Speakers

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Considers the critical decisions museums make about which stories, assets, and cultural elements to prioritise, while maintaining their crucial role as stewards of historical truth, authenticity, and accuracy. In an era of technological change, misinformation, and climate challenges, how are preservation practices and the integrity of narratives affected?

Emirati woman demonstrating traditional palm frond weaving for ICOM Dubai 2025.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Looks at how museums reflect and adapt in response to global shifts in societal values, cultural norms, and demographic changes within communities. This day offers actionable insight into how museums can cultivate representative and responsive institutions that serve the changing needs of the public.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Explores the vital role museums play in helping communities navigate and access opportunities amongst social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

The ICOM Dubai 2025 programme of tours and excursions promises to be an unparalleled experience, designed to immerse participants in the vibrant culture, history, and dynamism of the United Arab Emirates. Taking place on Sunday 16th November, 2025, this exciting programme will offer a series of tailored excursions and events that will showcase the UAE in all its diversity, blending the country’s unique mix of rich traditions and hyper-modernity.

Participants will explore all seven emirates, each with its own distinctive identity, yet collectively embodying the UAE’s essence. From world-class museums and institutions in urban centres to smaller, more intimate cultural spots deeply rooted in local heritage, the programme will offer something for every interest. The programme will take participants on a journey to explore the UAE’s living heritage, engage meaningfully with a dynamic new generation of professionals and creatives, and experience some of the most innovative technologies shaping the cultural sector.

Expect to visit a wide range of sites and destinations, spanning multiple disciplines including archaeology, art, architecture, ethnography, performing arts, craft, culinary art, history, design, sustainability, and more. Participants will have the rare opportunity to step into the UAE’s past at significant archaeological sites and historical landmarks, witness exceptional contemporary architecture, explore the living heritage of the UAE and experience how the UAE has become a global hub for innovation, technology, and sustainable development. A memorable feature of this Emirati journey will be experiencing many of the UAE’s sixteen intangible heritage practices that are inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The ICOM Dubai 2025 programme of tours and excursions is designed to enhance the conference experience, offering participants the opportunity to connect, share experiences, and immerse themselves in the culture of the United Arab Emirates. Stay tuned for a detailed list of sites and experiences to be revealed soon!

Traditional Emirati architecture the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, featured at ICOM Dubai 2025

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Networking

Art Jameel, United Arab Emirates

Abhirami Suresh is curator of the Youth Assembly programme for Art Jameel, an independent institution in Dubai dedicated to contemporary art and engaging communities.

She works with the institution’s Learning, Exhibitions and Programming teams to shape learning projects that prioritise youth communities, engagement, and research-collaborations. Her work focuses on creating space for emerging voices and experimental forms of knowledge.

In her personal practice, she was awarded a Young Curator Residency for the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival in 2022 to curate the Where We Dwell exhibition, exploring transactional relationships between the individual and the environments they live with and within. She also established the White Lines Collective, a social design inquiry into narratives of mental health among young adults, developing projects since 2019.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Curated Networking: Global Museum Futures: Young Professionals Unite

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

theOtherDada, Lebanon

Adib Dada is an internationally recognized regenerative advisor, environmental architect, and founder of theOtherDada (tOD), an advisory and architecture practice, pioneering nature-based design rooted in biomimicry and systems thinking. His work bridges architecture, ecology, and art to regenerate cities and restore biodiversity, advancing a new paradigm where the built environment develops into a living system for all of Life to thrive.

Through his award-winning initiative, theOtherForest, Adib has planted over 20 native Miyawaki forests, transforming degraded urban sites into thriving ecosystems while mobilizing thousands of community members. His advocacy and forest-making have been published in books, most recently in Nature Based Solutions in Cities of the Global South (Routledge), Hannah Lewis’ Mini-Forest Revolution (Chelsea Green), Naomi Zurcher’s Connecting Trees with People (Springer), and his writings are part of several publications.

A sought-after speaker and educator, Adib has lectured at institutions such as Cambridge and Yokohama Universities, SxSW Eco Austin, MOMA New York, World Expo Dubai and the Saudi Green Building Forum. He is a Bio-Leadership Fellow and a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Forum: Nature as Collaborator: The Power of Restoration

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Burkina Faso

Agathe Sanon is of Burkinabé nationality, and is a cultural heritage management advisor in Burkina Faso.

Her professional qualifications include a Masters in Legal and Political Sciences as well as a Masters in Performing Arts and Artistic Creation Professions from the Joseph Ki-Zerbo University (formerly the University of Ouagadougou). She has also obtained a diploma in museum conservation and restoration at the National School of Administration and Magistracy in Ouagadougou. She is the national facilitator for the 2003 UNESCO.

