IGCAT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Working Group on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of the European Cooperative Program Genetic Resources
- Head - Portuguese National Genebank ( BPGV )
Degree in Agronomy from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (Lisbon) and a Master's degree in the same area, held at the University of Missouri, USA.
Head of the National Genebank - Banco Português de Germoplasma Vegetal (BPGV) - Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, for the last 24 years (since 1997).
Focusing mainly on ex situ and in situ conservation and the enhancement of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
BPGV is the national and international reference structure for the conservation of plant genetic resources, in Portugal, is part of the National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV), the State Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture. For more than four decades (1977-2021) BPGV has contributed to the Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources, ensuring biological diversity and supporting current and future sustainable agricultural production.
Ana Maria is the National Focal Point for Plant Genetic Resources of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture - FAO.
Ana Maria is the Chair of the Working Group on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of the European Cooperative Program Genetic Resources (ECPGR).
Ana Paula Sançana is technical responsible for the beekeeping at Lousamel Beekeepers Cooperative…
Ana Paula Sançana is technical responsible for the beekeeping of the Lousamel Beekeepers Cooperative, has a Degree in Agro-Livestock Engineering by the Agrarian School of Coimbra, Postgraduate degree in Social Economy, cooperatives and Mutualism in Coimbra Economics Department University, also a Postgraduate degree in Rural Development and Food Security. An IGCAT Expert (International Institute of Gastronomy Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2022, she has extended experience in technical support for the production of honey and bee health, being also responsible for several lectures and communications about bees and biodiversity, bees and sustainability, contributed in article, conference paper and posters of scientific character. Advisor and co-advisor of internships in the area of environmental engineering, organic agriculture and veterinary medicine. She is currently doing a PhD in agronomic and forestry sciences with particular interest in the impact of Vespa Velutina Nigrithorax on national beekeeping. Communicating the importance of bees is something that enthrals her, which is why she wrote a children's book as a way of communicating this theme with children.
Ana Roš is head chef and co-owner of 2-Michelin-starred restaurant Hiša Franko and was named World Best Female Chef in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Advisor for the City of ‘S - Hertogenbosch, Northeast Brabant
- the Strategic Advisor
Anja Van Hout is the Strategic Advisor for the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in Northeast Brabant, she is responsible for the strategic agenda and the development of good living and working environment within the region. She is the representative of the INTERREG Europe project - Eurega! in IGCAT´s Board.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Research and Development at Savonia University of Applied Sciences
Antti Iire is Manager of Research and Development at Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio, Finland and has a master's degree in economics.
His expert duties started when working as a corporate analyst financing, consulting and training mainly small and medium sized enterprises. Later on, he worked as Account Manager for an international airline company, designing and operating the customer relationship strategy of company. He has worked for Nordic IT-company, where he served customers of Telecom & Media industries designing business processes and combining business needs to IT-systems renewal as a business consultant.
Lately, he has been working for the Savonia University as a Principal Lecturer of business expertise and later as a Head of School of Business. Nowadays, as R&D Manager of the Faculty of Business, Tourism and Hospitality he takes care of stakeholder cooperation and public-private partnerships and generates and facilitates a big variety of development projects together with the university and companies and working life organizations of the Kuopio Region.
His expertise areas cover SME business development, entrepreneur education and startup incubation together with designing business models with modern tools for different purposes, also internationally.
Job Titles:
- Expert in Tourism Marketing
- Wine & Food Tourism Brand Manager - Catalan Tourist Board
Ariadna Ribas Merino is an expert in Tourism Marketing and specialised in Wine & Food and Cultural Tourism. As a representative coordinator of Catalonia, European Region of Gastronomy 2016 she was responsible for the development of the project's action plan and results evaluation. With an international experience, she lived and worked in Germany in the travel industry.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director at Good Indonesian Food
Astrid Maharani is the Managing Director at Good Indonesian Food, member of Culinary and Shopping Acceleration Team at the Ministry of Tourism in Indonesia and Vice Chair On Gastronomy Tourism Development Program at the Indonesia Gastronomy Network. Her purpose is to present Indonesia's culinary heritage to the world. She is a marketing, communication and business management expert with more than fifteen years of experience in driving business to grow led by brand and its purposes.
Job Titles:
- Head of the National Genebank
Job Titles:
- Head of Department of Research, Development, Innovation and EU Projects - Slovenian Tourist Board
Barbara is a marketing and tourism professional with more than 25 years of experience.
As the head of the Research & Development Department of STB (Slovenian Tourist Board), Barbara is responsible for strategic planning, sustainable tourism development, data analytics and research, programs of professional events, destination management, DMO training, and support for the development and promotion of key tourism products and innovative tourism experiences. She devoted special attention to the development of gastronomic tourism in Slovenia. With recovery and resilience funds, the department implements reform measures to measure the impact of tourism and the digitalization of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism. Barbara is a member of the European Travel Commission (ETC) working bodies and an active participant in the NECS Tour and GSTC meetings. Before joining STB, Barbara worked as marketing director in one of the region's biggest retail chains.
