Speakers
Marie-Theres Albert
Since 1994, Marie-Theres Albert has held the Chair of Intercultural Studies, and since 2003 the Chair of UNESCO Heritage Studies at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany. As a professor of educational science, she is involved in a wide range of activities in research and education on the topics of intercultural studies and on issues of World Heritage. Albert carried out consultation and project work in several European, Latin American and Asian countries. Since 2004, she has lead the EU-Asia-Link project „Development of Multidisciplinary Management Strategies for Conservation and Use of Heritage in Asia and Europe” (MUMA) which aims at qualifying partner universities in China, India and Spain concerning issues of heritage protection. Equally, Albert is project leader of the EU-Australia project „Sharing Our Heritages“ which established a collaboration between eight partner universities in Europe and Australia and focuses on the respective country-specific issues in dealing with heritage and identity.
Franz-Peter Boden
Since May 2003, Franz-Peter Boden has been Senator for Urban Planning in the City of Lübeck, Germany, being responsible not only for urban planning but also for building and road construction, urban vegetation, cemeteries as well as water- and harbour construction. Boden obtained an engineering degree in Spatial Planning at the University of Dortmund. In the following, he took up assignments as urban planner at the State Development Corporation North Rhine-Westphalia in Bielefeld and as technical staff member of the City of Gevelsberg. Afterwards, he was appointed Head of Division in the town planning office of Heilbronn, which he later headed. He was also technical councillor with the City of Hürth.
Mounir Bouchenaki
Mounir Bouchenaki was elected Director-General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) in November 2005. His appointment at ICCROM follows a long career at UNESCO, where he was most recently Assistant Director-General for Culture. Previously, Bouchenaki had been Director of Antiquities, Museums and Historic Monuments in the Algerian Ministry of Culture and Information. Bouchenaki holds a Ph.D. in Archaeology and Ancient History from the Arts Faculty of Aix-en-Provence, France. He has been awarded the titles of “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” and “Officier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture, and in 2002 was raised to the rank of “Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella della solidarietŕ italiana” by the President of the Italian Republic. In April 2006, he was nominated “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” by the President of the Republic of France.
David Breeze
David Breeze is Chairperson of the International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies and of the scientific committee which advises on the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site. He is the Director of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire Culture 2000 programme funded by the European Union. Breeze was formerly Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Scotland and President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. For the last 2 years, he has been preparing the documents proposing the Antonine Wall in Scotland as a World Heritage Site. Breeze has excavated on the Hadrian’s Wall and on the Antonine Wall in the UK, and has written books on both. He is an honorary professor at the Universities of Durham, Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Yves Dauge
Currently Senator and Deputy-Mayor of the City of Chinon, France, Yves Dauge is also a Special Consultant to the Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO and President of Loire Anjou Touraine Regional Natural Park. He studied at renowned universities in the USA, France and India and holds postgraduate degrees in Economics and Political Economics. After serving in the French Ministries of Agriculture and Infrastructure, he held director posts at a public office for operational urban planning and at a public housing organisation. In 1980, Dauge became Director-General of the federation of PACT-ARIM Centres before joining the Executive Office of the French Prime Minister as project manager in 1981. After his post of Director of Urban Planning and Landscapes at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Dauge worked as inter-ministerial representative for city planning and social urban development. In 1991, François Mitterrand appointed him project manager to the French Head of State, where he served until 1995. Subsequently, he was Chief Inspector for structural engineering at the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Tamás László Fejérdy
Since 2003, Tamás László Fejérdy has been Vice-President of the Hungarian National Office for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, since 2005 he has been Vice-President of ICOMOS International. After having obtained a Masters degree in Architecture from the Budapest Technical University in 1970, he participated in a post-graduate course on monument protection and conservation. In 1984, Fejérdy completed his Ph.D. thesis on the “Protection of Historic Sites and Ensembles in Hungary”. Throughout the following years he held various posts at the National Office for the protection of Cultural Heritage. From 1997 to 2003, Fejérdy was President of the Hungarian National Committee of ICOMOS. In 2002 and 2003, he chaired the 26th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.
Petra Hedorfer
As Chief Executive Officer of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), Petra Hedorfer has been responsible for the promotion of Germany as a travel destination in Germany and abroad since November 2003. After graduating from Augsburg University with a degree in Economics and Social Science, she began her career in 1990 as conference manager with Management Circle GmbH in Frankfurt. In 1991, she moved to F.W. Woolworth Co. GmbH. Following her work as Head of Marketing for the “Alte Oper” concert hall in Frankfurt am Main from 1995 to 1998, Hedorfer joined the GNTB as Global Head of Marketing. Two years later, she was appointed Marketing Director. Her responsibilities included global market research, developing marketing strategies and planning marketing activities in Germany and abroad. Additionally, she inter alia works as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and as Vice-President of the European Travel Commission (ETC).
