Turkey

Elif Aydın is a dedicated urban planner and cultural heritage professional. Currently, she works at the HERKUL Institute of KU Leuven, focusing on the Una Europa and European Heritage HUB projects. She also moderates the Istanbul Citizens’ Council’s Working Group on Urban Culture and Cultural Heritage, where she actively promotes participatory urban culture and raises awareness about cultural heritage. As Communications Manager at ESACH, she oversees content creation for events and calls, coordinates the “Journey of Heritage: Cultural Narratives” blog series, manages the organisation’s digital presence, and promotes awareness of cultural heritage. Elif’s background includes a valuable internship at Europa Nostra, where she contributed to youth involvement in cultural heritage management, as well as earlier experiences at Studio Redaelli Speranza in Milan and various Turkish municipalities. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban & Cultural Studies at Istanbul Technical University while conducting her research at KU Leuven as an international scholar.