A Career Inspired by the MSc in Sustainable Heritage: Sanjoli Mathur

How did the programme influence your career path? 

Being part of this programme inspired me to pursue a career in academia. From the very first day, we were encouraged to think critically, an essential skill for academic work. The lecturers and their research motivated me to contribute to the field myself. Discovering olfactory heritage during the course led me to specialise in this area. The programme also gave me transferable research skills that I apply daily in my current role.

One of the greatest opportunities in this field is its breadth. Whether your interest lies in climate change, urban planning, data science, conservation, olfactory studies, or policy, you can easily create and find your space. The MSc programme not only introduces us to ideas and theories but equally encourages us to think about their real-world implications. That balance between theory and application helped build essential skills for industry roles. 

Is there a particular site, tradition, or story in heritage that inspires your commitment to sustainability? 

A lecture by Dr. Cecilia Bembibre during the programme on olfactory heritage really inspired me. It introduced me to a field of heritage that I had been unaware of. The smells of cities, objects, food, etc. can tell us a lot about their history and heritage. However, their incredibly intangible nature makes this form of heritage even more challenging and exciting to preserve and document. This challenging nature of olfactory heritage and the need to preserve it is what inspired my commitment to the field. During my MSc programme, I went on to write my dissertation on the topic entitled ‘Decolonising Olfactory Heritage’, and after graduating, I did further work on olfactory heritage at ISH.  

How do you see sustainable heritage evolving, and what will shape its future?

The MSc introduced me to the idea that heritage preservation and innovation can co-exist. One of our earliest lectures was on data science and heritage; another was a lab session on heritage and plastics. I see the field becoming increasingly innovative and interdisciplinary in the coming decades. At the same time, sustainable heritage places communities and the environment at the centre of any intervention. A project that shaped my understanding of this was ‘Unpacking the Dynamics of Urban Transformation in Heritage Places through Critical System Dynamics’ (Beresford Square, Woolwich), led by Prof Kalliopi Fouseki. It showed me how crucial community relationships are in heritage work.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone considering studying sustainable heritage at ISH? 

Be curious. The best way to experience this programme is to have an open mind and stay curious. Even though I worked in the field of heritage for four years before starting this programme, the one year here taught me a lot more about heritage and paved a unique career path for me.

Thank you to Sanjoli for sharing her reflections.