Thundukuna is a special mat woven from reeds indigenous to the marshlands of Maldives. The reed is locally known as hau. Mat weaving from hau dates back some two hundred years, and this long history is mostly associated with the southernmost atolls. Thundukuna is a genuine Maldivian product, as everything that goes into producing the mat is indigenous and locally procured from our natural habitat. In this respect, the most basic things like the threads holding the reeds in place are made from the sea hibiscus bark. The eye-catching, environmentally friendly, nonfading mats are made from the local flora’s bark and roots. Before the introduction of cheap factory-made nylon mats into Maldives in early 1970s, thundukuna enjoyed a special place in most Maldivian households. These mats adorned the coir rope stringed beds, swings, and boduashi. Gaddhoo kuna, a superior quality mat woven by Gaddhoo islanders, is a favorite of the rich.

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

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.

Since 2008, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa has been a researcher of the Division of Cultural Policy and Management Studies at the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS). She gained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in History from the Vietnam National University in Hanoi. In 2016, she obtained a PhD degree in Cultural Studies from Trent University in Canada.

Public Fund "Rural Development Fund" (RDF) is a non-profit non-governmental research organization, registered in November 2003.\n\nThe main activity of the RDF is to conduct applied research on various aspects of rural development, and the implementation of projects in the field of rural development and sustainable management of natural complexes that contribute to the development of policy and the decision making at the local and national level, the evaluation of ongoing projects and the development of recommendations to improve their effectiveness.\n\nThe RDF provides interactive adult education tailored to the needs and background of the rural population. The RDF is also involved in various exchange visits, facilitation and organization of international and national conferences, seminars and working group meetings.\n\nRDF has unique experience in conducting the research on pastoral traditional knowledge funded by the Christensen Fund, USA. They carried out the traditional knowledge research with the involvement of local researchers, which was very successful. RDF also conducted a study for the World Bank on traditional natural resource management and existing conflicts over natural resources.\n

The College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS) is situated 16 kilometers south of Trongsa town, towards Kuenga Rabten Palace along the Trongsa-Zhemgang highway. Kuenga Rabten used to be the winter residence of the second King, Jigme Wangchuck.\n\nEarlier, the institute was popularly known as the Rigney Lobdra. It came into existence on the 4th day of the 6th month of the Male Iron Ox Year corresponding to the 16th of July 1961 at Wangdi Tse, in Thimphu. It was established under the auspices of the late third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. His Holiness the late Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche (1910-91), an accomplished and spiritual leader, was the first principal of the Lobdra (1961-63). The Lobdra started with a total of fifty students. Two months after its establishment, the Lobdra was relocated to Semtokha Dzong. It was housed inside the Dzong until the early eighties. Later the Dzong was taken over by Dratshang Lhentshog and the institute moved out of the Dzong. A separate site was created above the Dzong for the institute to function, and it has been operating in this location for the last two and half decades.\n\nInitially the institute started as a semi-monastic institute. It was only in 1989 that the original curriculum was revised for the first time to include several cultural subjects. The institute was upgraded to Rigzhung College in the same year. Forty-three female students were admitted for the first time, thus breaking the 27 year old tradition of admitting only males. The curriculum, however, remained largely influenced by the monastic system of education.\n\nIn 1997, the institute was formally upgraded to the Institute of Language and Culture Studies and implemented a new curriculum. The first batch of thirty-five ICSE passed students was admitted into the new programme. Of the 35 students, 9 were girls and 26 were boys.\n\n1999 was a landmark year in the history of clcs. The three-year bachelor’s program in ‘Language and Culture’ was introduced for the first time and a batch of nineteen students was admitted. It was, in fact, the first ever homegrown programme developed and executed in Bhutan without any external assistance.\n\nPrior to the establishment of the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), clcs was under the Ministry of Education. Among the tertiary institutes of RUB, clcs was the first institute to be formally handed over to the RUB by the Ministry of Education on 28th April, 2004. A founding member of the Royal University of Bhutan, today clcs remains a premier institute.\n\nOver the years the institute has managed to maintain the momentum of academic progress. The institute, through the success of its graduates in different fields, has been able to create its own identity in the country. This distinction that clcs holds is reflected in the graduates that constantly feature in the top rankings of the RCSC common examination. The absorption rate of its graduates is currently 100% and the demand is increasing each year. The graduates of clcs have been faring well in their work place as well as in their lives.

The Center for Research and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (CCH), an affiliate institution of thenCultural Heritage Association of Việt Nam, a non-governmental organization (NGO) accredited bynUNESCO in 2011, has been officially operating since 2010. In pursuance of study objectives basednon the community within the framework of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the safeguarding ofnthe intangible cultural heritage, CCH has carried out dozens of ICH projects and study themes fornthe past 8 years. One of the principles of CCH is to be chiefly connected to the study of communities. This has helpednin bringing about good achievements and sustainable development in study projects of CCH.\nLeaders of the Center are specialists in the field of intangible cultural heritage involving in thenimplementation of the 2003 Convention for the past 15 years. The number of projects and programsnimplemented by CCH each year constantly increased with new ones. CCH has become a truly usefulnbridge, linking state management bodies with communities; an organization that always assistncommunities in the safeguarding and promotion of their intangible cultural heritage. CCH isncurrently the leading organization under the Vietnam Association for Cultural Heritage in thensafeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. It has closely collaborated with a wide range ofnorganizations and institutions, especially local communities, in safeguarding projects that involveninventorying, heritage education, preparation of nominations, and exhibition.

Punjab Folk Art Centre is a non-governmental organisation (NGO). It was established in the year 2002. Punjab Folk Art Centre works in the area of Art & Culture. The organisation is familiarizing the people of Punjab at grass root level with their culture. The organisation operates in Gurudaspur and organizes many folk events to promote and preserve the rich cultural heritage and sports of this region.