Mr. Keum Gi Hyung had been working as the Director-General of ICHCAP since January 2019 until December 2021. Before joining ICHCAP, he served as the Director-General of Tourism Policy Bureau from 2017 to 2018 and Public Communication Policy Bureau from 2016 to 2017 at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea. He also served as the Director of Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam from 2009 to 2012. He also worked as a Senior Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Bangkok Office from 2005 to 2007. His academic background is in media and communication with Master's degree in University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Jyldyz Doolbekova is an anthropologist, researcher, and consultant with a background in traditional ecological knowledge, place-based education, and local development to support and preserve the biocultural diversity and the well-being of mountain local communities in Kyrgyzstan. \n\nShe participated in the research within the project "Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Contribution to SDGs - Community Education and Development" initiated and supported by International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia-Pacific (IRCI, https://www.irci.jp/). The results of the study entitled "Visionary Local Communities in Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage in Kyrgyzstan" (2020), and "The Evolving Role of Community Museums in Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation: A Case Study from Kyrgyzstan" (2021) were presented at the International Symposium in Tokyo (online).\n\nShe has 15 years of experience with the Christensen Fund Central Asia Program (California, San Francisco) as a Special Advisor, Program Manager, and Regional Coordinator. Before joining The Christensen Fund, she was the University Projects Officer for the Aga Khan Humanities Project (AKHP), based at project headquarters in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), where she developed and implemented programs in conjunction with Central Asian universities to promote pluralism in ideas, cultures, and people through innovative humanities curricula rooted in traditional arts and knowledge. \n\nShe received a Ph.D. in anthropology, ethnology, and ethnography with a thesis on "Traditional ecological culture of the Kyrgyz (on the example of the Murghab Kyrgyz in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries)" at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic; received the equivalent of her MA from Kyrgyz National University Department of History and also earned a Master’s in International Relations from the International University of Kyrgyzstan. \n\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. Gulnara Ibragimova is the manager of the “International Education Center” at the Educational Complex “Ilim” a UNESCO Associated School. She is also the focal point for the UNESCO Associated Schools Network in Kyrgyzstan.\n\nEducational Complex “Ilim” was established in 1993 and has a long institutional history. Since 1995, it is part of the UNESCO Network of Associated Schools (ASPpnet). Currently, it coordinates the network activities in Kyrgyzstan among its 15 members. The Complex itself includes primary, secondary and high schools as well as kindergarten.\n\nThe school aims to ensure that students have a full conceptual understanding of the subjects they study and helps them to develop new skills that can be applied in real life. Since “Ilim” joined the ASPnet schools Network it also became a key promoter of UNESCO values in the country. It implements multidisciplinary projects related to intercultural learning, human rights, sustainable development, etc.\n\nGulnara is responsible for maintaining international communications, implementing supplementary education programs, and cultural exchanges, and developing academic mobility - attracting foreign teachers, with the aim of convergence educational standards, improving the quality of education as well as the organization and implementing of international cooperation projects with UNESCO. She is also responsible for maintaining contacts with the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO in the realization of joint activities and reporting.\n\nIn 2020-2021 she has supported a pilot project of UNESCO “Integrating the Living Heritage into Education in Asia and the Pacific Region” in Kyrgyzstan, by identifying schools for the project and monitoring their work progress. \n\nFrom 2013 to the present, she is also the director of the “Koldo Shop” Public Foundation, which work is aimed at supporting people from socially vulnerable segments of the population, and these are people with disabilities, single mothers, pensioners, and large families with financial difficulties. The Foundation created a trading and educational platform for artisans from this target audience. \n\n

Mrs. Ly Le Thi Minh is the Vice President of the Cutural Heritage Association of Viet Nam since 2020. She is member of the National Committee for Cultural Heritage since 2009. She was the member of Intergovermental Committee of UNESCO Convention 2003 (2006-2010). Her major is the Cultural Studies and Museum Studies. She did her PhD in Viet Nam Institution for Research and Arts.

Antoine Gauthier acts as director of the umbrella organization for the intangible heritage and cultural traditions of Quebec (Canada), recognized by the Ministry of Culture and accredited by UNESCO under the 2003 Convention. He carried out on behalf of this NGO several projects, consultations, conferences and training. As an expert in intangible heritage, he is regularly invited to speak at conferences around the world. Many of his writings deal with oral and living traditions, in particular a series of studies entitled "The cultural traditions of Quebec in figures". He is co-founder of the ICH NGO Forum.

Mr Mazuki Bin Tambi has been appointed as President of (MACPA) Since 2010 -2021 at the national level , In 2018 he become a Heritage and arts expert for the Department of National heritage Malaysia.\nCurrently he is a Board members of the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture Sarawak Malaysia. \nMazuki has been very much involved in artistic development in art and culture in Malaysia, especially on performing art,research,strategic planning for government of Sarawak.\nOn the international scene, he has been involved with (ichchap) Republic of Korea 2017-2021 on South east Asia video production (2017- 2018),Book Publication (2019-2021) . Produce Hang Tuah documentary for Asia Culture Centre Republic of Korea. ‘Memory of the World” catogery. \nHe representing Malaysia,for permenant membres \norganization with Qatar (2020) GPDNET network.

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.

He started his professional career in Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan in 1977. He worked from 2001 to 2009 at UNESCO where he assumed various posts such as Director of the Division of Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education, and Director of the Division of Social Science, Research and Policy at the Headquarters. Back to Japan, he organised at Nagoya in 2014“UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development” as Advisor, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. \n Mr Iwamoto took function of Director- General of IRCI in April 2016. He is also Visiting Professor of Chubu University and Lecturer of National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

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.

Graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University in New Zealand, Galumalemana has always been most interested in art, cultural heirtage and human rights. In 2006, together with his wife Wendy, they established the Tiapapata Art Centre Inc., a charitable trust promoting traditional and contemporary arts and crafts in Samoa. He has amassed an extensive photographic and video record of many of Samoa’s most iconic expressions of material culture and has been associated as a Research Fellow to the National University of Samoa on gender issues.

Jacob MAPARA is cu「rently the Director of the\n \n\nCatego’Y\n \nInstitute of Lifelong Learning and Development Studies of Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe. He is Professor and Chairperson for Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Living Heritage. At present he is leading\nthe “Inventorying oral traditions, expressions , local\nknowledge and practices of the Korekore of Hurungwe district in Zimbabwe” pr이ect. He holds a Dlitt et Phil (PhD)\n \nand a Maste「s’\n \ndegree in African Languages from the\n \nUniversity of South Africa. He has an Honours degree in Shona (one of the languages of Zimbabwe) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Zimbabwe. In addition , Dr. Mapara holds a Certificate in Environmental Education (now Education for Sustainable Development) from Rhodes University, South Africa