FRH’s Young Professionals and Researchers Working Group: Giving Voice to a New Generation
Young professionals are increasingly calling for fair opportunities in the heritage field — to take part in the dialogues that shape the sector and to build sustainable career paths within it. In response to this need, Future for Religious Heritage (FRH) puts principles into action. In 2023, it established the Young Professionals and Researchers Working Group (YPWG) to give emerging experts a stronger voice and better opportunities. Meetali Gupta, a member of the YPWG, reflects on what the group has accomplished so far and where it is heading next.
By Meetali Gupta
The Young Professionals and Researchers Working Group (YPWG) was established in December 2023, building on the momentum of the European Year of Youth 2022. Founded by Ms. Samidha Pusalkar, the group aims to empower and advocate for emerging talents in the religious heritage field, ensuring their concerns, perspectives, and insights are represented in FRH initiatives.
In response to the lack of young voices in both research and practice — particularly within religious heritage — the YPWG provides a platform for knowledge sharing, awareness, and dialogue between younger and more experienced professionals.
In its first year, the group published the international position paper ‘Building a Future in Religious Heritage‘, which highlights the needs of young professionals in the sector. The paper analyses career barriers and offers actionable recommendations to equip young experts with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed to thrive in cultural and religious heritage. The YPWG presented the paper at the 13th meeting of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Cultural Heritage.
Now in its second year, with 15 members, the YPWG continues to drive meaningful change. Its new work plan revolves on a research-driven report examining the state of heritage education at three levels — school, undergraduate, and postgraduate — to identify key gaps, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Together, the two position papers aim to raise awareness and promote an environment in religious heritage education and professional practice where young professionals and their voices are not only heard but actively supported.
Young professionals’ perspectives and challenges require strategic attention and proactive inclusion within heritage organisations. FRH’s YPWG demonstrates how such engagement gives voice to what matters most to young professionals, and brings to the forefront the issues they deem necessary to be addressed via research.
Bringing together policymakers, legal experts, landscape and intangible heritage specialists, managers, and academics, the group ensures a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and supporting young professionals in the religious heritage sector. This diversity allows for a more comprehensive view of the challenges they face and helps develop practical, well-rounded, solutions.
Through its work, the YPWG encourages every organisation involved in heritage projects to include young professionals in meaningful ways — giving them space to apply their expertise and participate in decision-making processes that affect their futures. It also calls on young professionals to engage actively in such working groups and share their insights to improve understanding of their perspective and the sectoral challenges they face.
Learn more about the group.
Read their position paper “Building a future in Religious Heritage”.
About the Author
Meetali Gupta, an architect from Delhi with a specialisation in world heritage and EU cultural policies, has extensive international experience in heritage, advocacy, and policy initiatives. She currently serves as a Teaching Assistant for the Chair of Environmental Planning at Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany.
Members of the YPWG. © Future for Religious Heritage (FRH)
