Exam Structure

First, I will explain the structure of the exam.

The Meister exam consists roughly of three questions.

◾️Question 1: Terminology Explanation

You are required to explain basic knowledge regarding World Heritage. 90% of the questions are based on the textbook. However, since you must explain each in about 50 characters, you need to grasp and write down two essential points. Therefore, if you do not create a vocabulary list in advance, you will get stuck because you won't be able to summarize them into 50 characters.

◾️Question 2: World Heritage Convention Problem

A question where you must write within 400 characters about the World Heritage Convention using four keywords. It is the easiest question, and since the writing style remains similar regardless of the keywords provided, you can handle it sufficiently by preparing about two patterns.

◾️Question 3: Current Events Problem

Questions are drawn from news related to World Heritage over the past six months, and you must develop your own argument in 1,200 characters. It is purely a game of luck. Also, even if you research World Heritage news topics, they often don't appear on the exam, and I was stunned by the following question that appeared in July 2023.

Strategy 1: Creating a Vocabulary List (Question 1)

First, let's look at the strategy for Question 1. This is simple. It boils down to creating a vocabulary list where you rewrite all the basic World Heritage terms listed in the textbook in 50 characters or less. Honestly, it's a pain. Just creating the vocabulary list takes about 3 hours. Moreover, since you already know most of it, you won't feel motivated. But if you don't create it for everything, you will suffer on the day of the exam. In fact, in this exam, I was asked to explain the term“organically evolved landscape”which was described on the page about cultural landscapes. So, bite the bullet and summarize everything into a vocabulary list.

Strategy 2: Creating a framework for the World Heritage Convention (Question 2)

For the explanation of the World Heritage Convention in Question 2, it is a good idea to create a framework so that you can respond no matter what keywords appear.

Personally, I created a framework with the following three-part structure. By using this framework regardless of the keywords, I was able to complete my writing smoothly.

1. Explanation of the World Heritage Convention
▶︎ Connect the threat of the Nubian monuments being submerged due to dam development with the “new threat of destruction different from the past”

2. Contents of the Convention (List of World Heritage in Danger, World Heritage Fund, educational project plans)
▶︎ Clearly state that since the destruction of heritage and nature occurs due to others' lack of understanding, efforts are being focused on education and public relations activities

3. Recent issues (decrease in the World Heritage Fund)
▶︎ The decrease in the World Heritage Fund due to the United States' withdrawal from UNESCO is becoming a problem.

Strategy 3: Thoroughly read the World Heritage Committee wiki (Question 3)

The problem is Question 3. This requires constructive discussion about the issues facing World Heritage sites. You won't pass by simply criticizing politics or listing words. Also, since it is an essay format, you need to use line breaks and indentations.

How should one collect information for such a Question 3? After researching with a friend for nearly a year and a half, I realized that the World Heritage Committee wiki page is effective. The World Heritage Committee wiki page has a massive amount of text, on the level of a new book, and it details not only the reasons for World Heritage registration but also the problems and countermeasures that World Heritage sites face. In other words, it is a treasure trove of material.

In fact, in this test, when asked to provide specific examples of issues faced by “sites of memory,” I brought up the case of the ESMA “Site of Memory” museum being used in the Argentine presidential election, which was mentioned on the wiki.

Since you just need to provide appropriate examples in your essay, it is sufficient to read the wiki and pose and answer a few questions yourself.

Strategy 4: Reference materials

Even so, some people might feel worried with just that. Therefore, I will introduce a few books that were helpful for my studies.

◾️ “Why Did Mt. Fuji Become a World Heritage Site?” (Zenko Oda)

In theWorld Heritage Meister Examinationheld in December 2022, the following question was asked.

In response to this, I argued along the lines of development to expand Mt. Fuji into a mixed heritage site. However, Mt. Fuji was judged by IUCN as having no value as a natural heritage site in the first place, and it was registered as a cultural heritage site. Although it is not written in the textbook, from the perspective of someone inside the World Heritage registration process, I gave an absurd answer. If you give an answer that is off the mark from the perspective of such experts, you will fail. Conversely, by reading books by experts, you can develop appropriate arguments.

By reading this book, which was written about the process that Zenko Oda, Representative Director of Renaissance University, took in the mission to register Mt. Fuji as a World Heritage site, you can grasp the realistic feeling of the field. It is recommended because you can read it quickly in about an hour.

◾️ Endangered World Heritage: 23 Sites Destroyed by Humanity (Peter Eeckhout)

Many surprisingly little-known issues faced by ruins such as the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley and the Nazca Lines are covered. It can be said that you can build a foundation by writing your own answers to the questions posed here. Although it looks like a stiff book, I personally like it because it has a playful side, such as suddenly bringing up the incident where people had sex on top of a pyramid.

