Brussels, 5 September 2019 – Milena Dragićević Šešić, Head of UNESCO Chair in Interculturalism, Art Management and Mediation, Serbia, is the finalist of the 2019 ENCATC Fellowship Award. This is the only international public recognition and award for developing and maintaining an innovative yet consistent approach and commitment to positive change and remarkable and visionary leadership, creativity, and results in education, research, policy, and advocacy in the cultural management and policy fields.
With its 2019 Fellowship Award, ENCATC, the leading European network on cultural management and policy, recognises Milena Dragićević Šešić, whose teaching and research have deeply influenced the field of cultural management and policy, encouraging her peers and students to carry on her dedication and passion.
Former Rector of the University of Arts, Belgrade, now Head of the UNESCO Chair on Interculturalism, Art Management and Mediation, Milena Dragićević Šešić is a professor of cultural policy, cultural management, cultural studies, and media studies. A trainer and consultant in capacity building programmes for strategic cultural management and entrepreneurship, she has developed more than 50 projects in cultural policy and management with extensive experience in policy interventions in Southeast Europe (cultural policy reform in Montenegro, policies for culture in Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), the Caucasus, Central Asia, Arab States, India and Cambodia. She has published 17 books and more than 150 essays with translations in 17 languages.
Speaking on behalf of the Fellowship Award panel as ENCATC President, Francesca Imperiale said: “Milena Dragićević Šešić, with her academic, professional and personal profile and history, personifies the mission and values of ENCATC. Her contribution to cultural management and policy is a point of reference for all of us working in the field, as well as an important legacy for young generations and practitioners.”
On 2 October in Dijon, France, the official ENCATC Fellowship Award Ceremony will take place at the prestigious Salle de Flore,hosted by the Ville de Dijon during the 27th ENCATC Congress “Diversity and sustainability at work. Policies and practices from culture and education” (2-5 October). A global gathering of academics, researchers, cultural operators, artists, and policy makers will partake in this celebratory and inspiring occasion to be followed on 4 October with Milena Dragićević Šešić giving the ENCATC Fellowship Award keynote speech.
“The ENCATC Fellowship Award was launched on the occasion of the network’s 25th anniversary in 2017. As a biannual award, this is a proud moment for ENCATC to have the first Fellowship edition at the 2019 Congress. I believe it is a wonderful addition to the story of our network to publicly recognise and celebrate achievements and contributions that benefit our members and the sectors of culture and education,” said ENCATC Secretary General, GiannaLia Cogliandro Beyens.