2026

Paul Dujardin is a leading cultural strategist and senior advisor on European affairs to the Flemish Minister of Culture and Welfare (Belgium). With decades of experience in cultural diplomacy, multilateral cooperation and inclusive governance, he has shaped policies and institutions across Europe, the Arab world and the Global South.

He serves as Commissioner-General for Heritage in the Brussels Capital Region, President of Europa Nostra Belgium, and Council Member of Europa Nostra. He also sits on the boards of Culture Action Europe—the leading European think tank for cultural policy—and the Kanal Pompidou Museum in Brussels, and is a guest lecturer and expert at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

Paul’s work spans continents and sectors, connecting heritage with contemporary creativity, civic resilience, education, social justice, urban development and international relations. Rooted in a cross-cultural family and a lifelong engagement with Africa, he approaches culture as a humanistic tool for equity, solidarity and dignity. Guided by the words of Toni Morrison—“If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else”—he dedicates his work to empowering communities, amplifying unheard voices and sustaining culture as a space for memory, meaning and shared humanity.

Alessandra Vittorini is an architect with a PhD in Territorial and Urban Planning. She has held senior positions at the Italian Ministry of Culture and served as Director of the Fondazione Scuola dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali.

From 2012 to 2020, she directed the Superintendency for Architectural Heritage and Landscape of Abruzzo, and later the Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for L’Aquila and the earthquake-affected area, coordinating activities and programmes linked to the post-2009 earthquake reconstruction. She led the restoration of the Basilica of S. Maria di Collemaggio, which received the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award 2020 (Grand Prix, Conservation category).

Between 2020 and 2024, she directed the Fondazione Scuola dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali, an institute for training and research in cultural heritage management, promoting research and training programmes nationally and internationally, including the PNRR national digital skills training programme for cultural heritage.

She is a member of the Technical Committee of the Extraordinary Government Commissioner for post-2016 earthquake cultural heritage reconstruction, serves on the Advisory Board of the Master in Management of Cultural Heritage and Institutions at Politecnico di Milano, and participates in several scientific committees, including Intrecci: International Journal of Architectural Conservation and Restoration and the series Ethics and Cultural Heritage of the Italian National Research Council. She is Vice-Chair of the Selection Committee for “Conservation and Adaptive Reuse,” a member of the Jury for the European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards 2025, and sits on the Scientific Committee of the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica-Rome.

Dr. Johanna Leissner, trained as a chemist and material scientist, has been managing cultural heritage research for over 20 years. She focuses on the climate change impact on cultural heritage, environmental monitoring of cultural property, and fostering the green transition by implementing sustainability concepts for Green Museums and heritage buildings.

Dr. Leissner chairs the EU OMC expert group Strengthening Cultural Heritage Resilience for Climate Change and is a member of the EU Commission’s Cultural Heritage Forum, founded in 2019. Since March 2024, she has been a Supervisory Board member of the EIT Culture & Creativity programme (2022-2029). She coordinated the German research project KERES (2020-2023), which aimed to protect cultural heritage from extreme climate events and increase resilience, and the EU project Climate for Culture (2009-2014). She is a partner in the Austrian Academy of Science project on future climate change impacts on museum pests and fungi (2021-2024) and the German project on damage prevention for cultural assets in times of climate change (2022-2024).

Dr. Leissner is the German delegate for the Council of Europe’s Strategy “European Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century” (2018) and a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Expert Group on climate change impacts (2017). Since 2005, she has represented the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft at the European Union in Brussels. She co-founded the German Research Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in 2008 and the Fraunhofer Sustainability Network. From 2001 to 2005, she was the National Expert for “Technologies for the Protection of European Cultural Heritage” at the European Commission in Brussels.

