Inaugural lecture from Professor Karina Rodriguez Echavarria

In an increasingly digital and connected world, innovations in computing are reshaping how current and future generations access, experience, and engage with cultural heritage. By transforming physical objects, past and remote environments, and intangible practices into interactive digital experiences, heritage moves beyond museums and archives into everyday digital life.

These “digital twins” do more than preserve the past—they make it accessible, relevant, and valuable for our cultural and creative futures. At the same time, they raise important questions about ownership, agency, and sustainability.

This talk explores interdisciplinary research at the intersection of computing and cultural heritage and how it is transforming how culture is created, preserved, and shared.