Emeritus Professor in the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Hanyang University, Korea
Hee-Soo Lee is a well-known anthropologist of Islamic studies in Korea, he completed his BA and MA degrees at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul and Ph.D. at Istanbul University, Turkey. He is also the director of the Institute of Islamic culture at Sungkonghoe University.

Director of the NGO “Persian Garden Institute for Living Heritage” (Tehran, Iran). Associate Professor of Law, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran

Mrs. Janet Blake is Associate Professor of Human Rights Law at Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran) where she teaches Human Rights and Environmental Law and is a member of the Centres of Excellence for Education for Sustainable Development and for Silk Roads Studies based at the University. She is the Director of an NGO accredited to UNESCO’s 2003 Convention and a member of the Cultural Heritage Law Committee of the International Law Association. An Expert Member of the Governing Body for the Tehran ICH Centre (category 2 centre of UNESCO), she was a member of the Iranian ICH Expert Committee from 2016-2019. She has acted as an International Consultant to UNESCO since 1999, mostly in developing, drafting and implementing the 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Most recently, she was involved in revising the periodic reporting form to bring it into line with the ORF and the regional training on periodic reporting of national Focal Points from the LAC region. She is also a Global Facilitator for UNESCO’s Capacity-building programme under the 2003 Convention and has provided advice at governmental level on developing national law and policy for ICH safeguarding. Her research monograph on International Cultural Heritage Law and co-edited volume UNESCO 2003 Intangible Heritage Convention – A Commentary were published by Oxford University Press in 2015 and 2020, respectively. Her forthcoming book (to be published by Edward Elgar in 2022) is a Practical Guide to UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage: Interpretation and Practice.

[Azerbaijan] Jahangir SELIMKHANOV Head of International Relations Department of the Azerbaijan National Conservatoire

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage National Expert. Head of International Relations Department at the Azerbaijan National Conservatoire, Member of European Cultural Parliament, Judging Panel member of EMYA – European Museum of the Year Award (2011-2016).
Lecturer, panelist, speaker, presenter at the conferences, symposia, festivals and other cultural events in Azerbaijan and in dozens of cities abroad – from Abu Dhabi to Vancouver, and from Oslo to Bangkok.
One of his current activities since 2018 is coordinating Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality – a multidisciplinary international event held annually in Baku. For nearly three decades regularly teaches courses of various disciplines – from contemporary music to cultural policy to process of creativity.
In 2021 Mr. Jahangir Selimkhanov was elected as President of the Administrative Council of the International Foundation for the Promotion of Culture (with secretariat at the UNESCO HQ).

[Iran, Islamic Republic of] Director of Iranian Silk Road Research Center

Dr. Hassan Bastani Rad – Iranian Focal Point for the UNESCO Silk Roads Programme – is PhD in History of Iran (2008). He was born in Sirjan, Iran (1976). Dr. Bastani Rad has been Assistant Professor since 2009 in Department of History, Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran, Iran). His specialization and research interests are the history of city and urbanization, and geographical history of the cultures, civilizations and cities along the Silk Road. He has written and published a number of articles and books in Persian language such as City in Iramzamin (2014), Baharestan (Iranian Parliament) in History (2011), Bam (2006). He is an editor in chief in Iranology series: “What do I know about Iran?” and has edited some books, especially on the Silk Roads and historical geography.

[Kazakhstan] Director of the “Uly Tagzym” Public Foundation of Kazakhstan

Ms. Balgyn Salykova obtained Bachelor Degree on English Language Teaching (1998) and Masters Degree in Technical Sciences (2020) at the Baikonurov University (Kazakhstan) and Master’s Degree in Technical Sciences (2021) of the Altai State University (Russia). During 2014-2019 she attended various training programs under the ERASMUS EU project.
She started her professional career as English language teacher at the Zhezkazgan’s secondary school in 1998, followed by teaching English Language at the Kazakh Engineering and Technical Academy in 2001-2005 and Baikonurov University in 2005-2010. During 2014-2020 she was appointed as Head of International Cooperation and the Bologna Process Division at the Baikonurov University (Zhezkazgan).

