Global experts to collaborate on India’s first dedicated academy aimed at conserving vulnerable rural Buddhist heritage sites while promoting community-led sustainable development and cultural revitalisation.

New Delhi, 21 November 2025:

The Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD) convened a pre-event press briefing on Friday at the World-Wide Fund for Nature–India (WWF-India), New Delhi, ahead of the International Conference on the Preservation of Rural Buddhist Heritage (PRBH). The three-day global conference will take place from 28–30 November 2025 at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, bringing together international scholars, conservationists, and development practitioners.

The PRBH conference aims to stimulate worldwide discourse on the urgent need to protect India’s unprotected rural Buddhist sites and to integrate heritage preservation with long-term rural development strategies. During the briefing, ITRHD highlighted the conference themes, introduced its panel of globally respected speakers, and presented its blueprint for the proposed Academy for Rural Heritage Conservation and Development Training at Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh.

Envisioned as the world’s first academy devoted solely to endangered rural Buddhist heritage, the institution will focus on scientific conservation, heritage-based livelihood creation, and the empowerment of local communities who are the traditional custodians of these sites.

ITRHD Chairman Shri S.K. Misra emphasised the dual mission of the initiative, stating:
“Our endeavour goes beyond conserving physical monuments—we want to strengthen the rural communities that have preserved this heritage for generations. The Academy will become a global centre for hands-on training, research, and knowledge exchange, ensuring that conservation and development progress in harmony.”

In a video message, His Eminence Kyabje Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche II, Spiritual Throne Holder of Tabo Monastery and a distinguished speaker at PRBH, expressed deep appreciation for the initiative. He noted that establishing an academy dedicated to rural Buddhist heritage preservation and engaging international experts is a significant step toward safeguarding invaluable historical sites.

Representatives from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the School of Planning and Architecture, and Gautam Buddha University also addressed the media. They underscored the pressing need to conserve India’s widespread yet often overlooked rural Buddhist heritage and highlighted the potential of linking heritage conservation with inclusive and sustainable rural development.