STB was the leading partner of Slovenia, becoming a European region of gastronomy in 2021. As part of the project, STB prepared an Action Plan for developing and marketing gastronomic tourism in Slovenia 2018-2023, in which goals and numerous measures were defined to raise the visibility and sustainable development of Slovenia as a top gastronomic destination. The Action Plan was recognized and presented as a prime example of good practice at the 8th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in San Sebastián, Spain.
Job Titles:
- Distinction of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs
Job Titles:
- Director, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation Unit ( Minister 's Office ) Ministry of Cultural Affairs
- Public Services Advisor at the Ministry of Culture of Tunisia
Bilel Aboudi has served as a Public Services Advisor at the Ministry of Culture of Tunisia since 2001. As a public policy specialist, he was assigned in his early career to elaborate a new cultural policy framework based on development projects and cultural industries. Later, he was responsible as a negotiator and as a cultural policy specialist for development oriented international cultural cooperation, namely at the multilateral level (International and regional organizations).
Since its elaboration in 2004, he actively participated in the UNESCO Convention for the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions as a Vice-chairman, as an international expert and as UNESCO programme specialist. He graduated from Bilkent University (Turkey) in Management and Business administration, and has a Diploma of High Studies (Master) from the National School of Public Administration (Tunisia) specialized in development projects and policy analysis.
He contributed to several studies and initiatives at regional and international levels such as: Tunisia cultural policy report (2013 & 2015); UNESCO-UNDP Creative Economy Report 2013 special edition; International call for "Culture as a goal in UN SDGs"; "Preferential Treatment in international cultural relations - Article 16, UNESCO Convention 2005"
Job Titles:
- Head
- Head of European Programmes & International Relations at the Catalan Tourist Board
- Moll Is the Head of European Programmes & International Relations at the Catalan Tourist Board and
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Merșa Is Researcher at the Research Center for Cultural Anthropology ( RHeA ), West University of Timișoara
- Researcher - Research Center for Cultural Anthropology ( RHeA ), West University of Timișoara
An IGCAT Expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2023, Caius Ovidiu Merșa is an artist, a cook, and a thinker. During his professional career he has developed some innovative concepts in the food service sector such as the Suppa Bar, the first soup bar in Romania, that he opened in 2014 and where he works as managing partner, brand creator, menu developer, HR and Digital Media manager; Klapka (2018-2020); Café Spinoza (2017-2020); and D'arc club (2002-2016), the first to receive an award for Urban Rehabilitation from the Romanian Union of Architects in 2005. Besides that, Caius is a Board Member of HORETIM (Timișoara based Horeca Association) and Board Member of Timișoara Food Highschool (representing Horeca).
Very active in the academic field, Caius is currently undertaking a PhD in Culinary Anthropology at the Philology College, West University of Timișoara, where he is also a researcher at the Research Center of Heritage and Anthropology (RheA). As part of his PhD he is developing the Culinaria Banatica project that aims to support and highlight the food uniqueness of Banat region, under the umbrella of Timișoara- European Capital of Culture 2023.
Caius studied at the Arts and Design College, West University of Timișoara, where he concluded a PhD in Visual and Performing Arts, an MA in Art History, Criticism and Conservation, as well as an MA and BA in Photography. He is also a Member of the Romanian National Artists Union (U.A.P.).
Due to a life-changing medical problem he suffered in 2016, Caius started his patient career to support other patients with heart conditions. He is a Board Member of the Romanian Heart Foundation, a member of the Patient Working Group in the European Heart Network, and a member of the Patient Forum in the European Society of Cardiology, where he works as a consultant.
Currently, he is developing a personal medical project called iKaardia, the first Romanian Medtech idea that got access to the Patient Innovation Bootcamp within the European Commission's EIT Health project. The startup will be operating in the field of healthcare focusing especially on cardiovascular diseases.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer and Researcher - Polytechnic of Viana Do Castelo
Carlos Fernandes, Ph.D., is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2016 and was responsible for the bid of Minho, European Region of Gastronomy 2026 to IGCAT. He is Associate Professor in Tourism Studies at the Polytechnic of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Syracuse University (USA), Master's at Rutgers University (USA) and Ph.D. at Bournemouth University (UK). His interests include tourism innovation, tourism as a development strategy, gastronomy, heritage, cultural and creative tourism, religious tourism, diaspora tourism and tourism destination management.
He is a lecturer in the Bachelor's in Tourism (UNWTO Tedqual certified) and the Master's in Innovative Tourism Development. Grand Master of the Confraternity of the Gastronomes of Minho, in Northern Portugal, and Coordinator of the ATLAS Gastronomy and Tourism Research Group.
A member of the editorial board of various tourism related scientific journals, including the Journal of Gastronomy and Tourism. Researcher at the Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD) at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro and the Centre for Research, Development and Innovation in Tourism (CiTUR), Portugal. He has presented papers in more than seventy national and international conferences, been member of scientific committees for international conferences and has nearly forty publications in his area of interest.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Founder and Director - Creative Tourism Network®
Caroline Couret is an expert in creative tourism. She founded and currently manages the Creative Tourism Network®…
Caroline Couret is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2015. An expert in creative tourism, she founded and currently manages the Creative Tourism Network® and the Barcelona Creative Tourism programme.
