Prof Michael Walls and Prof Julio D Davila participate at the Silk Cities International Conference

Prof Walls delivering a presentation at the conference 

The Fourth Silk Cities International Conference convened from March 4 to 6, 2024 in Dar Lasram, a historic building in the heart of the medina of Tunis, Tunisia's capital city. Distinguished experts including Prof Michael Walls, Prof Julio D Dávila, and Prof Yves Cabannes were actively engaged in the conference, contributing through submissions, seminar presentations, and chairing sessions.

The conference was in close collaboration with local institutions; the Association for the Protection of Tunis Medina (ASM) and the Municipality of Tunis, as well as communications agency Blue Fish.

Prof Davila said: "As in previous conferences, the DPU provided considerable institutional support to this commendable initiative by alumna Dr Farnaz Arefian (PhD 2015) who has been the force behind this effort to bring together researchers, practitioners and policy makers from across a vast region along the ancient Silk Roads, extending from North Africa to China, in countries and regions where valuable tangible and intangible heritage must be celebrated and protected."

"The conference brought together researchers and practitioners from four continents, including DPU's PhD student Nihal Hafez, as well as Tunisian students who benefitted from reduced fees."