Reclaiming Outstanding Universal Value: Legacy of Shipai Campus at South China University of Technology

Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) refers to cultural or natural significance of exceptional importance to all humanity.However, in China, this concept has often been overlooked in the context of the campus, leading to the demolition or inappropriate treatment of historically significant sites.This study addresses this gap by investigating the OUV of Shipai campus of South China University of Technology (SpSCUT), a representative university campus, using a qualitative case study approach.Primary data were collected through archival research and in-depth interviews, while the findings were validated by focus group discussions and the Delphi technique.Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo, through which seven overarching value dimensions were identified: education and research, history and culture, sentiment, aesthetics, symbolism, ecology, and politics.Findings further suggest the campus demonstrates strong potential for UNESCO World Heritage nomination under Criteria (i), (iv), and (vi).As the first systematic investigation of a Chinese campus within the UNESCO framework, this study reveals the largely overlooked intangible and environmental values of SpSCUT.It provides key policy insights for improving campus heritage governance in China by aligning its value with international standards, while the proposed seven-dimensional framework further offers an analytical tool for identifying and evaluating campus heritage value.