Gabriela Krist – författare

A commitment to preserve the cultural heritage of this world, be it in Nepal, India, China, Myanmar, Thailand or Mongolia, is the mission of the Institute of Conservation. In 2004 Gabriela Krist, her colleagues and students, launched the institute‘s international activities in Nako, 4000m high in the Himalayas, starting a journey that continues to this day. Beyond Borders is the first portrayal to account for not only the professional, but also the personal, human aspects of this mission. The richly illustrated book accompanies the members of the team as they take a broader view, expanding their horizons. For the institute’s international conservation work requires not only specialized expertise, but also creativity and flexibility.

Supported by Eurasia Pacific Uninet, the second international conference on "Archaeology and Conservation along the Silk Road" was jointly organized by Nanjing University China and Institute of Conservation, University of Applied Arts Vienna and held in May 2016 in China. Silk Road showcases the trans-continental cultural movements between Europe and Asia and this event encouraged researchers to reflect on popular as well as otherwise under-represented topics. This volume includes selected papers from the conference and merges aspects of archaeology with conservation. Subjects vary from field drawings, unique local techniques, spread of diseases and epidemics to DNA studies assessing population migration and mixture. Next Silk Road conference is planned for 2018 to carry forward the initiative of learning and exchange of knowledge.

The third international conference on "Archaeology and Conservation along the Silk Road" was met with as much enthusiasm as the earlier ones, with participants joining from near and far. The historic city of Tabriz, which once was the melting pot for cultures across the Silk Road(s), now as venue of this conference from 14–16 November 2018, facilitated dialogues to re-live, re-exchange and re-search the impact that Silk Road has had from then to now. Albeit a century-old topic of academic discourse, the Silk Road(s) continues to open up variety of new disciplinary and regional fronts; included in this volume. The Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Iran, collaborated with the Nanjing University, China, and the Institute of Conservation, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria, for this congress, which saw plenty of scientific studies on material heritage and their resultant significance in shaping the lifestyle and trade in different regions along the Silk Road(s).