She organised the 1st International Conference on Creative Tourism that was held in Barcelona in December 2010. She is regularly invited to speak in conferences as well as to teach in universities around the world, and publishes articles about creative tourism in different languages. She is also an external expert for the European Union (EU), UNWTO, and UNESCO, and a consultant for the International Creative Tourism Associate (US).
Since 2001 she has been in charge of the international area of the Foundation Society and Culture from which she has been managing a wide range of projects, including the launch of the creative tourism programmes, the coordination of European funds projects and the organisation of festivals for the Barcelona City Council.
Born in France, Caroline Couret obtained a Degree in Management of Culture and a Master Degree in Cultural Policies and Museology completed by a postgraduate in Communication in Barcelona. She lived and worked in different countries, for institutions like La Casa de Velázquez (Madrid), the Festival de Cannes (France), as well as various projects in Louisiana, Mexico and Morocco. She speaks French (native), English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese (basic).
Job Titles:
- Environmental Engineer
- Environmental Engineer - CIIMAR
Cristina Calheiros is Environmental Engineer and holds a PhD in Biotechnology. Currently she is a Research scientist at CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto and is Invited Professor at University of Saint Joseph-Macao-China in the Master of Environmental Sciences and Management. She thrives her work based on strong collaboration with several institutions from municipalities, universities, companies and associations. She develops an active role in Science-Technology-Society communication through dissemination in short courses, outreach actions, exhibitions and multimedia channels.
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the Irish Hospitality Institute
- Head of Galway International Hotel School - Atlantic Technological University / Atlantic Technological University
Cáit is an internationally experienced educator and has worked in the UK, Switzerland and China. She joined GMIT in 2007 and has held several positions since then. Cáit works across several collaborate committees including university integration, faculty formation, and EDI.
Cáit is a Fellow of the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) and is Vice President at Galway Chamber of Commerce. She has collaborated on several regional and national committees including the National Athena Swan Committee, the Galway European Capital of Culture Steering Committee, and the Galway European Region of Gastronomy Executive. She is also the higher education representative for THEA at the National Careers Oversight Group for the Tourism industry and is an expert member of IGCAT -Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, since 2019, based in Catalonia.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Senior Advisor - Region of Jämtland Härjedalen / Regional Expert for International Projects - UNESCO Creative Cities Network / CEO - Historisk Produktion I Sverige EF
Dag Hartman is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2016. He is currently Senior Advisor and Regional Expert for International Projects for the Region of Jämtland Härjedalen, where he coordinates Östersund's participation to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as Creative City of Gastronomy, combining gastronomy, culture and tourism as a tool for regional development.
With a background in environmental sciences, in his current position he aims to establish a productive relationship of learning, sharing and exchange between regional and international organisations to foster cooperation for sustainable development, including the rural-urban connection.
For over 30 years, he has been CEO of Historisk Produktion i Sverige EF and worked as project manager in developing projects/exhibitions in the field of Prehistoric technology; developed modern systems for copying sensitive and valuable national artefacts and ancient archaeological finds; and managed Galleri Södergården art exhibitions.
In 2019-2021, he was International Coordinator of ICGEC - International Culture and Gastronomy Exchange Center, managed by Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Co., Ltd.
He is a Board member and secretary of Jämtlands läns konstförening, working with art projects and exhibitions in Jämtland County.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Deltaic and Green Room Consulting
Daniel Montoya is specialised in the transition to sustainable tourism, especially in terms of customer's perception and operational improvements, following sustainable criteria. He became an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) in 2022.
He started developing his expertise in sustainability when he was studying architecture, by specialising with a postgraduate course in Sustainable Architecture that he then complemented with a master degree in Sustainability and Facility Management in the Tourism Sector. After working as an architect for nearly 15 years, in the past 10 years he has focused on the tourism sector, supporting hotels with his company Green Room Consulting to transform their business models through sustainability.
In 2018, he created the ecotourism project Deltaic. Located in the Ebro Delta Natural Park and the Terres de l'Ebre Biosphere Reserve (Catalonia) and member of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST) in Protected Areas, Deltaic is a pioneering ecotourism project that offers: sustainable accommodation; a gastronomic space that works in collaboration with local organic producers; a regenerative agriculture garden for workshops and gastronomic experiences: events and workshops aligned with its values.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Founder and Managing Director - ARC Research & Consultancy
Davinia Galea is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2016 and currently collaborating to Gozo's bid for the European Region of Gastronomy 2026 title. She has worked in the cultural sector for more than thirty years in various roles including musician, cultural event producer, policy maker and CEO. Davinia is the Director of Management at the architectural firm AP Valletta whose historical and technical research is at the core of concern with design, partnered with an inherent dedication to heritage.
In 2014 she set up ARC Research and Consultancy, which services creation, practice, and production within the creative and cultural sectors. ARC is the Malta contact point for the European Festivals Association project Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe (EFFE) and the Maltese partner for the Medinea network set up by Festival d'Aix en Provence.
Between 2007-2013, she was Executive Director of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA). She chaired and co-authored Malta's Cultural Policy in 2011 and was responsible for the setting up of the Malta's Arts Fund in 2009. She led the successful bid to co-host the IFACCA World Summit on Arts and Culture in Valletta in 2016.