[Korea, Republic of] Eunkyung OH Professor, Dongduk Woman’s University Director, Institute for Eurasian Turkic Studies

Eunkyung Oh graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Korea. She earned a Master’s degree and a PhD in Turkish Literature and Comparative Literature from Hacettepe National University in Ankara on a scholarship from the Turkish government. She got a degree of Doctor of Science and professorship in Uzbekistan, Tashkent, the Academy of Science named after Alisher Navoy.
Eunkyung Oh is a professor at Dongduk Women’s University, director of the institute for Eurasian Turkic Studies, editor-in-chief of the English-language journal of Turkic Studies, consultant of center for intangible cultural heritage of Asia-Pacific under the auspices of UNESCO, member of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Seoul City Diplomacy Advisory Committee, Seoul City Multicultural Expert Committee, Ministry of Justice Refugee Committee of Korea and ministerial adviser to the Korean president.

[Kyrgyzstan] Expert on Handicrafts Development and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Kyrgyz Republic

She graduated Moscow Polygraph Institute, Department of Art and Technical Design of Printed Products in 1978 and PhD study at the Faculty of Painting of the Bishkek branch of the Academy of Fine Arts in Leningrad (1983).
Ms. Dinara Chochunbaeva was Vice-President of the World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific for Central Asia (2012-2016), Member of Intergovernmental Committee on Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2012-2014) and Representative of Kyrgyzstan in its Subsidiary Body (2013-2014), Head of the National Working Group under the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic for preparation of the nominations for UNESCO List of ICH “Kyrgyz traditional felt rugs SHYRDAK and ALA-KIYIZ” and “Traditional Skills and Knowledge on producing the Kyrgyz and Kazakh portable house – YURT” (2011-2012).
She is author of numerous publications in the field of ICH, such as “Kyrgyz Crafts Catalogue”, “Catalog of the Kyrgyz Artists”, “Catalog of Central Asian Crafts Production”, and others.

[Mongolia] Specialist of Division of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, National Center for Cultural Heritage of Mongolia

Ms. Arslan graduated Law Faculty of Charles University as an international lawyer in 2003. During 2003-2007 she worked at Human Rights Commission of Mongolia as Cultural Rights Officer. In 2007-2011 she did her Master of Art at Donghua University in Shanghai and graduated as Historian of Costumes. Since 2012 to present day Ms. Saruul Arslan working at Cultural Heritage Center of Mongolia as ICH Specialist. Her responsibilities are to conduct research on current cultural heritage elements registered on the National ICH Lists, inventory-making of intangible heritage and its bearers and the maintenance and improvement of ICH database. She also actively involved as a team member in various projects and programmes aimed at safeguarding, documentation, inventory-making and transmitting of intangible cultural heritage. For instance, National Program on “Mongolian Traditional Art of Khöömei”, Mongolian Biyelgee: Mongolian Traditional Folk Dance”, “Mongol Tuuli: Mongolian Epic”, Traditional music of the Tsuur”. Also, Ms. Saruul Arslan has been involved and worked as National Coordinator of UNESCO’s project on Safeguarding and revitalizing the Mongolian traditional epic.

[Tajikistan] Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Culture and Information of the Ministry of Culture of Republic of Tajikistan

PhD degree of the Department of Folklore of the Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature (Dushanbe, 2002), Masters Degree in Philology of the Tajik National University (Dushanbe, 1999).
Director Deputy of the Research Institute of Culture and Information of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan since September 2016. His previous professional experiences: Head of the Department of Folklore of the Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature (2006-2016), Associate Professor of the Tajik State Institute of Arts named after M. Tursunzoda (2001-2006). He is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Payāmnāmai farhang (“Herald of Culture”) of the Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan, (since 2016-present). He is a head of the group for updating the National Inventory List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (since 2013). Fellowships: Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Minnesota University (2011), Visiting Scholar in the Ohio State University (2006).

[Turkey] Research Assistant of the Faculty of Literature (Turkish Folklore Department) at the Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Mr. Burakhan Kabacam received Bachelor’s Degree on Literature of the Turkish Folklore Department at the Cumhuriyet University in Sivas (2017) and currently graduating Master’s Programme at the Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.
He is currently national coordinator for implementation of the 2021 ICHCAP/IICAS Survey Project on Silk Roads Handicrafts Workshops.