Graduated in 1978 with a Master’s degree in Architecture from l’Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – EPFL, with a thesis on the revitalisation of an industrial quarter in the city of Geneva. Over the course of her professional career, she has participated in several studies on the improvement and assessment of historical urban quarters, mainly in Geneva. After working as an architect and city planner for the Regional Service for Monuments and Historical Sites, in the Department of Public Works in the state of Geneva, she was its director from 2002-2008. This was followed by the position of Director of the General Office for Heritage and Historical Sites for the state of Geneva from 2008-2019. This agency comprises three services: the service for Archaeology, the service for Monuments and Historical Sites, and the service for the Inventory of monuments. As part of her duties, she has served on several architectural competition juries, organized lecture series, edited publications on cultural heritage and written articles, most notably on the urban and architectural development of Geneva, the legal framework of urban development and Geneva heritage.

From 1999 to 2011, she was a member of the Federal Commission for the Conservation of Nature and Landscape. From 2012 to 2023, she was a member and vice-president of the Federal Commission for the Preservation of Historic Monuments. Since May 2024, she has been President of ICOMOS Switzerland.

Elena Dimitrova is an Associate Professor at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia with over thirty years of teaching and research in spatial policy and planning. She has a Master’s in Architecture, awarded in 1976 and defended her PhD in 1990. Dimitrova’s professional expertise and research interests are in the spatial and sociocultural aspects of sustainable development, participatory planning approaches, and interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue on heritage as a factor for urban sustainability. She is a team leader in several international research projects; and the author of numerous publications in the fields of urban development and planning, higher education and research, and cultural heritage preservation for sustainable development. Dimitorva is and has been a participant in numerous European academic networks and international conferences.

Elena Dimitrova has been a member of ICOMOS-Bulgaria since 2005 and Vice-President since 2011; a member of CIVVIH (International Scientific Committee on historic cities, towns and villages) since 2010, CIVVIH Advisory Committee member (2018-2021) and Board member (since 2021); representative of ICOMOS-Bulgaria in ICOMOS SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Working Group since 2019. She is a member of the Expert Group on European Quality Principles for EU-Funded Interventions with Potential Impact on Cultural Heritage, jointly developed by ICOMOS Europe and the European Commission (DC Culture and Education), which was adopted by the ICOMOS General Assembly in 2021. She was Invited to be a panellist (Theme II: ‘Community engagement through culture for sustainable local development’) at the UNESCO Conference on ‘Culture 2030 | Rural-Urban Development: The Future of Historic Villages and Towns’, organised in Meishan, China, in 2019.

Elena Dimitorva has extensive experience in scientific article reviews, ICOMOS missions and desk reviews and the evaluation of educational and research projects in European and national academic and research programmes. She has also been a local assessor for the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards since 2018.

Catherine Leonard is the Secretary-General of the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO), where she works with heritage organisations around the world to protect and promote cultural and natural heritage. Her career began in language teaching, followed by a role at the (then) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which sparked an enduring interest in international collaboration and cultural diplomacy.

She later joined the National Trust in the UK, where she worked with European heritage organisations and institutions, helped shape the Trust’s international strategy, and led global partnerships. Since moving to INTO, Catherine has worked with members in more than 80 countries, supporting capacity-building, communications, and policy engagement. She is passionate about the role heritage plays in sustainability, identity, and community resilience, and often speaks at international events about the ‘National Trust’ approach and model.

With a background in languages and literature, Catherine brings a strong focus on advocacy and storytelling to her work. She is particularly interested in helping organisations communicate their impact and connect with wider audiences. Believing that heritage is fundamentally about people, Catherine is committed to making it more inclusive, visible, and valued.

Pavlos Chatzigrigoriou is a Civil Engineer specialising in heritage preservation and digital cultural heritage. He holds a Master’s in Protection, Conservation and Restoration of Monuments, a Master’s in Environmental Planning, a PhD in Architecture (Digital Cultural Heritage), and a postdoctoral fellowship in Digital Heritage at the University of the Aegean. In 2015, his project HERMeS received the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award and was recognised by the Council of Europe as a Best Practice for Strategy 2021.