Agathe is currently the Secretary General of the ICOM Burkina Faso National Committee, a member of the ICOM Resolutions Committee, and formerly a member of ICOMON – International Committee for Banking and Monetary Museums.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, The University of Melbourne, Australia

Harnessing the New Museum Definition and Creating Possibilities for Visitor-Led Programmes: Case studies for needs assessment, dialogue, and co-curation

Dr. Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador’s interests focus on social norms and cultural practices that shape museum emergency preparedness, conservation and exhibitions. She advocates for more effective guidelines to protect museums and collections through a multidisciplinary, evidence-based approach in collaborating with communities.

She is an Honorary Senior Fellow at The University of Melbourne, and contributes to the upskilling and professionalisation of Philippine museums as Conservation Advisor to the Central Visayas Association of Museums.

Dr. Labrador is Secretary and Treasurer of ICOM Asia-Pacific Regional Alliance, and is a former Deputy Director-General for Museums at the National Museum of the Philippines.

She is among the few people who has a marine species named after her, the Drilliola labradorae.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Visitor Experience: Technology, Accessibility, Communication

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Independent, United Arab Emirates

Dr Anne-Marie Gilis is a global cultural organisational expert. She moves between academia and cultural institutions with a particular focus on creative management, leadership, and innovation. Her expertise lies in cultural innovation, strategy development, future thinking, scenario planning, content development, and design thinking, which she combines with her passion for heritage and creation.

She is an active board member of ICOM-Intercom, a patron of Serpentine Galleries, and a trustee of the London Youth Opera.

Anne-Marie lectures at universities in Belgium, Austria and Dubai, where she also mentors graduating students, guiding them in the early stages of designing and developing creative business start-ups.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Museum Leadership & Strategic Planning

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Anupam Heritage Lab, India

Anupam Sah is the Founder Director of Anupam Heritage Lab, and of the Himalayan Society for Heritage and Art Conservation. He was formerly Head of Art Conservation, Research, and Training at CSMVS Museum, Mumbai, and Director Projects (Conservation) at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.

As a consultant, he has also led numerous conservation and training projects for institutions such as UNESCO, World Monuments Fund, and Tata Trusts, and for the universities of Yale, Harvard and Mumbai.

A trans-disciplinary practitioner, Anupam works with a Systems Approach based on inter-relatedness and networked cycles of effects and causes, allowing him to also engage heritage conservation with other sectors and to build capacity at community and institutional levels across India.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Masterclass: The Human Impact of Art Conservation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Association of Children’s Museums, United States of America

Arthur G. Affleck, III, is passionate about early childhood education and believes in the power of children’s museums and other cultural organisations to make a positive difference in the lives of children, teens, parents, and caregivers. The Association is an international nonprofit professional service organization representing and advocating for the children’s museum field.

As its leader, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations, from strategic planning and fundraising to advocacy, programme development, and community engagement.

Previously Arthur served as Vice President for Development, and then Executive Vice President at the American Alliance of Museums. He is currently also Co-Chair of the Board of the International Council of Museums United States National Committee.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Education, Programming, Outreach & Youth

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Heritage Board, Singapore

Arthur Tan is Senior Manager (Strategic Planning), National Heritage Board of Singapore (NHB), developing long-term strategies for the heritage and museum sector. Prior to this, Arthur led initiatives to safeguard and promote Singapore’s intangible cultural heritage through partnerships with practitioners, including the Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage scheme.

He is also the coordinator for the NHB Youth Panel, which provides a platform for youth engagement and action in the heritage and museum landscape. Singapore’s first Youth Heritage Blueprint is a notable outcome of the Panel’s work, with its focus on engaging and empowering young people to become active citizens and custodians of heritage.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Masterclass: Reverse Mentoring: Empowering Youth for Museums & Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Armenia

Astghik Marabyan is an art historian focusing on interdisciplinary fields of heritage studies. Her research interests include international legal frameworks for heritage protection, cultural education, modern and contemporary Armenian art.

Since 2018, she has served as the Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage and has been involved in policy development related to museums, intangible cultural heritage, cultural tourism, and libraries.

Her previous positions include various roles at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, with a focus on education and public programming. Astghik is the co-author of the Museum Education Handbook (Yerevan, 2016).

Currently, she is pursuing an MA in International Relations with International Law at the University of Kent, UK.