[Uzbekistan] Deputy Secretary-General of the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO

Mr. Sayidafzal Mallakhanov obtained Bachelor’s Degree (2000) and Master’s Degree (2002) of the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies. Since 2002 he is working at the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO (Senior Expert/Deputy Secretary-General).
He was coordinator for preparation following multinational and national nominations to the Representative List of ICH and Good Practices for ICH Safeguarding: “Katta Ashula”, Askiya”, “Navruz”, “Palov Culture and Tradition”, “Margilan Crafts Development Center: Safeguarding of the Atlas and Adras Making Traditional Technologies”, ““Khorazm Dance – Lazgi”, “Bakhshi Arts”, “Telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja”, “Art of crafting and playing Robāb/Rubāb/Rubob”, “Traditional embroidery of Central Asia”, “Traditional folk games of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan”, “Sericulture and Traditional Production of Silk for Weaving”. Moreover, Mr. Sayidafzal Mallakhanov was also coordinator of the Uzbekistan -ICHCAP Cooperative Project: Publishing an ICH Inventory Booklet (2015-2017) and ICHCAP Project on Conducting ICH Video Documentation in Uzbekistan (2015-2018).

Assistant Director-General of ICHCAP

Dr. Seong-Yong Park is currently the Assistant Director-General at the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP), a UNESCO Category 2 Centre in South Korea.
To promote ICH in the region, He has been working for network building and information sharing for the safeguarding of ICH by dedicating to establish and operate the sub-regional networks successfully in the Asia-Pacific Region for more than a decade. Especially, he has started the sub-regional networking of the Asia-Pacific region from the Central Asian Meeting held in Tashkent in 2010 and traveled many heritage cities in the Central Asian States.
Recently, he has been exposed to various ICH festivals in Central Asia and facilitated the bi-lateral and multi-lateral dialogues for the collaborative mechanism along the silk road.
Based on the visible outcome of the decade-long collaborations in the ICH field of Central Asia, he is now working on generating the Silk Roads Living Heritage Network in cooperation with the various stakeholders in the Silk Road area.

Director for Development of International Cooperation, International Institute for Central Asian Studies

Alisher Ikramov obtained Master Degree in Mathematics (1986) at the Tashkent State University (now National University of Uzbekistan). He completed UNESCO/IIEP Training Workshop on Education Management, Policy and Planning (1993, Tashkent), Training Course on Management and Marketing at the Italian Institute for International Trade (1993), Training Course on Political Science at the Center for Political and Diplomatic Studies (1994, Leeds/Edinburg/London/Oxford, UK).
He has been PhD researcher in the field of theory of probability, mathematical statistics and stochastic processes at the Steklov’s Mathematical Institute in Moscow (1986-1991) and Institute of Cybernetics in Tashkent (1992-1993). Simultaneously, he lectured at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Tashkent), Academy of State and Society Construction (Tashkent) and Tashkent Islamic University with focus on aspects of intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity. In 1994-2019 he was appointed to the position of the Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO.

UNESCO

Mr. Alexandros Makarigakis was appointed as Acting Head of the UNESCO Tashkent Office in August 2021. He holds Master’s Degree on Civil Engineering of the City University of New York City College (1994) and Ph.D. Degree on Environmental Engineering of the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, USA (1998). Mr. Alexandros Makarigakis has more than 25 years of experience in the field of environmental sciences, 18 of which in UNESCO. Since 2016 he was Responsible for the Programme of Water Settlements of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP), including water supply and sanitation. Mr. Alexandros Makarigakis was a focal point and advocate UNESCO’s positioning to related UN fora, responsible for the organization of the IHP Bureau and Council meetings. As Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction Unit at the UNESCO HQ (2012-2021) he was Responsible for coordinating UNESCO’s work on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and for being the focal point of the Natural Science’s Sector on the Post Conflict Post Disaster (PCPD) platform. During 2003-2012 he was science programme specialist in UNESCO Offices in Windhoek (Namibia) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and carried out liaison function with the African Union Commission and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.