Davinia was a member of the interministerial commission that successfully applied for Valletta, European Capital of Culture, 2018, and a member of the presenting panel of the Bid. She was appointed as IGCAT expert and special advisor to the European Region of Gastronomy in 2016. From 2014 to 2019 she was a member of the Roberto Cimetta Fund Expert Committee. She is a founding member of the Fannac Fund set up to provide artistic and cultural mobility between Europe, the Arab world and the Middle East. She is a visiting lecturer at the School of Performing Arts at the University of Malta. Davinia has a BA in Music and History of Art from the University of Malta and an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from Sussex University.
Job Titles:
- President
- President - International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism ( IGCAT ) Founder and Executive Director - World Region of Gastronomy Award and Platform
Diane Dodd PhD is President of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) and founder of the World Region of Gastronomy Award that aims to support regional development by highlighting distinctive food, crafts and cultures, educating for better health, supporting balanced and sustainable tourism as well as stimulating creative and gastronomic innovation. Together with experts from the growing Platform of awarded regions she has pioneered the European Young Chef Award, the Food Film Menu, the World Food Gift Challenge and the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers list.
She is also Regional Adviser for the global network IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies). She is a visiting lecturer for the MA course in Cultural Institutions and Policies for the International University of Catalonia and Events and Destination management course for EUHTSTPol. She is an independent evaluator for the Cultural Routes programme of the Council of Europe and editor of a number of Cultural Policy and Cultural Management publications for the European Cultural Foundation (ECF). She provided expert advice to Trencin 2026, Plovdiv 2019 and Valletta 2018 in the preparation for their respective bids to be European Capital of Culture.
Diane has worked in the cultural policy and management field for over 20 years and maintains relations with a number of important Global and European Institutions including UNWTO, UNESCO, European Commission, OEI, Commonwealth, Asia-Europe Foundation and many others. Earlier in her career she founded ConnectCP - an international online database of experts on cultural policy, planning and research which gave international networking opportunities to more than 1,200 experts from 128 countries and she co-authored the book entitled ‘a Cultural Component as an integral part of the EU's Foreign Policy?' - which looks at foreign cultural policies and the state of international cultural co-operation in EU member states and which led to this subject being addressed by Foreign Institutes at the Hague in 2007.
She obtained her PhD from the University of Girona in 2010 with a thesis that considered the role of service learning for culture in regional and local development.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder & Director - BalkanKult Foundation
- Member of the Journalist Independent Association of Serbia
Dimitrije Vujadinović is a Member of the Journalist Independent Association of Serbia and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) situated in Brussel and of the European Cultural Network ECURES. He has worked as a researcher at the Institute for Cultural Reserch of Serbia and was Special Adviser at the Ministry for Culture of Serbia in 2001. He has been coordinating the international project: Bread and Culture - The World's Heritage, since 1998.
Vujadinović wrote more than 60 papers published in collections and periodicals of sociology, culture and ecology, many articles published in daily and weekly newspapers, and he is author of various books, including: Bread in the Great War (2020); Boycott of a Better Life; Ecological Kaleidoscop; Bread on 200 ways; Ninth millennium goal; Small Museums in the Serbia Formed from Private Collections; Bread with beer; Ritual and traditional bread in Vojvodina; Atlas - Bread Museums in Europe.
Job Titles:
- Owner of Luado Chocolate
- Trainer, Entrepreneur, TV Host and Consultant
Passionate about innovation, mixed cultures and chocolate, Dorian Lungu specialised in management of intercultural learning at the Council of Europe and became a trainer for projects based in the South East of Europe.
Dorian is the owner of Luado Chocolate, the only artisan chocolate producer from Brasov, located in the middle of Romania. He is also a member of Rotary International and other regional NGOs and networks that create local, regional and national strategies for cultural, gastronomic and economic development.
Committed to promote local and European values, Dorian holds professional degrees in engineering and managements, and works in the design and implementation of communication and branding campaigns for companies and quality products.
Job Titles:
- Full Professor at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Pisa
- Professor of Agribusiness
Alessio Cavicchi is a Full Professor of Agribusiness, Rural Development and Branding at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Pisa. He received his PhD in Economics of Food and Environmental Resources from the University of Naples "Parthenope" (Italy) and previously a Master of Science (MSc) in Food Economics and Marketing at the University of Reading (UK). He has been a Researcher, Associate Professor, and Full Professor at the Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, at the University of Macerata from 2006 to 2021. During his work there, he developed 2 Double Degree programmes in Tourism with Spain and Ukraine. He has also been a Visiting Professor in several universities abroad (San Francisco State, Arctic University of Tromso, Göteborg, Oviedo).
His professional experience includes coordinating several Erasmus+ funded projects (The Wine Lab, FoodBiz, ON-IT) and working as a researcher in many national and international research projects. Apart from his academic work, he has been an external expert, evaluator, consultant and trainer, and invited speaker in the fields of Food, Rural and Regional Development, Innovation, Sustainable Tourism, Smart Specialisation Strategy and University-Business Collaboration for both public and private sectors: several DGs of the European Commission (RTD, JRC, EAC, Regio), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the Italian Ministry of University and Research and the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, several regional governments as well as several agri-food firms in Europe.
