Student to Programme Director: Pakhee Kumar’s Journey in Sustainable Heritage
Pakhee started as a student on the Sustainable Heritage MSc. Now she leads it. Her career has taken her from UCL to UNESCO and back, shaped by skills she first developed on the course.
When Pakhee Kumar joined the MSc in Sustainable Heritage at UCL, she had no idea she'd one day be leading it. Today, she’s not only a lecturer at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, she’s the Programme Director.
Her career has taken her from New Delhi to Naples, but it all began at UCL, with a course that helped shape both her thinking and her professional path.
“Every role I’ve had since, links back to the foundation I built during the MSc
After graduating in 2012, she returned to India and joined the Ministry of Culture, working with the Advisory Committee on UNESCO World Heritage Matters. One of her standout projects? Contributing to the revision of India’s UNESCO Tentative List, a major undertaking for the country’s heritage strategy.
A few years later, her path led her to Italy, where she completed a PhD in the Analysis and Management of Cultural Heritage, focusing on heritage crowdsourcing. In 2020, she returned to UCL as a lecturer. By 2024, she had stepped into the role of Programme Director, leading the same course that once shaped her own career.
“It’s a bit surreal, but it also feels like coming full circle.
Coming from an architecture background, Pakhee found elements of the MSc challenging at first, especially adapting to academic writing. But it was the ISH community that helped her find her footing.
“My cohort really supported me, but what I enjoyed most was the teamwork, especially on the field trip.
Her class trip was to Malta, where they worked with a heritage organisation on the potential relocation of the National War Memorial to Fort St. Elmo.
"A decade later, I went back and saw that our work had contributed to real change. That was incredibly meaningful.
Her experience was also shaped by two key mentors, Professor Kalliopi Fouseki and Professor May Cassar.
"When I struggled, they were there with practical advice and genuine encouragement. I feel lucky to still be working with both of them.
Pakhee’s research has always been rooted in stories of collective resilience, especially grassroots responses to cultural loss.
“I’ve been inspired for years by the Chipko movement in India, it shows how local communities can sometimes have more impact than policies.
She’s currently writing a book on another example, the 1966 Florence Flood, and the global effort that followed to save the city’s heritage. Looking back, Pakhee is clear about what mattered most, the skills she gained.
“My advice? Don’t worry so much about grades, focus on learning skills that will carry you forward. That’s what really lasts.
We’d like to thank Pakhee for sharing her experience of studying the MSc in sustainable heritage.
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