Speakers

Prof. Ahmet Taşağıl

Head of History Department, Yeditepe University

Prof. Ahmet Taşağıl

Head of History Department, Yeditepe University

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Taşağıl graduated from the Department of History at Istanbul Universities, Faculty of Letters. In 1987, he became a research assistant at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Mimar Sinan University. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1992, associate professor in 1995 and full professor in 2000’s. Starting in 1997 he conducted field research in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzystan, Southern Siberia, Mongolia and China. While his researc primarily focuses on pre-islamic Turkish History, he also works on Euroasian-Turkish history from ancient times to the present. He has published 17 books, more than 2000 national and international papers.

Aknur Koshymova

PhD, Senior Lecturer, Department of History of Kazakhstan, Faculty of History, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Aknur Koshymova

PhD, Senior Lecturer, Department of History of Kazakhstan, Faculty of History, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Aknur Koshymova has been affiliated with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University since 2000, where she pursued her studies through the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Since 2012, she has been working at the same university. In 2019, she defended her doctoral dissertation titled «The Role of the Oghuz in the Formation of the Ethnogenesis of Turkic Peoples in the 8th–13th Centuries». She is the author of over 50 scientific articles and co-authored monographs. She has published 6 articles in journals indexed in the Scopus database and holds an h-index of 2. Her research focuses on the ethnic history of Turkic peoples, medieval Oghuz toponyms, the formation of ethnic boundaries among Central Asian nomads, the role of the Oghuz tribes in the ethnogenesis of Turkic peoples, and other related ethnogenetic issues. She is also the author of several academic and popular scientific works. Additionally, she has actively participated in international conferences held in Russia, Türkiye, Poland, and other countries, and has received diplomas, certificates, and letters of appreciation for her contributions.

Assoc. Prof. Azamat Khasanov

Dean of of Faculty of Achitecture, Tashkent University of Architecure and Civil Engineering

Assoc. Prof. Azamat Khasanov

Dean of of Faculty of Achitecture, Tashkent University of Architecure and Civil Engineering

H.E. Aisha Deemas is Director General of Sharjah Museums Authority since June 2023. She formerly held the position of Director of Executive Affairs at Sharjah Museums Authority where she participated in long-term planning and overall management of the services provided to all Sharjah museums under SMA. H.E. Aisha Deemas holds an MBA and a Bachelor of International Studies degree from the American University of Sharjah. She has 15+ years of experience in museums management.

Dr. Bilel Chebbi

ICESCO Project Director, Heritage Specialist

Dr. Bilel Chebbi

ICESCO Project Director, Heritage Specialist

Dr. Bilel Chebbi is a Tunisian heritage specialist and researcher in cultural policy and urban heritage regeneration in the Maghreb. He holds a PhD in heritage studies and currently serves as the Heritage Programs Manager at ICESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). He has contributed to numerous international conferences and publications focused on heritage governance, post-conflict recovery, and community empowerment.

Birol İncecikoz

General Director of Museums and Cultural Assets, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkish Republic

Birol İncecikoz

General Director of Museums and Cultural Assets, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkish Republic

Birol İnceciköz, born in Ankara in 1980, earned his undergraduate degree in City and Regional Planning from Selcuk University. He also graduated from the Department of Justice at Atatürk University in 2023. Between 2003-2006, he held roles as project manager and director in private sector, focusing on urban planning. In 2006, joined Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, working in the transportation planning unit. From 2009 to 2012, he worked for private sector, overseeing a range of planning initiatives including conservation master plans, environmental layout plans, and long-term development strategies. Between 2012 and 2016, Mr. İnceciköz worked as a City Planner at the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He later served as Head of the Survey and Planning Department at the same institution till 2018. From 2018 to 2023, he served as Deputy Director General of the aforementioned General Directorate. Since August 2022, he has been serving as President of the Cappadocia Area Management Authority. He has also held the position of Director General of Cultural Heritage and Museums starting from July 2023. Mr. İnceciköz is married with two children.