His work has been published in several international books and journals. He is co-editor of the book series "Consumer Science and Strategic Marketing" published by Elsevier, Managing Editor of the "International Food and Agribusiness Management Review" and Associate Editor of "Food Economy". He is also a member of the Scientific Board of the British Food Journal and the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
He is currently a scientific coordinator of the MOOC "Sustainable Food Systems: a Mediterranean Perspective" offered by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Academy and attended by more than 8000 students worldwide.
Alessio Cavicchi's key research interests include: Rural development and Branding strategies; Marketing of local food and sustainability of food systems; Innovation in agriculture and rural areas; University-Business Collaboration and Quadruple Helix of Innovation; Sustainable Tourism.
His core competence are Agricultural and rural economics; Marketing and consumer behaviour; Rural and regional development; Rural Branding; Participatory Action Research; Constructivist teaching methods.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Tourism, Faculty of Tourism
Dr. Aleš Gačnik is an IGCAT expert (International institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2016. He is Associate Professor of social sciences and humanities in tourism and lecturer in the field of cultural heritage, and cultural and gastronomy tourism. As a researcher, he focuses his work in the fields of cultural heritage, art and tourism, heritage, cultural and creative tourism, museology, wine and culinary culture, agriculture, regional development, wine and gastronomy tourism. He has been the (co)organizer of several national and international conferences, (co)editor of several scientific and professional monographs and journals.
His research is directed at a wide range of projects in the field of research and communication of heritage and culture and incorporating them into various forms of social, cultural, economic and social development. In last decade he focused on the strategic research and developmental partnerships between heritage / culture, tourism and agriculture (cultural tourism, gastronomy / wine tourism).
His bibliography comprises more than 780 bibliographic units, with numerous publications in scientific and professional articles in domestic and foreign journals in the field of cultural heritage, tourism and development, hotels; executed over 80 projects in the field of cultural heritage and the (regional) development and (co-)author of more than 20 museum and gallery exhibitions and heritage projects.
Job Titles:
- Senior Researcher & Deputy Director - Institute of Applied Biosciences
Dr. Anagnostis Argiriou got his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Medical Biotechnology from the University FEDERICO II of Naples in Italy. In 2006 he joined the former Institute of Agrobiotechnology, now Institute of Applied Biosciences, as researcher. In his current position in the Institute of Applied Biosciences - Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, he is responsible for the Agri - Food Biotechnology Unit and he is the Head Manager of the Services Unit. He collaborates as external scientist with the Pediatric Clinic of the Medical Scholl of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and he is the Vice-President of the Hellenic Institute of Nutrition Culture and Gastronomy.
Dr. Argiriou is involved and has been networking via academia and research throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. And has been coordinating or participating in EU, bilateral, and national projects in various funding frameworks. The field of prevailing scientific interests are the study of the genetic and epigenetic regulation of metabolic pathways in humans, the role of nutrition in the appearance of diseases as well as exploitation of genomic and proteomic technologies to improve plants and animal qualitative traits and nutritional characteristics. In the last few years, his scientific interest is also on the creation of databases for the traceability and the Identity of Food products based on genomic and proteomic technologies.
He has different years of teaching experience in academic institutions and is the author of several scientific publications on internationally reputed journals. He acts as reviewer for different journals like PLoS ONE, BMC Plant Biology, BMC Genomics, Journal of Plant Physiology, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Molecular Biology Reporter, Planta and others.
He has organized or participated in the organization of a relevant number of Workshops and Conferences and has several invited presentations to Conferences, Symposia & Workshops, participating as keynote speaker. He is member of the Greek Society of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, the Greek Society of Bioscientists, the European Atherosclerosis Society and the Greek Atherosclerosis Society of Northern Greece and member of the Scientific Board of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) and the Ministry of Health for the National Nutrition Policies.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Senior Research Advisor - Institute for Development and International Relations of Zagreb
Dr. Daniela Angelina Jelincic is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2016. She is Senior Research Adviser at the Culture and Communications Department of the Institute for Development and International Relations in Zagreb. Her interests include cultural tourism, cultural/creative industries, cultural heritage, cultural policy, cultural branding, local cultural development, cultural management, cultural entrepreneurship, experience economy, innovations in culture.
She is the author of several books (ABC of Cultural Tourism; Culture in a Shopwindow; Culture, Tourism, Interculturalism) and the editor of a few books on urban tourism, virtual cultural tourism, culture and development/cultural development. Also, she is the author of several development strategies (the chapter on ‘Cultural Tourism' for the Development Strategy of Croatia in the 21st Century; Strategy on Preservation, Protection and Economic Assessment of Croatian Cultural Heritage; Development Strategy of Dubrovnik Museums).
She is the Council of Europe expert for cultural tourism and coordinated several strategic cultural/tourism projects such as "Cool Industries for the Creative City" (UNESCO IFCD), "Zagreb as a Cultural Product: Study of Cultural/Creative Industries Devleopment Potential" (City of Zagreb), "Cultural/Creative Industries Development Action Plan" (City of Zagreb), "Marketing Plan of the Vitality Tourism for the City of Buzet" (City of Buzet), "Management Plan of the UNESCO site of the Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in Pore" (County of Istria, EU IPA Adriatic), etc.
