University of Applied Arts Vienna Cultural Heritage Conservation and Evaluation on Patan Darbar Square, Nepal Since 2009, the Institute of Conservation (IoC) at the University of Applied Arts Vienna has been involved in conservation, collection care, and research projects at Patan Darbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal, with support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian ministries. From 2021 to 2025, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) funded the project "Discovering Patterns of Damage and Conservation Practice". As part of this initiative, the project team, led by Gabriela Krist, undertook a research trip to the site in 2024 to evaluate conservation efforts carried out over the past 15 years. They also conducted interviews with local stakeholders, including members of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT), residents, artists, craftsmen, and tour guides. One of the main objective of the project was to assess the sustainability of foreign-led conservation projects and their impact on local professionals and communities. Another key focus was the documentation and analysis of traditional conservation practices and principles upheld by local academics and craftsmen. The findings were presented and discussed at a symposium hosted by the project team in December 2024 at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Stakeholders from Patan were invited to Vienna to share their perspectives alongside international experts, fostering dialogue on the current challenges of heritage conservation in Nepal. Central to these discussions was the role of traditional conservation methods and the involvement of local communities in preserving cultural heritage. In summer 2025, an anthology on conservation in Patan will be published by the project team. Collection Collection Collezione Conservation, restoration ÖFOS 2012 -- HUMANITIES (6) -- Arts (604) -- Arts (6040) -- Conservation, restoration (604018) Patan Patan Darbar Square Institute of Conservation IoC Conservation stone conservation metal conservation cultural heritage Nepal UNESCO World Heritage Site FWF Austrian Science Fund Austrian Development Agency ADA collection care Konservierung und Restaurierung ÖFOS 2012 -- GEISTESWISSENSCHAFTEN (6) -- Kunstwissenschaften (604) -- Kunstwissenschaften (6040) -- Konservierung und Restaurierung (604018) Gabriela Krist Konservierung und Restaurierung Conservation, restoration