Dr. Cenk Üstündağ

Founder of Portneo, Lecturer, Istanbul Technical University

Dr. Cenk Üstündağ

Founder of Portneo, Lecturer, Istanbul Technical University

Dr. Cenk Üstündağ was born on July 4, 1976, in Istanbul. received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (ITU). In 2000, he began his academic career as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Architecture, ITU. Between 2002 and 2007, he pursued his doctoral studies at the University of Wuppertal in Germany as a DAAD scholar and was awarded the Dr.-Ing. (Doctor of Engineering) degree in Civil Engineering.In 2009, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at the ITU Faculty of Architecture, where he currently serves as a faculty member in the Structural and Earthquake Engineering Unit. Since completing his doctorate and returning to Türkiye in 2007, Dr. Üstündağ has focused on the restoration and structural strengthening of historic buildings. In 2011, he founded Portneo Science and Construction Technologies Inc. at ITU ARI Technopark, where he leads the development and implementation of innovative strengthening systems for heritage structures. H.E. Aisha Deemas holds an MBA and a Bachelor of International Studies degree from the American University of Sharjah. She has 15+ years of experience in museums management.

Prof. Çiğdem Türkyılmaz

Rector of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University

Prof. Çiğdem Türkyılmaz

Rector of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University

As the Rector of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University, Professor Çiğdem Türkyılmaz maz is an esteemed international specialist in architecture and design, having begun her academic journey at Yildiz Technical University. She participates in various symposiums, conferences, and workshops where she passionately shares insights on the integral role of architecture and design in modern education. Under her leadership, many critical issues related to UNESCO World Heritage sites and cultural preservation are addressed and resolved. Specifically, the university, under Prof. Türkyılmaz's guidance, actively collaborates with UNESCO on projects focused on the preservation and sustainable development of Samarkand's historical architecture and urban environment, overseeing research initiatives, implementing conservation strategies, and promoting responsible tourism practices that respect the region's rich cultural heritage. The department plays a vital role in educating students and the broader community about the importance of UNESCO's mission and the significance of protecting cultural heritage for future generations. Through dedicated research and well-structured educational programs, she aims to cultivate critical thinking and creativity skills in the next generation of architects and designers.

Dario Taraborrelli

Archivist, Director HIBOU, Adjunct Prof. University of Bologna

Dario Taraborrelli

Archivist, Director HIBOU, Adjunct Prof. University of Bologna

Dario Taraborrelli holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts from the University of Bologna and a diploma from the School of Archival Studies, Paleography, and Diplomacy at the State Archives of Bologna. As archivist, his work particularly focuses on modern and contemporary judicial archives, public security archives, and the archives of theater companies and artists in the Emilia-Romagna region, overseeing their arrangement and inventorying. Among the recent archives he has worked on are the Renato Zangheri archive (former major of Bologna), in collaboration with Stefano Vitali, and the Demetrio Stratos archive (artist and singer). He is also a contract professor of archival studies at the University of Bologna.

Prof. Dilnoza Kamalova

Dean of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University

Prof. Dilnoza Kamalova

Dean of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University

Professor Dilnoza Kamalova, as Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, has dedicated several years to actively developing and improving educational programs for future architects & designers. She is a recognized expert in the theory and history of architecture, the meticulous restoration of monuments, and a specialized problem-solver in the intricate field of lighting architecture. Her scholarly research has contributed significantly to these areas, with publications in leading academic journals and presentations at international conferences. Beyond her role as Dean, Prof. Kamalova is committed to fostering global exchange and collaboration. She actively partners with leading universities worldwide, coordinating international seminars, symposia, conferences, and immersive summer/autumn schools. These initiatives provide invaluable opportunities for students and faculty to engage with diverse perspectives, explore cutting-edge research, and build a global network of colleagues. She works collaboratively with UNESCO, where she addresses critical issues related to architecture and the responsible preservation of cultural heritage, ensuring that historical landmarks are protected for future generations.

