Ambassador Ljuben Tevdovski is international expert, lecturer, diplomat, archaeologist and cultural manager with almost two decades of experience on leading positions in educational, scientific and governmental institutions and nongovernmental organizations. Among his fields of expertise are cultural studies, cultural and public diplomacy and international relations, anthropology, theory and history of archaeology and classical archaeology. Ambassador Tevdovski served as: Macedonian Ambassador to Canada, Public Diplomacy Advisor and Member of the Foreign Policy Council of the President of Macedonia, Chief of the Department of National Priorities of the MFA, Deputy Director of Research of the Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia, Director of the Museum of the City of Skopje, Member of the Governing Board of the National Dance Ensemble, Chairman of the Scientific Board of the Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, President of the International Cultural Relations Institute, Lecturer of Cultural and Public Diplomacy on the Macedonian Diplomatic Academy, Assistant Professor in Classical Archaeology and Archaeological Theory on the Institute of History and Archaeology, Goce Delcev University, Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Archaeology, History and Anthropology, Editor-in-chief of the Review of the Institute of History and Archaeology (UGD), Member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal Macedonian Heritage, and Member of the Editorial Board of the Macedonian Journal of Foreign Policy Crossroads. He taught Ancient Myths and Religions, Classical Civilizations, Byzantine Culture, Archaeology of the Middle East, Balkan Archaeology & Medieval Archaeology. Ambassador Tevdovski represented Macedonia and collaborated on projects of: UNESCO, Stability Pact for SEE, Central European Initiative, SEECP, UN agencies, Council of Europe, the European Commission and different EU governments. more

 

Mr. Gjorgji Kalinski has considerable experience in international project management within the fields of culture and international relations. He worked for number of years in the National Conservation Centre of Cultural Heritage of Macedonia (NKC), where he focused on projects fostering international cooperation in the field. Attended several workshops on arts and cultural management (ENCATC/Utrecht School of the Arts, the Netherlands), and gave several presentations at thematic conferences concerning contextual heritage conceptualization (European Science Foundation (ESF)/National Gallery of Slovenia, Ljubljana; University of Wales, Swansea/Institute of Historical Research, London; University of Lund, Sweden). He holds a BA degree in Journalism from the University of St. Cyrus and Methodius in Skopje, and MSc degree in Cultural Policy (majoring political science) from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His Master’s thesis is titled: Strategic Partnerships: En-route to anticipated heritage and the neo-liberal conceptualizations. The personal point of professional interest is focused upon strategic management in culture and cultural diplomacy, along with the transitional shifts and institutional competences in the spheres of protection, conservation and presentation of heritage.

 

Ms. Olivera Trajkova has a great experience in International Cultural Relations. She was serving as a special Counselor for International Affairs of the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, and as Head of Department of International Relations of the Ministry of Culture, in the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. She was acting on different posts connected with Public and Cultural Diplomacy, working as Secretary General of the Commission for international affairs and journalist of the National television for programs related with the Macedonian Diaspora. Ms. Trajkova also worked as Coordinator of the American Corner-Skopje, a PD project of the Public Affairs office of the U.S Embassy in Skopje. She is also engaged as Counselor in the Sector for International cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia. Her education is diverse and deeply rooted in the international cooperation. She attended the “Bullock Creek” High School, Midland, Michigan, United States of America in 1969, and graduated on the Faculty for Sociology, political sciences and journalism, University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. She was given a scholarship by the American government for her postgraduate studies in Public politics and Management at the Pittsburgh University in Skopje.

 

Ms. Judith Elise Boele (Elsa) is ICRI staff and researcher from Netherlands. She lived for few years in the Balkan region, and was involved in different national and regional initiatives in this region. She worked with few NGOs, foundations and charities, with special focus on intercultural exchange, and European funds. She holds Master’s degree in History from the Leiden University in the Netherlands, and specialization in Middle European Studies. The primer fields of interest in her research are related to: Nationalism and nation building, National identity, History of Middle and Eastern Europe. Her MA Thesis is focused on different cultural and anthropological aspects of the ‘name dispute’ between Greece and Macedonia. Elsa has also considerable experience in journalism, as editor and author in few editions and magazines.