◾️The Shepherd's Life: The Four Seasons in the Lake District (James Rebanks)

The World Heritage site "English Lake District" may look like a natural heritage site, but it is a cultural heritage site.Since the 18th century, the movement to find pictorial value in landscapes“Picturesque”was evaluated for the harmony created between mountains, lakes, gardens, and parks, and it was registered as a World Heritage site in 2017.

However, some say that this was brought in from the outside and is merely a “manufactured image”to those who have lived in the English Lake District for generations. This is James Rebanks, an advisor to the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme.James RebanksIn his autobiography,“The Shepherd's Life: The Four Seasons in the Lake District”he sharply points out the problems of World Heritage sites becoming tourist attractions from the perspective of someone who has lived in this area for a long time.

◾️Thinking about the Present through World Heritage (Hikaru Miyazawa)

This is byHikaru Miyazawawho postsresearcher blog articleson the World Heritage Certification website. I use Mr. Miyazawa's writing as a reference because he explains complex political situations and the latest World Heritage news in simple language that even elementary school students can understand. This book is where he interprets World Heritage from perspectives such as the Palestinian issue, urban development, and overtourism.

When I actually read it, I found many hints for approaches to thinking about World Heritage. In particular, I recommend it because it clearly explains the actual issue of the conflict between Palestine and Israel.

◾️World Heritage College Videos

When I was searching for videos and articles by people who passed the World Heritage Meister Certification, the videos provided by the World Heritage College on YouTube were useful for the test. It can be said to be a useful channel, as they predicted that "Places of Memory" would appear in Question 3 and were spot on.

I will post the reproduced answers for the actual test and the predicted questions for Question 3.

December 2023 Meister Examination Reproduced Answers

◾️Question 1

1. Organically evolved landscape: A landscape formed in response to social, economic, etc., and the natural environment. It can be classified into relict landscapes and continuing landscapes.

2. Transboundary site: A heritage site registered as having outstanding universal value across national borders, proposed at the time of nomination for registration as a natural heritage site.

3. Registration criteria (v): Heritage sites that show unique traditional settlements or the interaction between humans and the environment. It also includes ruins characterized by agricultural landscapes or cultural landscapes.

◾️Question 2

Describe the World Heritage Convention using the following.

1. List of World Heritage in Danger
2. New threats of destruction different from the past
3. Educational project plan
4. Primary obligation and responsibility for protection and conservation

The World Heritage Convention is a treaty to protect ruins and natural environments that have outstanding universal value as an obligation of the entire international community. The background includes the fact that they are facingnew threats of destruction different from the pastsuch as the Nubian monuments being in danger of being submerged due to dam development. Also, although separate protection systems for cultural heritage and natural heritage have been established in the past, there is a purpose to protect them under one treaty because there are cases where both affect each other. The World Heritage Convention specifies the definition of World Heritage and the creation of theList of World Heritage in Danger. It also states that theprimary obligation and responsibility for the protection and conservationof World Heritage lies with the State Party. Since it is thought that the destruction of heritage and nature arises from human misunderstanding, education and public relations activities are also included in the World Heritage Convention, and it is also a feature that there is an item regardingeducational project plans. In recent years, there has been a problem of a shortage of the World Heritage Fund due to the United States' withdrawal from UNESCO. (373 characters)