Dragana Lucija Ratković Aydemir

CEO at Muzeliq by Muze, Heritage Interpreter

Dragana Lucija Ratković Aydemir

CEO at Muzeliq by Muze, Heritage Interpreter

Dragana Lucija Ratković Aydemir is a cultural strategist and expert in heritage interpretation, working between Zagreb, Istanbul, and Çeşme. She began her career at the Croatian Ministry of Culture and, in 2005, founded MUZE Ltd., an award-winning consultancy with over 100 projects in heritage interpretation, exhibition design, and cultural tourism development. She later launched Muzeliq, its international branch focused on global collaboration in the heritage field. A strong advocate of knowledge-sharing, Dragana works closely with local communities and international networks. She holds a European Diploma in Cultural Management (Brussels) and a UNESCO Fellowship, and has contributed internationally as President of the Association of Maritime Museums of the Mediterranean (Barcelona) and as a Supervisory Board Member of Interpret Europe.

Elbek Sobirov

Heritage Specialist, Cultural Heritage Agency of the Rep. of Uzbekistan, Bukhara Region

Elbek Sobirov

Heritage Specialist, Cultural Heritage Agency of the Rep. of Uzbekistan, Bukhara Region

Elbek Sobirov is a specialist in the preservation of cultural heritage with extensive experience in archaeological research and site protection. He currently serves as Head of Department at the Regional Office for Cultural Heritage in Bukhara, under the Agency for Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan. His work focuses on documenting and safeguarding key historical sites, including the ancient city of Poykent, one of the major monuments of the Bukhara oasis. Elbek is also a long-time contributor to initiatives aligned with UNESCO’s mission and has authored publications on archaeology and heritage protection. Since the start of the World Monuments Fund project on traditional houses of Bukhara, he has been a core team member, contributing as a local expert with deep knowledge of the region’s historical urban fabric. His practical experience and commitment continue to support the preservation of Uzbekistan’s cultural identity.

Evren Rutbil

Director, IICAS-International Institute for Central Asian Studies

Evren Rutbil

Director, IICAS-International Institute for Central Asian Studies

Mr. Evren Rutbil graduated Department of Economics of Middle East Technical University in Ankara. Later, he received Master’s degree on Social Policy from the same university. During 2005-2023, he was the representative of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency in different countries of Central Asia, Balkans and Western Africa. Mr. Evren Rutbil coordinated hundreds of technical cooperation projects in various sectors including education, agriculture, health, production, media, culture, vocational trainings. He was elected as the Director of International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS) in 2024. IICAS carries out international projects on the study of the cultural heritage of Central Asia and the Silk Roads.

Firdavs Fridunovich Abdukhalikov

Director of the Centre of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Board of WOSCU

Firdavs Fridunovich Abdukhalikov

Director of the Centre of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Board of WOSCU

Firdavs Fridunovich Abdukhalikov was born on August 10, 1963, in Samarkand. He is the great-grandson of the Jadid writer Mirzo Kokamboy Abdukhalikov on his father’s side, and the great-grandson of industrialist and philanthropist Mirzo Abdullo Bukhari on his mother’s side. He is the director of the Centre of Islamic Civilisation in Uzbekistan, and the chairman of the board of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan (WOSCU). Author of the largest book series on the cultural and historical heritage of Uzbekistan. He holds bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Philology, Samarkand State University, master’s degree from the Faculty of Economics, S.S.U., and awarded a doctorate for his dissertation on “Artistic Interpretation of Historical Figures in Medieval Eastern Miniature”. In 1990, founded and headed the first non-governmental television and radio company in Uzbekistan—Samarkand TV, which began broadcasting in March 1991. He initiated and founded Darakchi newspaper—the first non-governmental print media outlet in 1996. In 1998, appointed Deputy Chairman of the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan. He was elected as a Member of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) in 1998. He also established and chaired the National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan, the country’s largest association of independent TV and cable networks and in 2019, appointed director general of the National Agency “Uzbekkino,” which was later transformed into the Cinematography Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2021.

