Mirrakhim Oposh is the founder of the “Sherden” brand, a member of the intellectual and creative union "7 Heaven", a designer and a researcher of traditional knowledge.\n\nCurrently, he is developing his clothing brand and a creative studio, at the same time he participates in and organizes creative exhibitions, festivals, and fashion shows. The base for each of his new collections is philosophical ideas, concepts, and traditional knowledge of the Kyrgyz people. He got into art through philosophy and studying the traditional worldview of the Kyrgyz people. \n\nAs a student, and later a researcher at the Department of "Philosophy and Methodology of Science" of the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, he was very interested in the creative manifestation of certain ideas, phenomena, and concepts through applied art. After graduating from the university, for about 5 years he taught philosophy in the universities in the capital. He has higher education in philosophy, as well as in art management.\n\nHe has participated in the UNESCO training on strengthening the capacity of the active youth of Kyrgyzstan to safeguard and promote intangible cultural heritage. Since then, he started promoting the ICH in his artworks and collections. \n

Keneshbek Almakuchukov is a researcher at the National History Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic. He is a Doctor of Economics (economics of culture). The topic of his doctoral dissertation was dedicated to “Marketing management in the sphere of culture”.\nDr. Almakuchukov has published a total of 36 scientific papers, including 7 monographs, and 3 textbooks.\n\nHe is also the head of the Public Foundation "Central Asia - Arts Management" which implements projects to support and develop bio-cultural diversity in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. His Foundation is well know for the organization of annual International Jazz Festivals since 2006 in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. In total, the foundation has organized about 17 International Jazz Festivals. \n\nIn 2021, Dr. Almakuchukov was in charge of the First Biennial (Forum) of Cultural Initiatives. The Biennale included an exhibition of the results of projects of 20 public organizations in the socio-cultural sphere, more than 20 creative events (master classes, performances, etc.), as well as a business program (panel sessions, open lectures, etc.).\n\nCurrently, he is engaged in museum activities and continues his research of cultural heritage-related topics. \n

Ms. Leena Marsio works in the Finnish Heritage Agency as a Senior Adviser. The Agency is a Governmental organisation with over 200 staff members, responsible for implementing the Government’s policies on heritage. Marsio has been coordinating the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Finland since 2014. She is also the National coordinator of European Heritage Label. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts management from the Sibelius Academy and a BA from the University of Helsinki in Arts research. Before working for the Government, she worked ten years as a free-lance researcher and producer in several organizations in the field of arts and culture both in Governmental level, NGOs and companies. As a researcher her interests have been in cultural diversity, cultural rights and arts education. Marsio has worked as a producer in arts and development projects in Finland, in the Balkan region and in South Africa.

Dr. Ming Chee Ang is a general Manager of George Town World Heritage Incorporated and a Facilitator of UNESCO Global Network of Facilitators on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Born and raised in the inner city of George Town, she carries her duties with much passion and fervour, incorporating innovative ideas and holistic management on World Heritage Site for the benefit of the local people. Specialized in resource mobilization, policy making, project management and risk assessment, she has incorporated built conservation, with elements of disaster risk reduction and intangible cultural heritage safeguarding to create a sustainable heritage city for the people who live in, work in and use George Town. Ang also showcases active participation in leading projects, programs and panels, as Executive Producer for George Town Heritage Celebrations, Chairperson for Sia Boey Archaeological Advisory Panel, Chairperson for Penang Public Arts Review Panel, Deputy Chairperson for Penang Island City Council’s Technical Review Panel, Committee for Guar Gepah Archaeological Advisory Panel, lead researcher for “Field Survey of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region” and “Feasibility Studies on the Introduction of Rent Regulation Enactment”, as well as project manager for “Sia Boey Integrated Management Plan” and “Supporting Community-Based Management and Sustainable Tourism at Melaka and George Town”