Dr. Jelincic is also Adjunct Professor at Edward Bernays University College, Zagreb School of Business, University of Zagreb and Visiting Professor at UNESCO Chair in Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, ISES.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Lecturer - Institute of Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management and Social Communication, Jagiellonian University / Director - Villa Decius Association
Dr. Danuta Glondys is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2016. She is the Director of the Villa Decius Association in Kraków and also an independent consultant and an academic teacher. In the period: 1993-1999 she was Head of Culture Department of the Municipality of Kraków, where she created new municipal policy in the field of culture and a programme Krakow 2000 - European City of Culture. From 1999 until 2001 she was Regional Director of USAID programme of development of local government. She has been lecturing at the Jagiellonian University and Academy of Music in Kraków. Until 2008 she was also the Chair of the Polish National Committee of the European Cultural Foundation. Appointed three times by the European Parliament, she was a member of an international jury of EC selecting and monitoring European Capitals of Culture (2009 - 2018)
Professional Experience:
- evaluation of European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) applications
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor - School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University ( SMU )
- Assistant Professor at Singapore Management University 's School of Social Sciences
- Assistant Professor at the School of Social Sciences
Dr. David Ocón is Assistant Professor at the School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University (SMU)…
David Ocón is an interdisciplinary cultural historian and anthropologist who works on Asian cultural heritage's intersections with preservation, tourism, digitalisation, gastronomy, and sustainability. He also analyses cultural diplomacy and cooperation in the Asian region, particularly between China, Japan, South Korea and the ASEAN countries. He joined as an IGCAT Expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) in 2023.
David has 20 years of experience in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors. As a practitioner, he led departments at organisations such as the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF, Singapore), ENCATC (Belgium), and Cervantes Institute (Beijing, China), institution where he was the head of culture.
David is currently an Assistant Professor at Singapore Management University's School of Social Sciences, where he teaches and researches Culture and Heritage Management, Cultural Relations and Diplomacy in Asia, Urban Cultural Anthropology, Arts Marketing, and Cultural History and Society. As an academic, he has also worked at the City University of Hong Kong, James Cook University, and for more than a decade, he was a visiting faculty at the University of Barcelona's International Cultural Cooperation and Management Postgraduate Programme. He regularly provides strategic advice and support for cultural organisations worldwide.
Job Titles:
- Retired University Lecturer, Rural Researcher and Entrepreneur. Researcher, Writer, Guest Teacher, Drafts and Manages Projects for Local Governments and Civic Organisations
Dr. Kovács taught at the Economic and Social Sciences Faculty of Szent István University in Gödöllő, Hungary between 1993-2007, and the Economics Faculty of West Hungary University in Sopron 2007-2010. He worked at the Regional Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Pécs between2007-2011. He also lectured in English for Erasmus students at Kodolányi University in Székesfehérvár.
He spent a year each at West Virginia University and Missouri University in the US, with Fulbright and HAESF grants, respectively. Mr. Kovács enjoys an extensive professional and research network from Italy to Norway, from Austria to Ireland and from the US to Russia. His main interests are rural development and tourism development on the countryside. He has done research on rural tourism, wine tourism and wine roads, rural heritage and world heritage, experience economy, honey and beekeeping, ecotourism and eco-gastronomy, equal opportunities, rural women and issues of active ageing. He managed and was involved in several research and development projects in Hungary and abroad. Among others he managed the Mecsek Honey Road project and the Mecsek Greenway Association, an EDEN Award-winning civic organisation.
Dr. Kovács has published more than 120 studies and articles as well as five books on the themes of rural tourism, world heritage, rural development, wine tourism and beekeeping. He has written a book of interviews on the Villány-Siklós Wine Road, a strategic study for the Zala County Wine Road and an interview and best practice book for beekeepers. Together with his friend, Mrs. Dobosi Antal Anna they edited a book about the World Heritage Village of Hollókő.
Besides his native Hungarian, Dr. Kovács speaks, reads and writes in English and speaks Russian as well.
Dr. Kovács likes to participate in creative community processes, where big things are born from seemingly small ideas. With a penchant for bringing people together, Dr. Kovács has facilitated the success of several large-scale community projects over his career. A dedicated educator, he believes in the power of changing minds and improving lives through teaching and sharing information.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Vice - President
- Vice - President and Treasurer - International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism ( IGCAT )
Dr. Edith M. Szivas is Vice-President and Treasurer of IGCAT, and an internationally recognised tourism development expert…
Dr. Edith M. Szivas is currently Vice-President and Treasurer of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism). She is an internationally recognised tourism development expert specialising in tourism strategies and development plans, tourism investment, tourism SME development, gastronomy and cultural tourism, and strategic human capital development. She has managed and worked on projects worldwide on behalf of UNWTO, UNDP, EU, USAID and various national and regional governments and corporate clients. She has extensive experience from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East and is a regular keynote speaker at tourism conferences and a research contributor. She holds a BSc degree in Import and Export from Budapest, Hungary, an MSc in Tourism Planning and Development and a PhD in Tourism Development from University of Surrey, United Kingdom.
Dr. Edith M. Szivas is a firm believer in the need to balance profitability with the interest of the environment, society and culture, development and environmental conservation through the development and use of appropriate tools and policies that are in line with the principles of Green Tourism.