He teaches Digital Cultural Heritage at the University of the Aegean, serves as chair of the Selection Committee of the European Heritage Awards in the category of Citizens’ Engagement and Awareness-Raising, and co-founded the NGO Heritage Management e-Society (HERMeS). He is also Chairman of the Syros Institute’s Board, Project Officer for EU Funding in the South Aegean Region and, since 2024, Managing Director of the Historical Museum of Hermoupolis, where he develops inclusive initiatives positioning the museum as a centre for knowledge and cultural heritage in Syros.

Simon O’Connor is a composer and the founding Director of the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), a partnership between University College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland. Under his leadership, MoLI has received the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award (Grand Prix, 2023), the Business to Arts Award for Best Philanthropic Support of the Arts (2021), as well as multiple design awards, and was shortlisted for both the European Museum of the Year Award and the European Mies van der Rohe Architecture Award.

He was also the founding curator of the Little Museum of Dublin, which was awarded a European Heritage Award in 2016. Combining artistic vision with organisational leadership, he develops engaging cultural experiences that strengthen public appreciation of Ireland’s literary heritage.

Ole Rikard Høisæther is a seasoned leader in Norway’s arts, heritage, and publishing sectors, known for his extensive experience, diplomatic skills, and strong network across cultural, public, and media circles. With a PhD in Art History and Classical Archaeology from the University of Oslo, he combines a deep scholarly background with decades of practical leadership in high-impact roles.

Currently, Ole serves as General Manager of The Foundation Militærhospitalet at Grev Wedels Plass and Secretary General of The Oslo Society (Selskabet for Oslo Byes Vel), where he champions Oslo’s cultural legacy. His career also includes leadership roles at prestigious publishing houses, such as Head of Publishing at Cappelen Damm and CEO of Orfeus Publishing, where he managed large-scale projects including significant works on Norwegian art, cultural heritage, and biographies. His professional focus includes managing mergers, acquisitions, and high-profile publications like the Edvard Munch Catalogue Raisonné.

He has held governing roles, such as Vice Chair of The Foundation of Edvard Munch’s Studio and Chair of the Norwegian Archaeological Association. Ole’s literary contributions include authoring over ten books on Norwegian art and history, alongside numerous articles in national publications.
His honours include being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and receiving multiple awards from the Norwegian Non-fiction Writers and Translators Association.

She had studied at the University of Florence receiving a master’s degree in architecture. After that, she studied urban conservation at the International Centre ICCROM in Rome and she continued her studies at the School of Architecture of the University of Rome, from where she received a specialisation diploma in the restoration of monuments and sites

She continued her studies at the University of UWE Bristol UK from where she received a master’s degree in Town Planning. For 38 years she has worked for the Μunicipality of Nicosia and she has been the leader of the Nicosia Μaster Plan. The NMP bi-communal team, supported by international institutions, was working on the definition of a common planning strategy for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the divided city of Nicosia. Four of these projects carried out by our NMP team were awarded by Europa Nostra and for their overall effort for preservation they received The Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Later, having the position of the director of the Technical Services of Nicosia Municipality, she acquired remarkable experience in urban rehabilitation and the management of large-scale conservation projects. During the last six years, she has coordinated the Zaha Hadid project for Eleftheria Square, a major urban design project in the moat of the Venetian walls. Agni is working on a voluntary basis for the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and for the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Nicosia.

Jonas Malmberg (b.1974) has M.Sc.Arch at Oulu University 2002 and M.A. at Helsinki University 2012. He is preparing PhD on Säynätsalo Town Hall. Since 2012 he has been employed at Aalto Foundation. He has been a member of the board of DOCOMOMO Finland since 2014 and chairman since 2023, and a voting member of ISC20C.

He was the main author of Paimio Sanatorium CMP 2015 and participated in Sevan Writers’ House CMP (Armenia 2019), and has lectured at various universities. He co-edited the book DOCOMOMO Finland – Register Selection (2018). His previous places of employment include the Finnish Heritage Agency and Finnish Architectural Review.

Michiel Purmer (born 1972, Utrecht) studied Historical Geography at Utrecht University. Since 2000, he has worked for Natuurmonumenten, a Dutch NGO managing over 110,000 hectares of nature reserves, including a wide range of cultural heritage sites, where he serves as Senior Heritage Specialist and advisor on cultural heritage.