Saba Samee has a Masters in the Archaeology of Buildings from the University of York, UK. Her undergraduate degree is in B. Architecture from the National College of Arts, Lahore. She is currently employed at the Institute for Art and Culture – IAC, Lahore, where she serves as an Associate Professor and Coordinator for the School of Culture and Language. \n\nShe has received numerous trainings with UNESCO, ICCROM and UNITAR in conservation, heritage management and WHS nominations. As part of THAAP team, she has worked extensively in projects awarded by UNESCO, UKAID, MEDA-USAID, Norway and Dutch funding agencies, gaining experience in conservation and mapping built heritage. She is experienced in working on conserving the WHS sites of Lahore Fort and Makli, as part of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan team. Internationally, she has acquired conservation experience in Spain as part of the DIADRASIS team. As part of the IAC Research team, she has conducted diverse research initiatives, such as projects regarding development through culture, poverty alleviation and community empowerment through cultural and creative industries, and plans regarding integrated heritage site management. \n\nMs. Samee has presented research papers in diverse national and international conferences and is a published author of a number of research papers, book chapters, and articles. Her research interest focuses on the relationship and values of People associated with their Places.

Ms Yau is graduated with a BA (Japanese Studies), MA (Cultural Management) from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and PgDip in Cultural Heritage Management from The University of Hong Kong (HKU). She is an accredited heritage conservationist (HKICON), Project Management Professional (PMI) as well as a member of the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement (Docomomo) Hong Kong Chapter. \n\nMs Yau has been involved in heritage revitalisation, management and education since 2009. Her experience covers both tangible and intangible cultural heritage conservation in both urban and rural areas. Her achievements includes project development and execution of rural sustainability programme at Lai Chi Wo – awardee of 2019 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award; establishment heritage museum and community network for Mei Ho House Revitalisation Project – awardee of 2015 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award; project planning for Bridges Street Market News-Expo Museum; as well as lecturer and academic coordinator for Cultural Heritage Management related programmes and training in the Asia Pacific region.

Dr. Saifur Rashid is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and has been a member of the faculty since 1993. He obtained his PhD in Anthropology in 2005 from Curtin University of Technology, Australia, and worked there as a Post-Doctoral Research and Teaching Fellow from 2006 to 2008. Dr. Rashid has been working with various UN agencies, Government organizations, national and international NGOs, and academic and research institutions of home and abroad for last 25 years. His areas of research interest include E-Governance, Heritage, Indigenous Knowledge, Natural Resources Management, Ethnicity, Migration and Visual Documentation. He has published several books and written many research articles in refereed scientific journals. His recently authored and co-authored books include ‘Connecting State and Citizens: Transformation Through e-Governance in Rural Bangladesh (2018)’, ‘Traditional Medicine: Sharing Experience from the Field (2017)’ and ‘Pains and Pleasure of Fieldwork’ (2016), Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urban Context (2020). He has made a number of documentaries on various ICH elements of Bangladesh for ICHCAP and Google Arts & Culture and awarded Distinction Prize for one of the documentaries made for ICHCAP, South Korea. Dr. Rashid is now working on two book projects: one on ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh’ and another on ‘Anthropology and Heritage’. He is also working on another two book projects: one on ‘Migration, Fraudulence and Social Mediation’ and another on ‘The Told and Untold Stories of Bangladeshi Migrants in the Europe’. Professor Rashid is a member of the ICH National Expert Committee of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and member of the executive committee of APHEN-ICH (Asia-Pacific Higher Education Network for Intangible Cultural Heritage) of ICHCAP. Professor Rashid visited more than 40 countries for attending meetings, seminars and conferences and gave lectures as key speaker and has been a Visiting Professor of Chonnam National University and Chonbuk National University, South Korea since 2015.

Nikhil Joshi is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Educated at the University of Pune (India), University of York (UK) and National University of Singapore (Singapore). His research interests include cultural heritage management; traditional building materials and techniques; and community participatory approaches. Before joining NUS, Nikhil worked and taught in India, UK, and Malaysia for over a decade. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, UK, and recipient of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings – Lethaby Scholarship, UK. He has been an active speaker in various conferences throughout the world and has several publications to his name. His main recent publications include Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya: Constructing sacred placeness, deconstructing the ‘great case’ of 1895 (2019); Managing change: Urban heritage and community development in historic Asian cities (2018, edited); Community voices: Preserving the local heritage (2016); People + places: Exploring the living heritage of Songkhla old town (2016, edited)