Assistant Prof. Gulzinat Mensitova

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Assistant Prof. Gulzinat Mensitova

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

She graduated from the Department of History of Kazakhstan, Faculty of History, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in 2016. She completed her master’s degree in the same department in 2018. Since 2019, she has been working as a Senior lecturer in the Faculty of History Al-Farabi KazNU. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in History at Al-Farabi KazNU. Her research interests include ethnic processes, cultural integration, and medieval migrations in Central Asia. Gulzinat Mensitova has been involved in several projects and published articles in national and international scientific journals.

Hüseyin Ateş

Department Head of Culture, Arts and Science of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality

Hüseyin Ateş

Department Head of Culture, Arts and Science of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality

Hüseyin Ateş has been working in the field of culture, arts and museums at Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality since 2006. He worked as branch manager of museums and libraries between 2011 and 2023 years. Within this period, he carried out all the processes including establishment to management of 15 museums, 8 libraries and a city archive affiliated to the municipality. He also contains his academic studies in this field upon completing his postgraduate degree on museology at Istanbul university. He was assigned as department head of culture, arts and science of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality in 2023 and still holds over this position.

Javier Ors Ausín

Senior Program Manager, Special Programs at World Monuments Fund

Javier Ors Ausín

Senior Program Manager, Special Programs at World Monuments Fund

Javier Ors Ausín is an architect, urbanist, and educator from Spain, and a Senior Program Manager at World Monuments Fund (WMF), where he oversees the organization’s special programs that focus on Modernist architecture, Jewish Heritage, and Crisis Response. Since he joined WMF, he has managed a diverse portfolio of projects in different countries around the world, including India, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Romania, and Burkina Faso. Javier currently teaches at the University of Miami School of Architecture and has presented his field work and research at various forums, including the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Royal Geographical Society, the Society of Architectural Historians, and various ICOMOS symposiums. He has been a guest critic in different universities, including the University of Toronto, Columbia University, Harvard University, and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, among others. Javier holds Bachelor of Building Engineering and a Master in Architecture from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia in Spain, and a Master in Design Studies in Critical Conservation from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Dr. Kemal Aydın

Gerontologist, President of the Ibn Sina Institute

Dr. Kemal Aydın

Gerontologist, President of the Ibn Sina Institute

He was born in Kastamonu in 1969. He graduated from Pakistan Punjab University Punjab Medical Faculty in 1996 with the International Student Exchange of the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkiye. He completed the Dutch Language and Culture Program at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1997 for his doctoral studies. In 1997, he started working as a nursing home doctor at the Prime Ministry Social Services and Child Protection Agency. In 1998, he received a NUFIC scholarship in Geriatrics & Gerontology with Prof. Dr.Sijmen Duursma at Utrecht Uni., and conducted research on aging, gerontology and geriatrics. In 2000, he completed the U.N. International Institute on Aging and the Postgraduate Diploma program at Malta University. Between 2001-2005, he worked in elderly care and rehabilitation institutions in Holland, conducted research on migration and aging in different. In 2002, he was invited to the United Nations World Assembly on Aging. He founded the Ibn Sina Institute, Lokman Hekim Foundation, Turkey-Netherlands Health Foundation, Intercultural Health Institute, and the Netherlands Islamic Elderly Care and Health Foundation in the Netherlands for scientific studies in Europe. He speaks English, Dutch, Urdu and Arabic and married with three children. He currently works as the coordinator of the Silk Road Healing Route, Silk Road Science, Culture and Health Year project in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Yalova University.

Assistant Prof. Mahmoud Emam

Archaeologist, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Assistant Prof. Mahmoud Emam

Archaeologist, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Assistant Prof. Mahmoud Emam, a 2012 graduate of Ain Shams University's Archaeology Faculty specializing in Islamic Architecture, is currently a Assistant Professor at the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Since 2013, he has been a faculty member and held academic positions at several institutions, including Kolkata University and Cairo University. Dr. Emam's research focuses on Islamic architecture and pottery in India, Iran, and Central Asia. He has a second PhD in Islamic pottery and actively participates in conferences and scholarly journals related to Islamic architecture and heritage conservation.