He earned his PhD with the thesis Het landschap bewaard (The Landscape Preserved) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2018. In 2020–2021, he held a position at Groningen University alongside his work for Natuurmonumenten. He guest lectures at universities and regularly publishes on heritage and landscape.

Michiel is a member of the National Consultation Panel on Heritage of the Netherlands and serves on the board of the Dutch Network Historic Cultural Landscape (Netwerk Historisch Cultuurlandschap). He is also a member of the Landscape History Committee of the Limburgs Geschieds- en Oudheidkundig Genootschap and is currently preparing a landscape biography for Saba in the Dutch Caribbean on behalf of the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency.

In addition, he is active in numismatics and the study of clay pipes, and will this year be appointed to the Advisory Committee on Coins of the Dutch Ministry of Finance, where he will evaluate and select designs for special Dutch coins.

Riin Alatalu is the Vice-President of ICOMOS, an Associate Professor of Cultural Heritage and Conservation at the Estonian Academy of Arts, and Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Heritage Studies at the same institution. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Estonian Heritage Conservation Council and is an active member of various ICOMOS groups, including the Rights-Based Approaches Working Group, CIVVIH, ICLAFI, ISC20C, and the European Heritage Label Panel.

Alatalu has held leadership roles in the Estonian National Heritage Board, the Tallinn Culture and Heritage Department, and the Ministry of Culture. She earned her PhD in 2012 with a dissertation on “Heritage in Transitional Society: From Nation’s Conscience in the Estonian SSR to the Harasser of the Private Owner in the Republic of Estonia.”
She has been deeply involved in initiatives like the Urban Agenda Dissonant Heritage Working Group and has been a strong advocate for preserving and contextualising dissonant heritage in Estonia. Alatalu has organised numerous courses and lectures on the topic.

Her campaigns include the Estonian National Cultural Heritage Year 2013, European Cultural Heritage Days, Visit Baltic Manors, and other awareness-raising activities. She has successfully fostered collaboration between decision-makers and the wider public to promote cultural heritage preservation.

Prof. Dr. Christian Hanus, born in 1974, is the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Arts, and Architecture at Danube University Krems (DUK), where he also leads the Department of Building and Environment. After completing his studies and doctoral work at ETH Zürich, specialising in monument preservation and sustainable architecture, he joined DUK in 2007 and became a professor in 2013.

At DUK, Prof. Hanus developed the “Refurbishment and Revitalization” program, focusing on restoring historical buildings with a sustainable and multifaceted approach. He has organised annual summer schools on heritage conservation and led various national and international research projects, including the European Heritage Awards Archive. He is actively involved with Europa Nostra Austria, contributing to its conferences and publications, and serves on the Industrial and Engineering Heritage Committee.

His expertise extends to advising UNESCO and the Austrian government on World Heritage properties, including assessments for sites like the Historic Centre of Salzburg. He also founded the “Center for Architectural Heritage and Infrastructure” and the “Center for Cultural Property Protection,” emphasising heritage conservation, reconstruction of earthquake-damaged historical towns, and international collaboration on cultural property protection.

Professor Alex Torpiano is currently Dean of the Faculty for the Built Environment of the University of Malta, a position he has held for the last 16 years; he has served as Head of the Department of Building and Civil Engineering, 1988-1999, 2007-2011, as Head of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, 2011-2016, as Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Design, 2016-2020, and Acting Head of the Department of Visual Arts, 2021-2022. Het set up and served as Director of the Institute for Masonry and Construction Research between 1994 – 2009. He is currently a member of the University Senate, (since 2008), and has served as a member of the Council of the University between 2009-2021.

He is a member of the Board of the Institute of Sustainable Energy and of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development. He has served as Chairperson of San Anton School, between 2000 and 2009; as President of the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers, 1994-1996, 2017-2019, as Chairman of the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee 1995-1996, 2000-2001, as member of the Periti Warranting Board between 1999-2001 and since 2009. He has also served on the Eurocodes National Implementation Committee since 2002. He is currently the Executive President of the National Trust of Malta, Din l-Art Helwa.