Job Titles:
- Academic Director - University College of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts of Sant Pol De Mar ( EUHT StPOL )
- Expert
Eva Canaleta Safont is an IGCAT expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2015 and a former IGCAT Executive Board member until 2019. She is Academic Director and professor at the University College of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts of Sant Pol de Mar (EUHT StPOL), Barcelona (Spain). Formerly, she was the coordinator of of EUHT StPOL's Master in Hospitality Management (2014-2018).
Eva Canaleta has a: PhD in Contemporary History by the University of Balearic Islands; Diploma in Advanced Studies (DEA) in Medical Anthropology by University Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona; Master in Health and Safety at Work: Occupational Risk Prevention by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; Degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology by the University of Barcelona; Degree in History by University of Balearic Islands; and a Technique of Business and Tourism at the University School of Hospitality and Tourism in Sant Pol de Mar (EIHT StPOL).
She has experience as a freelance consultant, researcher at the University of Balearic Islands, and professional experience in the hospitality and catering sectors. Regarding her academic experience, she has been involved with the University of Balearic Islands (Department of Historic Sciences and Arts Theory), the Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona and the Welcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Chairman of the Amman
- Chairman, NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions
Dr. Fares A. Braizat is currently the Chairman of the Amman-based NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions (Research Firm) where he directs public policy-related projects especially on tourism with specific focus on eco-tourism in rural and periphery areas in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman. In 2022, he was also appointed by the Royal Court to moderate "The Working on the Tourism Sector" as part of the economic workshop organized the Royal Hashemite Court to produce Jordan's economic visions 2033 and in the same year he became an IGCAT Expert (International Institute of Gastronomy Culture, Arts and Tourism). He was appointed by His Majesty as a member of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System (Summer 2021) where he served on the Election Law Subcommittee.
In the private sector he oversees a few youth-led and owned entrepreneurial projects in the tourism and agricultural sectors where he offers mentorship. He is also active member of the Jordan Trail Association and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.
Prior to his current roles, Dr. Braizat served as the Minister of Youth 2019-2020 where he combined academic research with public policy to introduce new programs such as the National Youth Entrepreneurs Forum which focused on, inter alia, tourism. He also served on the Board of the Government Investment Management Company in 2019. He has also served as the chairman of the Social Policies Committee at the Economic and Social Council in 2016.
Prior to founding NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions in 2016, he served as Senior Adviser / Director of Strategic Studies and Evaluation at the Office of His Majesty, Royal Hashemite Court, Jordan between Jan 2012 - Feb 2016. At the Royal Court, his public policy work included working on the Arab Spring and governance issues, evaluation of royal initiatives and public policies, creating a heat map of Jordan. As a result, 7 eco-tourism projects were established to create economic impact in local communities adjacent to the Jordan Trail.
He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science (2003) and an MA in Political Sociology (1998) from the University of Kent at Canterbury in the UK; a diploma in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from Raul Wallenberg Institute at Lund University in Sweden 1997, and a BA in History and Archaeology form Mutah University in Jordan 1994.
He was elected in May 2022 on the International Executive Committee of the World Values Survey and served previously on the International Scientific Advisory Board of the World Values Survey and the Principal Investigator for Jordan and leading the project in Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt. Also, he led Transparency International surveys in Jordan and other countries in the region. Since 2016, he has been overseeing the Investor Confidence Survey and led many research projects for the UNHCR, UNWOMEN-UNDP, International Republican Institute, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, USAID, Fredrick Ebert Foundation, and UKAID to name a few.
Dr. Braizat is a leading analyst on tourism-related public policy, socio-economic development, and survey research. He has conducted numerous studies on performance evaluation of public and private institutions across the Arab World. Currently he directs a multi-party (EBRD, MoTA, Skills Development Commission, Tourism Sector Skill Development Council) project to produce a research-based Skill Development Strategy for the Tourism Sector in Jordan.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- CEO and Co - Founder at X23 Srl
Job Titles:
- Professor of Political Science - Utrecht University of the Arts, the Netherlands
Dr. Joost Smiers is a Professor (em.) of Political Science and Research Fellow at the Utrecht University of the Arts (Netherlands) and former Visiting Professor, Department of World Arts and Cultures, UCLA, Los Angeles, and Director of Research at the Utrecht School of the Arts. He has lectured around the world and written extensively about topics such as cultural decision making, intellectual property and freedoms of expression. His recent efforts have focused on why intellectual property rights should be abolished and why too powerful transnational corporations should be cut in many controllable pieces while using a new pro-active, socially oriented competition policy. One of his last books, written together with Pieter Pekelharing and John Huige, is "Breaking Up Megacorporations. Radicalize Competition Policy, Abolish Patents and Copyrights, Stop Corporate Crime".
His last book is an essay entitled Trump is not the Only Problem.….. Solutions for an Unfair World. Joost Smiers is currently preparing a book on corporate impunity and what to do about it on a global scale. The other book he is working on concerns roaming noise levels and other undesired sounds, and to whom belongs the public space. Joost lives in Amsterdam, on one of the canals in a house dating back to around 1600.
