Dr ZHAO, Zhehao (赵哲昊) is a Chinese underwater archaeologist and cultural and creative
industry (CCI) consultant. His research focuses on heritage conservation and management of
the Maritime Silk Routes (MSRs) heritage, digital preservation of underwater cultural
heritage, and the Intersection of heritage, creative industries, and climate change. He has led
and contributed to multiple national-level projects and has published extensively in leading
academic journals.
Dr. Zhao holds a PhD in Heritage Management from University College London (UCL),
where his research explored the conservation and management of the Maritime Silk Routes
heritage, with particular emphasis on understanding complex heritage narratives, as well as on integrating GIS for the research and documentation of coastal and underwater cultural heritage.
Since 2012, he has served at the National Centre for Archaeology (NACA) of China. During
this period, he has gained extensive experience in archaeological documentation, underwater survey and excavation, and public education. He has participated in several major field projects, including the excavation of the Nanhai No.1 shipwreck, the China–Saudi Arabia collaborative archaeological project at Port Al-Serrin, and the World Heritage Nomination of the Maritime Silk Routes Heritage in China.
Dr. Zhao also has substantial experience working with international organizations, including
UNESCO and the EU. For example, from 2021 to 2025, he served in the UNESCO
Secretariat of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of
Cultural Expressions, where he acted as focal point for CCI and climate change.