Dr. Jermina Stanojev is a policy and research expert and lecturer in cultural heritage and international cultural relations. She serves as an individual expert to the European Commission expert group on cultural heritage. Dr. Stanojev has extensive experience in policy development, evidence-based research, and the implementation of international projects. She has collaborated with institutions such as Uppsala University, KU Leuven, Una Europa, UNESCO, Europa Nostra, the European Commission, and Goethe-Institut Brussels. Her work focuses on culture-led policy development to address global challenges through various governance frameworks.

Dr. Stanojev co-chairs the EIT Culture & Creativity Strategic Topic Group on Cultural Heritage in Green and Digital Transitions for Inclusive Societies. She advises on cultural heritage in international relations within the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in the Western Balkans and supports the EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations.

She is an expert advisor to the European Heritage Green Paper and a member of the CHARTER advisory board. She co-authored the report “Skills, Training and Knowledge-transfer in the Traditional and Emerging Heritage” from the Structured Dialogue with the European Commission. Additionally, she serves as an expert assessor for the European Urban Initiative – Innovative Actions – New European Bauhaus projects, vice-chair for the Creative Europe programme, and a European Heritage Awards jury member.

Victor Boye Julebæk, Ph.D., is an accomplished architect and academic who combines a deep theoretical foundation with practical experience. He studied architecture at both the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, grounding his approach in the rigorous architectural traditions of Denmark and Switzerland.

He serves as an associate professor at the Royal Danish Academy and is head of the Master’s Programme for Cultural Heritage, Transformation, and Conservation. In his teaching, research and practice, there is a focus on both the theoretical and the hands-on, applied perspectives of the conservation and transformation of architectural heritage with an emphasis on material practices, cultures, and ecologies.

Marine Mizandari has co-chaired the National Trust of Georgia since 2017. With 30 years of professional experience, her career spans scientific research, senior management, and heritage project implementation across Georgia and Europe.

She served as Deputy Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia (2012–2014) and has advised the government on strategic heritage policies. Marine combines scientific expertise with policy experience to strengthen cultural heritage management and public engagement, supporting initiatives that preserve and promote Georgia’s heritage.

Flora Bacquelaine Vidal de Llobatera holds a PhD in Humanities, Heritage and Cultural Studies. Her work integrates cultural management, project evaluation, university teaching and research in cultural studies. She coordinated the Culture and Tourism Commissions of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Euroregió Pirineus-Mediterrània until 2024.

She currently contributes to the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya’s research project “Franco’s Regionalism from Catalonia: Centripetal Practices and Discourses” (PID2021-125227NB-I00) and serves as a collaborating lecturer in the Master’s Degree in Cultural Management at UOC-UdG. Flora’s career bridges academic research and practical cultural policy, supporting initiatives that promote heritage awareness and public engagement.

Rūta Leitanaitė is a Lithuanian architect, cultural policy expert, curator and lecturer with over 16 years of experience in architecture and cultural heritage. She is Creative Director and Board Member of the Architects Association of Lithuania (AAL) and, since 2023, Chair of the National Council for Architecture of Lithuania, advising the Ministry of Culture on architectural quality, heritage protection and cultural policy.

She is a member of the European Commission’s expert sub-group Safeguarding Heritage in Ukraine, contributing to strategies for securing and documenting heritage assets, guiding quality reconstruction, and preserving cultural identity in post-conflict recovery. From 2021 to 2023, she served on the Executive Board of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) and continues to chair its Task Force Solidarity with Ukraine, coordinating the Creative Europe project UREHERIT: Architects for Heritage in Ukraine. She has also led initiatives under the New European Bauhaus, including Holistic Renovation of Modernist Housing and NEB LAB Public Infrastructure for Ukraine.

An Independent Expert for the EU Mies van der Rohe Award since 2011, Rūta has extensive experience evaluating architectural and heritage projects. She also promotes public engagement with cultural heritage as host of the national radio programme We Need an Architect.