Recently, Dr. Joost wrote an essay on an urgent issue, in line with his research on why we do not need to have copyrights, "Pharmaceutical research does not need big pharma"
Dr. Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development educator, and award-winning multimedia producer…
Dr. Lidia Varbanova has professional experience in Canada, Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She works as a…
Marta Crispí i Cantón is the Director of the MA in Cultural Management at the International University of Catalonia…
Job Titles:
- Is Project Manager Within the Tourism Engineering and Attractiveness Mission - Region of Hauts
Job Titles:
- AMBASSADOR
- Founder
- Head Chef
Joan Roca is founder and head chef of 3-Michelin-starred restaurant El Celler de Can Roca and was named World Best Chef in 2017 and 2018.
Kirsi Vartia is a Tourism specialist at Eastern Finland Rural Women's Advisory Organization / ProAgria…
Larissa Uwase completed an undergraduate course in Built Environment and Architecture in 2016, at the College of…
Ljubomir Stefanov is a filmmaker with expertise in environmentalism and ecology. He is co-director of the 2019 documentary Honeyland.
Marina Simião has been working since 2000 in the tourism and culture sectors having by now extensive…
Job Titles:
- Is Project Manager of Bocuse D'or Europe - Trondheim 2024 and Coordinator of Trondheim - Trøndelag
Morana Polovič is an IGCAT Expert and Tourism Professional with more than 25 years of experience. She holds a MA. Degree in…
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and Executive Director of FUEGOS Civil Society
Orazio Bellettini Cedeño is a social entrepreneur, co-founder and Executive Director of FUEGOS civil society…
Job Titles:
- Founder and Director - World Culture Project
Founder and Director of the World Culture Project based in Markham, Canada (worldcultureproject.org). He has worked in the arts and cultural field for more than five decades as an author, advisor, educator, administrator, and researcher.
He was Assistant Director of the Ontario Arts Council from 1967 to 1970, a founder and Director of York University's Programme in Arts and Media Administration from 1970 to 1974, and Coordinator of the Cooperative Programme in Arts Administration and the Cooperative Programme in International Development at the University of Toronto from 1984 to 1990.
Paul has taught arts administration and cultural policy at York University and the University of Toronto, undertaken a number of missions for UNESCO, and executed many projects for Canada's Department of External Affairs and other government departments and organizations in Canada. He was originally trained as an economist and taught economics for several years before entering the cultural field, specializing in international development, principles of economics, and the history of economic thought.
He has written many books on the arts, culture, and cultures, including Culture: Beacon of the Future, Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age, The Age of Culture, The Secrets of Culture, THE ARTS: Gateway to a Fulfilling Life and Cultural Age, and, most recently, THE WORLD AS CULTURE: Cultivation of the Soul to the Cosmic Whole published in 2022. He lives and works in Markham, Canada.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Vice Chancellor - Open Christian University of Eastern Africa
Prof. Boaz Adhengo Ph.D, is a diplomatic and creative cross-cultural researcher, sensitive to diversity issues, with strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Experienced in security design, ecological evaluation and independent research projects that have specialised within the topics of digital business, creative economy, gender, migration, and identity. Adhengo works with professional goal-oriented people who need encouragement to master God's calling in their lives, to discover the purpose of God in themselves; he works with individuals who are facing transition in their relationships, family status, career or health; and with groups who hold a common interest, such as not-for-profit boards or business units.
Combining fifteen years experience in diverse fields of the creative industry with his academic background in Political Science, Philosophy and Chaplaincy, Adhengo enjoys studying and comparing aesthetical understandings and aim to offer a creative and challenging contribution to some theoretical debates on these topics. With fifty-two books in global circulation, he has been involved in a variety of consultancy programs, with the recent being towards the establishment of a private Open University in aid of refugees within Africa (Open Christian University of Eastern Africa). Previously, as a board person in various cultural and creative groups in Kenya, he has been involved with many civil rights organizations in Kenya, including Arterial Network. Hitherto, he maintains a digital directory (Mwesaneo Art Directory) for Artists and Cultural practitioners in Kenya that is managed by Creativve Arts Society of Kenya, an organisation he founded that remains private in membership. He has edited many journals and helped found magazines that ventilate issues of concern to ecosystems, culture, developments, and tourism (NICHE Magazine).
Possessing a strong work ethic and dedication, his attributes include being empathetic, tactful, and versatile. He is imaginative, enthusiastic and take pride in being skilled in a variety of fields, having a strong tendency to adapt to people and surrounding; Adhengo promotes harmony and enjoys work that requires interpersonal contact. As an IGCAT Expert (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) since 2019, he has been striving to establish Kenya as a region of Gastronomy, a viable engagement that will steer interest amongst other African countries. In 2025, there are plans to re-establish the Festival for Arts and Cultural Enlightenments (FACE) that will not only expose the county level of creativity but promote local appreciation of culture, hence tourism.
Adhengo loves travelling and countryside walks, alongside learning percussion music; currently he practices with guitar and lives in his heritage home area of Bondo in Nyanza, Kenya.
Job Titles:
- Product Technician at the Fundació Foment Del Turisme De Menorca
Quim Salort Galmés is cultural product technician at the Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca…
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of PRODECA
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Sandra Bergsnev is the CEO of Smaker fra Øyriket, and Project and Marketing Manager at DalPro Utvikling…
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