Marcello Melis

Electronic Engineer, Founder of Proficolore

Marcello Melis

Electronic Engineer, Founder of Proficolore

With a background in the humanities, Marcello Melis has always combined cultural sensitivity with scientific rigor. An Electronic Engineering graduate from La Sapienza University of Rome, he has built his career in highly specialized fields—from satellite image processing to artificial intelligence—working for international companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Space Engineering, Lucent Technologies, Agilent, and EMC². In the 2000s, he served as a university lecturer at La Sapienza and founded a digital photography school during a pivotal moment of technological transition, training hundreds of professionals. Since 2008, he has collaborated consistently with Nikon/Nital, bridging digital photography with the worlds of science and conservation. In 2010, he founded Profilocolore Srl, aiming to develop advanced imaging tools for cultural heritage documentation and diagnostics. His vision merges technology, aesthetics, and scientific precision in service of preserving the visual memory of artworks.

Assoc. Prof. Mastura Sıdıkova

Head of Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Assoc. Prof. Mastura Sıdıkova

Head of Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Since 2021, she has been an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of History and Cultural Heritage at the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage. Concurrently, she serves as co-chair of the UNESCO department at the same university. As of August 2021, she has been teaching courses on Uzbek Studies, Cultural Heritage in Tourism, History of Uzbekistan, and History of Samarkand. To date, she has participated in several international scientific events, scientific conferences, and seminar trainings organized by UNESCO. Her research focuses on the preservation of cultural heritage and its integration into tourism activities.

Prof. Mavluda Yusupova

Director of "Silk Road" International Research Institute

Prof. Mavluda Yusupova

Director of "Silk Road" International Research Institute

Professor, Doctor of Science in Architecture, Director of “Silk Road” International Research Institute under the “Silk Road” International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage. Specialist in the field of history and theory of architecture, restoration of architectural monuments of Central Asian countries. She researched and developed a number of poorly studied aspects of the architecture of Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Author of over 250 scientific papers published in Uzbekistan and abroad. She trained at Oxford University (England), as a Visiting Professor, she read lecture courses at the Gumilyov Eurasian University in Astana (Kazakhstan), at the University of Potsdam (Germany) the Leiden University (Holland) and the Michigan State University (USA). She delivered scientific reports in France, USA, China, Türkiye, Kingdom of Bhutan and in a number of other countries. For many years she led an active professional activity on the competent preservation and restoration in practice of objects of the architectural heritage of Uzbekistan.

Assoc. Prof. Mendigul Nogaibaeva

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Assoc. Prof. Mendigul Nogaibaeva

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Nogaibayeva Mendigul Sagatovna (b. 1978) is a Ph.D., Associate Professor. Currently she is a seconded researcher at KU Leuven from March 5, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Her main place of work is the Department of History of Kazakhstan at al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan. She has held various leadership positions, including Dean of the Faculty of History, Archeology, and Ethnology (2016-2022) and Director of Educational Work at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Mendigul Sagatovna is the author of around 80 scientific works, including textbooks, scientific articles, and monographs. She actively participated in international conferences and completed advanced training at universities in Germany (Bonn University), and Türkiye (Istanbul University and Haji Bairam Veli University). As a research supervisor, she mentors both masters and doctoral students. Her research interests focus on ethnic and cultural relations in ancient and medieval times. She currently leads the project “Medieval toponyms in the aspect of the formation of the ethnic territory of the Kazakh people” (2024-2026).

Dr. Morteza Khanipour

Archaeologist, Assistant Professor, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Dr. Morteza Khanipour

Archaeologist, Assistant Professor, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Morteza Khanipour, Associate Professor is an Iranian archaeologist specializing in the prehistory of the Iranian Plateau. He received his Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Tehran in 2018 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship there from 2018 to 2020. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor at the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage. Dr. Khanipour has directed numerous archaeological surveys and excavations at Neolithic sites across southern Iran. His research focuses on the origins of agriculture, early settlement systems, and socio-economic developments in prehistoric West Asia.