◾️Question 3

Merits and challenges of registering "Places of Memory" as World Heritage

As the number of nominations for heritage sites related to "recent conflicts" increases, the concept of "sites of memory" has been proposed. At the 2023 World Heritage Committee, three "sites of memory," including the sites of the Rwandan genocide, were inscribed as World Heritage sites. There are two main benefits to defining "sites of memory" and inscribing them as World Heritage.
The first is the ability to fairly deliberate and inscribe heritage related to recent wars and conflicts. While the concept of "negative heritage" exists in the context of World Heritage, it is not defined in the World Heritage Convention. When the Atomic Bomb Dome was inscribed as a World Heritage site, some individuals from China raised concerns that this inscription might be misused to downplay the memory of massacres committed by Japan in Asia. By defining "sites of memory," it becomes possible to deliberate appropriately when there is disagreement over whether a site should be inscribed for political reasons. Furthermore, in the process of evaluating heritage from the 20th century onwards through the Global Strategy, it becomes possible to deliberate on sites whose review had been deferred, such as the beaches of the Normandy landings.
The second is to avoid a decline in trust in the World Heritage system caused by the increase in emergency nominations. In recent years, there has been controversy over the increasing number of cases where sites are inscribed as World Heritage through emergency nominations without following standard procedures. The Land of Olives and Vines – Southern Jerusalem, Battir, which was nominated to prevent Israel from building a separation wall, was inscribed despite receiving a "non-inscription" recommendation from ICOMOS. Subsequently, when Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town was also inscribed as a World Heritage site through an emergency nomination, Israel and the United States protested and withdrew from UNESCO. In 2023, the Historic Centre of Odesa in Ukraine was inscribed as a World Heritage site via emergency nomination despite a majority of members abstaining. As emergency nominations increase in this manner, countries may withdraw from UNESCO, potentially diminishing the value of World Heritage. By defining "sites of memory," it becomes possible to make more cautious decisions regarding World Heritage inscription when emergency nominations are made for political reasons.
On the other hand, "sites of memory" also face challenges. First, there is the potential for political exploitation. In fact, the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory, which was inscribed at the 2023 World Heritage Committee, was used politically during the Argentine presidential election. Additionally, because museums can freely alter how history is presented, there is a possibility that facts inconvenient to the state or specific individuals may be concealed. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor these sites periodically even after their inscription as World Heritage.
Another point is the need to strengthen cooperation with the "Memory of the World" program. As a UNESCO initiative, "Memory of the World" already exists and plays a role in protecting non-immovable heritage. It is important to coordinate so that, instead of the conventional process of emergency nomination for World Heritage, sites are first protected under "Memory of the World," the information necessary for World Heritage inscription is protected and organized, and then it is deliberated whether to register them as a "site of memory" or as a standard World Heritage site. (1,195 characters)

Question 3 Mock Exam

◾️ Question

Due to recent natural disasters, the earthquake in southern Turkey caused significant damage to the neighboring "Ancient City of Aleppo" in Syria, including the collapse of the citadel, towers, and buildings in the souq (market). With other conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, World Heritage is facing unprecedented new threats. Discuss how World Heritage should be protected in the future, using comparative World Heritage examples, in 1,200 characters or less.

◾️ Answer

As World Heritage faces unprecedented threats from natural disasters such as earthquakes and global warming, as well as conflicts, it is necessary to review the structure of the World Heritage Committee and other bodies when considering World Heritage protection. In this regard, I will discuss two points: the establishment of a smooth method for holding World Heritage Committee sessions during emergencies and the review of the operation of the World Heritage Fund.
In recent years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there have been successive cases where the World Heritage Committee, which should be held at least once a year, has been postponed. The World Heritage Committee not only decides whether to inscribe nominated sites onto the World Heritage List but also receives reports and sets policies for sites that require investigation or protection due to natural disasters or conflicts. For example, at the 45th World Heritage Committee, it was reported that at the Chinchorro Culture sites in Chile, abnormal rainfall had caused mummies in the soil to be exposed, leading to rapid deterioration and decay. If the World Heritage Committee is not held according to the Operational Guidelines, protection responses are delayed, carrying the risk that World Heritage, which is the common heritage of humanity, will be lost. Certainly, there are cases like the Historic Centre of Odesa, which was inscribed as a World Heritage site in danger through an emergency designation at an extraordinary session. However, these should ideally be deliberated equally at the World Heritage Committee, and the normalization of extraordinary sessions leads to inconsistencies in World Heritage protection, which cannot be considered appropriate operation. The recent postponements of the World Heritage Committee were bottlenecked by the practice of holding sessions on-site in a host country.
Therefore, it is necessary to leverage the know-how of the online meetings conducted at the 44th World Heritage Committee to create a system that can switch from on-site to online meetings in emergencies, aiming for operations that comply with the Operational Guidelines. It is also necessary to review the World Heritage Fund. Following the inscription of the Palestinian World Heritage site, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town, via emergency nomination, the United States, which had been paying a large portion of the contributions, withdrew from UNESCO. This led to a significant shortfall in the World Heritage Fund. Starting with the heritage sites nominated at the 45th World Heritage Committee, a mechanism was introduced where the nominating country voluntarily pays the costs associated with the review process.
However, the current situation faces the challenge that budget is prioritized for preparatory assistance over emergency assistance. To provide appropriate protection with a limited budget, further selection and concentration are necessary. Countries that already possess many World Heritage sites should refrain from nominating new sites, except for those related to the Global Strategy or nominations for heritage in danger. This would allow resources to be spent on heritage that requires international protection. In other words, in order to protect Outstanding Universal Value as a treasure of humanity for the future, it will become important to internationally discuss and adjust barriers related to holding sessions and the allocation of budgets. (1,153 characters)