Pablo F. Longoria is an architect and urban planner specialising in cultural heritage conservation and restoration. He earned his Master’s in Architecture and Urban Planning from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid in 1993 and has since led landmark projects safeguarding some of Spain’s most treasured monuments and historic sites.

As Executive Director of World Monuments Fund Spain, he has overseen major initiatives including the restoration of the Salon Rico in Medina Azahara, the Partal Oratory at the Alhambra, the Chapel of San Blas paintings in Toledo Cathedral, and the management plan for the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia. He has also led innovative projects such as the Virtual Reality conservation study of La Garma cave in Cantabria, recognised by Forbes as one of the world’s most notable VR projects.

Beyond his executive role, Pablo is an international educator and scientific director, contributing to UNESCO’s City Lab on Historic Urban Landscapes, ILUCIDARE capacity-building programmes in Cairo and the Caribbean, and numerous academic forums on heritage, architecture and sustainability. As an independent consultant, he has advised on global heritage projects, including Heritage Impact Assessments in Kazakhstan, Bahrain and Uzbekistan. A long-standing member of ICOMOS, he continues to combine scholarly insight with hands-on expertise, shaping both policy and practice in cultural heritage preservation worldwide.

Dorottya-Lilly Makay (born 1971, Cluj County, Romania) is a civil and structural engineer specialising in built heritage conservation, with over 30 years of experience in heritage protection and structural design. She holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, focusing on Baroque roof structures, and completed early international internships with ICOMOS UK (1996) and US/ICOMOS (2003), enhancing her expertise in historic structure research and conservation.

Her career bridges academia, professional practice and heritage advocacy. Since 2018, she has been an Associate Lecturer at “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia and previously taught at Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca on historical load-bearing structures and built heritage conservation. Professionally, she has led projects as administrator, project manager and structural engineer at IROD M Ltd. (founded 2003) and CONSOLIDEM Ltd., covering restoration of historic monuments as well as civil and industrial constructions.

Dorottya-Lilly has contributed to over 350 technical assessments and more than 360 restoration and reinforcement projects, including St. Michael’s Church, Cluj-Napoca (European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Award, 2024) and Calvaria Roman Catholic Church (Europa Nostra Award, 1998). She has published widely, presented at international conferences, and lectured in heritage protection training programmes. Actively involved in NGOs and committees for heritage preservation, she works with the Kelemen Lajos Association for Monument Protection, the Transylvania Trust Foundation, and other national and local historic monument committees.

Lidija Martinović (born 1997, Cetinje, Montenegro) is a visual artist and conservator-restorer whose work bridges fine arts, conservation-restoration and museology. She completed her undergraduate studies in Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Montenegro (2015–2018), including a semester at the Faculdade de Belas Artes in Lisbon through the Erasmus programme, and earned her Master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Applied and Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad in 2021, with a thesis on the conservation of chromolithography of Herzegovinian Slaves.

Currently pursuing a PhD in Art History at the University of Belgrade, specialising in museology and heritology, Lidija combines academic research with practical conservation work. She has participated in numerous regional conservation and restoration projects and was awarded the 2018 University of Montenegro Annual Award for Best Drawing. Her professional interests focus on the conservation of paintings and paper, documentation, and the role of museums and archives in safeguarding cultural memory.

Since May 2022, Yonca Erkan has held a full-time position as Professor in Heritage Studies at the Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp. Her research focuses on the intersection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century industrial heritage, World Heritage, and urban history.
Previously, she served as a member of the UNESCO National Commission and vice-chair of the Tangible Cultural Heritage (2011–2014). Between 2015 and 2024, she held the UNESCO Chair on Management and Promotion of World Heritage Sites: New Media and Community Involvement at Kadir Has University.

In 2018, she worked at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as a senior consultant, coordinating the World Heritage Cities Programme and the Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation. She also coordinated the EU H2020 MSCA RISE CONSIDER Project on Sustainable Management of Industrial Heritage as a Resource for Urban Development (2021–2024).