CHC Hosts Internship under International Exchange Program (IEP) World Heritage USA , June–August 2025

CHC hosted Olivia Thornberry from USA for an internship from June to August 2025 through the International Exchange Program (IEP), organised by World Heritage USA in support of ICOMOS-USA. Olivia has recently completed her post-graduate education in Sustainable Cultural Heritage from The American University of Rome.

Sharing her experience with CHC, Olivia said,

“My time with CHC in Ahmedabad was nothing short of wonderful. I had the opportunity to meet so many people who taught me about the rich heritage of Ahmedabad and of the state of Gujarat. 

During my internship, I handled various responsibilities related to the management of the CEPT Conservation Laboratory’s historic building materials sample collection, which hosts over 300 different samples. Most notably, I developed a Sampling and Access Policy which governs the use of this collection by students, faculty, researchers, and heritage practitioners. I was perhaps most excited about my site visits to “Tankshal ni Pol Masjid” located in the UNESCO-recognized historic city of Ahmedabad, where we were able to collect samples for testing and discuss the future of the site and its conservation.

My internship wasn’t all work, though; I had some unbelievable experiences exploring Ahmedabad and traveling to other places in India in my free time. I had the chance to see Rani ki Vav, boat on the backwaters of Kerala, navigate Chandni Chowk, and of course, witness the beauty of the Taj Mahal. From shopping at Ravivari to trying pani puri with my friends to wandering through the historic walled city of Ahmedabad, I developed my own collection of incredibly vivid experiences living in another country.”

Olivia’s internship concluded with a presentation in the course on “Materials and Structures” for the 1st semester students of the Master's Program in Conservation and Regeneration and a presentation on the internship overview to the CHC team.