Walter Hirche
Minister Walter Hirche has been President of the German Commission for UNESCO since 2002. He is also Minister for Economics, Labour and Transport and Deputy Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. Minister Hirche has been a member of the German Commission for UNESCO since 1969, a member of the communication committee from 1984 to 1988, and Vice President from 2000 to 2002. From 1986 to 1990, Hirche had already been Minister for Economics, Technology and Transport in Lower Saxony, and from 1990 to 1994 Minister for Economics and Technology in Brandenburg. From 1994 to 1998, Minister Hirche was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. From 1994 to 2002, he was Member of the German Bundestag and Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee from 1998 to 2002. Hirche was also Chairperson of the Free Democratic Party in Lower Saxony from 1994 to 2006.
Ina Marčiulionytė
Since 2003, Ina Marciulionyte has been Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Lithuania to UNESCO. Ambassador Marciulionyte studied Lithuanian Language and Literature as a major at the University of Vilnius until 1986. During the following years, she worked as a correspondent and editor for Lithuanian newspapers and magazines. In 1991, Ambassador Marciulionyte co-founded the Open Society Fund Lithuania (OSFL), where she subsequently acted as Director of the Cultural Programme and of the Fund House. As Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania from 1999 until 2003, Ambassador Marciulionyte was responsible for culture heritage. Since 1999, she has been the Chairperson of the Cultural Committee of the Lithuanian Commission for UNESCO. Representing Lithuania in the World Heritage Committee since 2004, she chaired its 30th session from 2005 to 2006.
Pedro Ortún Silván
Since January 2007, Pedro Ortún Silván has been Director for “New Approach Industries, Tourism and Corporate Social Responsibility” in the General-Directorate “Enterprise and Industry” of the European Commission. Ortún, trained as an industrial engineer, holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the High School for Industrial Engineers in Madrid, Spain. He started his professional career in 1973 as a member of the Study Department of the Corporate Development Division of the Spanish chemical group Unión Explosives Rio Tinto (UERT). In 1979, he entered the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Energy as Head of the Department “Relations with the European Council”. He then worked in the Cabinet of the Ministers for Industry and Energy. Ortún joined the European Commission in 1988 as Director for Steel within the DG “Internal Market and Industrial Affairs”, where he later became responsible for all Basic Industries. In 2000, he moved to the new Enterprise DG. From 2005 to 2006, he was Director for “Basic and Design Industries, Tourism, IDABC” in the DG “Enterprise and Industry”.
Mechtild Rössler
Since July 2001, Mechtild Rössler has been Chief of the Europe and North America Section, in charge of half of all World Heritage Sites and 50 States Parties. Rössler obtained an MA in cultural geography from the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 1984. A Ph.D. from the Faculty for Earth Sciences, University of Hamburg, followed in 1988. She joined the Research Centre of the “Cité des Sciences et de L’Industrie” in Paris, France, in 1989 on a post of the “Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique“. From 1990 to 1991, she worked as visiting professor in the Department of Geography at the University of California in Berkeley, USA. In 1991, she joined UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Rössler first worked in the Division for Ecological Sciences, before moving to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 1992 as programme specialist for natural heritage and cultural landscapes.
Wolfgang Tiefensee
Since November 2005, Wolfgang Tiefensee has been Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and Federal Government Commissioner for the New Federal States in Germany. Federal Minister Tiefensee obtained degrees in Industrial Electronic Engineering, Computer Science in the Construction Industry and Electrical Engineering. From 1979 until 1990, he worked as development engineer at the Leipzig State-Owned Telecommunications Company and at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences. Federal Minister Tiefensee was engaged in politics with the Leipzig Round Table from 1989 to 1990, and was appointed Deputy Mayor without portfolio during that time. After heading the School Administrative Office, he became Deputy Mayor for Schools and Education of the City of Leipzig. In 1994, he was made Vice Mayor before joining the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 1995. He was elected Mayor of Leipzig in 1998 and in 2005. From 2001 to 2005, he was Vice-President of the Saxon Association of Cities and Towns while also being President of EUROCITIES, the network of major European cities, from 2002 to 2004.