Assoc. Prof. Mukhsin Khidirov

Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Assoc. Prof. Mukhsin Khidirov

Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Mukhsin Kidirov is an Associate Professor of Department of History and Cultural Heritage at International University of tourism and Cultural Heritage. M. Khidirov graduated from Samarkand State Architectural and Civil Engineering University in1980. As PhD student Mr. Khidirov studied at Kiev State Technical University of Architecture and Construction. Khidirov defended his PhD dissertation “Architectural and Planning Organization of Shopping Centers in Uzbekistan” in 1994. During 2004-2006, he completed a research project under a grant from the German foundation "Architecture of Trade Buildings of the Silk Road". During 2020-2023, he was the participant of the ERASMUS+ project "The Impact of Environmental Factors on Cultural Heritage Sites".

Prof. Nargis T. Nurulla-Khoja

Department History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Prof. Nargis T. Nurulla-Khoja

Department History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Prof. Nurulla is a scholar specialising in cultural studies, philosophy, and oriental studies, with professional experience spanning Central Asia, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Fluent in Tajik, English, Russian, and Persian, she earned her doctorate in 2013 with research on Central Asian communities. Based in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, she currently teaches at the International Silk Road University at the department History and Cultural Heritage, focusing on the region’s cultural heritage and identity.

Assoc. Prof. Odiljon Boynazarov

Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Assoc. Prof. Odiljon Boynazarov

Department of History and Cultural Heritage, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

Since 2000, he has been teaching at the «Silk Road» International University of Tourism and cultural heritage, Department of History and Cultural Heritage in the subjects of "Intercultural Dialogue, Ethnogenises, Museology, History of Tourism and Sociology of Tourism". In 2024, he published the monograph "Dialectics of Creative Thinking", and in 2025, the textbook "Creativity in Museology. In 2023, he participated in an educational internship at Beijing International Studies University on the topic of cultural heritage in the study of tourism history, and in 2024, he participated in an educational project at the University of Tehran, Iran on the topic of "Water Resources and Cultural Heritage".

Dr. Ona Vileikis

Secretary-General of CIPA Heritage Documentation International Scientific Committee, ICOMOS

Dr. Ona Vileikis

Secretary-General of CIPA Heritage Documentation International Scientific Committee, ICOMOS

Dr. Ona Vileikis serves as Secretary-General of CIPA Heritage Documentation International Scientific Committee and leads the unit of Documentation and Data Analytics at the Historic Environment, DCT - Abu Dhabi. She has worked as international researcher and advisor at the International Institute for Central Asian Studies in Samarkand. Dr. Vileikis holds a PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Leuven and MA in World Heritage Studies, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. Her academic experience includes research positions at the University College London, UK and Carleton University, Canada. She has played a key role in the development of the UNESCO Silk Roads World Heritage nominations and has contributed as a trainer for the UNESCO digital initiative Dive into Heritage.

Assistant Prof. Özlem Oktay Çerezci

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University

Assistant Prof. Özlem Oktay Çerezci

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University

Özlem Oktay Çerezci was admitted to the Department of Art History at the Faculty of Science Literature, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 1998. In 2003, she started her master's degree in the Turkish-Islamic Arts Program within the Department of Art History at the Institute of Social Sciences of the same university. Later, she completed her doctoral thesis titled "Metal Art in Central and Inner Asia between the 6th-9th Centuries: The Gokturk Period" in 2013 in the same program and got her doctoral degree (PhD). Since 2021, she has been serving as an Associate Professor at the same university, giving undergraduate and graduate courses on Turkish Mythology; Early Period Turkish Arts of Central and Inner Asia; Turkish Art in Asia between the 10th - 20th centuries; and the Art of Pre-Ottoman Turkish Communities in Eastern Europe. And also she continues her research and publications in these fields. She is the author of two books titled "Art of the Khazar Period (With Traces from the Gokturk Period Art)" and "Metal Art and Craftsmanship in the Gokturk Period." As of 2025, she has also been appointed Director of the "Eurasian Culture and Art Practice and Research Center" at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.

Assoc. Prof. Shakhboz Mustafoev

Tashkent University of Architecure and Civil Engineering

Assoc. Prof. Shakhboz Mustafoev

Tashkent University of Architecure and Civil Engineering

Assistant Prof. Simone Mantellini

Dept. of History and Cultures, University of Bologna

Assistant Prof. Simone Mantellini

Dept. of History and Cultures, University of Bologna

Assistant Professor in History and Archaeology of India and Central Asia at the University of Bologna, Department of History and Cultures. Main research interests regard landscape archaeology, long-term socio-environmental relations and water management in ecological marginal zones. Director of the Italian Archaeological Expedition in Uzbekistan, and the Upper Zeravshan Valley Archaeological-Ethnographic Project in Tajikistan. He participated in several international research projects in Pantelleria, Arabia Peninsula (Siria, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman), Türkiye, Iraq, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan.

Sukhrob Babaev

UNESCO-Assisting Expert, Academic-Strategic Advisor

Sukhrob Babaev

UNESCO-Assisting Expert, Academic-Strategic Advisor

Prof. (Hon.) Sukhrob Tuygunovich Babaev is a cultural heritage researcher, UNESCO-assisting expert, and ICOMOS member, actively engaged in academic and field projects across Central Asia. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and the nationally adopted textbook World Cultural Heritage, reflecting his expertise in heritage preservation, restoration theory, and vernacular architecture. Since 2018, he has led multiple initiatives, including collaboration with the World Monuments Fund and the Central Asian Archaeological Landscapes project with UCL. He contributed to the development of management plans for World Heritage Sites in Bukhara, Shakhrisabz, and Khiva—one of which was ranked among the global top ten by Springer. As a senior academic and strategic advisor at Asia International University, Prof. (Hon.) Babaev contributed to the integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals and the promotion of international mobility and academic cooperation. His work continues to bridge research, policy, and education in the field of heritage protection.

Prof. Tattigul Kartayeva

Faculty of History, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Ethnographer

Prof. Tattigul Kartayeva

Faculty of History, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Ethnographer

Professor at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Faculty of History. Research themes: regional ethnography, historical ethnography, museum ethnography, ethnoarchaeology. Scientific leader of regional ethnographic expeditions. Coordinator of the educational program "Museum Studies and Protection of Monuments". Head of scientific projects: “Traditional methods of water supply in arid zones of Kazakhstan:  ethnological and geoarcheological approaches” (2018-2020); “Ethnographical and geoarchaeological study of agro-pastoral landscapes of desert deltas of Kazakhstan: historical phases of occupation and abandonment” (2020-2022); “Ethnozooarchaeological study of the role of the wolf and the dog in ancient and modern cultures of Kazakhstan” (2022 – 2024).

Dr. Youssef El Khoury

Architect, Permanent Galleries and External Artwork Unit Head, Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum

Dr. Youssef El Khoury

Architect, Permanent Galleries and External Artwork Unit Head, Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum

Dr. Youssef El Khoury is an architect since 2001 with a specialization degree in conservation of historic monuments and archeological sites since 2003. His main design practice was based in Berlin, focused on exhibition design as well planning and refurbishment of archeological sites. In addition to restoration and modern adaptive reuse, designing and building on existing fabric, he also worked and teached on building archeology in the context of traditional and vernacular architecture. In 2015 he received his doctoral degree from the Technische Universität Berlin, Institut Bauforschung und Denkmalpflege (Technical University of Berlin, Institute of Building Archeology and Heritage Preservation) the title of his work is: ‘A House of many Faces - Additions and Interventions by Architects on Vernacular and Traditional Domestic Architecture in Mount-Lebanon from the 1920s until Today’. Beyond the historic and geographic context, the focus of the work is how interventions on existing buildings and spaces change and affect them. Youssef was employed as researcher and exhibition designer at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Museum of Islamic Art since 2009, until he joined the LAD team in March 2020 as Permanent Galleries and External Artwork Unit Head.

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