Astghik is a member of the ICOM Resolution Committee.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, United States of America

Brandie Macdonald is an Indigenous person from the Chickasaw Nation and Choctaw Nation. She is Executive Director at the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and co-teaches a course on Indigenous Cultural Stewardship practices for collections at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. Prior to these positions, she served as the Senior Director of Decolonizing Initiatives at the Museum of Us in San Diego. Brandie also serves as a board member for ICOM’s Committee for Collecting (COMCOL).

Brandie’s work focuses on descendant community led curation and collections stewardship and systemic change in museums through the implementation of Indigenisation, anti-colonial, decolonial praxis, which centres truth-telling, accountability, and tangible change to redress colonial harm. Her almost two decades-long work in non-profits has been centred on the stewardship of tangible and intangible heritage, repatriation and restitution, and innovative educational practices.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Collections, Conservation & Cultural Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

University of St. Andrews, Scotland

Dr. Bruno Brulon Soares is a Reader in Museum and Heritage Studies at the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, where his research focusses on the relationships of museums with society, practices of collecting, and the political uses of heritage.

He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean, in Marseilles, a member ICOM Standing Committee on Ethics, and Chair of the International Committee for Social Museology.

His most recent book, The Anticolonial Museum, explores the rhetoric of decolonisation in museum theory and its political and material consequences in Europe and Latin America.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

ICOM-IMREC, Australia

Carol Scott’s work is based on extensive experience of working in museums. She is known for her ability to think strategically, implement pragmatically and locate her advice to museum leaders within the wider social and geopolitical realities which face them today. As a leader herself, she has been President of Museums and Galleries Australia, Chair of ICOM UK, a member of the ICOM Executive Board 2016-22 and Chair of the Academic and Programming Board of ICOM’s International Museum Research and Exchange Centre.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Museum Leadership & Strategic Planning

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Catherine C. Cole & Associates, Canada

Catherine C. Cole is a heritage consultant working throughout Canada and internationally focussing on decolonisation particularly in the Arctic, Western Canada and the Commonwealth. Previously she worked as a curator and heritage interpreter for museums and historic sites.

Formerly Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Association of Museums, her commitment to sustainable development began when she was the Head of the Department of Culture, Environment and Tourism for the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Recent projects have focused on Indigenous heritage and reconciliation.

Catherine is a jury member for the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums 2025.and is a member of ICOM’s Working Group on Decolonisation and the Secretary of ICOM Canada.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

ICOM Award Session

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

African Digital Heritage, Kenya

Chao Tayiana Maina is a Kenyan historian and digital heritage specialist with a unique expertise at the intersection of memory, digital humanities, and public education. Leveraging a background in computing and a specialisation in heritage studies, her work is dedicated to exploring and excavating African histories, while simultaneously building and enhancing the infrastructure needed for the preservation and dissemination of these vital pasts.

She is founder of African Digital Heritage, co-founder of the Museum of British Colonialism, and co-founder of the Open Restitution Africa project. She is a fellow at Yale University’s Institute of Cultural Heritage Preservation and was selected as a public historian in residence at the University of Luxembourg’s Centre for Contemporary and Digital History.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Collections, Conservation & Cultural Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Independent, Greece

Dr. Charalampos Chaitas is an international leader in culture, creative industries, and placemaking, with over 30 years of experience turning vision into operations.

For seven years, he was Executive Director of Culture and Arts at Qiddiya Investment Company in Saudi Arabia, where he built pioneering frameworks for cultural investment, governance, and operations across museums, performing arts, fashion, crafts, and culinary sectors – informing national policies and shaping the Kingdom’s creative economy.

Earlier, as Director for Operations and Management at the Grand Egyptian Museum, he introduced new governance and funding models, developed international fundraising strategies, designed operational frameworks, and oversaw curatorial and exhibition planning.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Museum Leadership & Strategic Planning

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Museo Egizio, Italy

Egyptologist Dr. Christian Greco is Director of Museo Egizio in Torino, the world’s oldest museum devoted entirely to ancient Egyptian culture. He is responsible for leading the institution’s museography, scientific direction, and management.

His academic qualifications are from Italy and The Netherlands, and prior to his current position in Italy, he was curator of Egyptian department of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden.

Dr. Greco serves on scientific committees of several international museums and research institutions, served as a member of the Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in Luxor, is Co-director of the joint Dutch-Italian mission to Saqqara, and has taught museum studies in Italy and the Emirates.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Panel: Defying Convention: Developing Museums Anew

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Networking

Historical Museum Frankfurt, Germany

Following a traineeship at the Brandenburg Prussia Museum, Christina Bach joined the German Historical Museum in Berlin as a museologist. There, she was later appointed Collection Manager for the Financial and Economic History collections.

Since December 2023, Christina has been serving as Curator and Collection Manager at the Historical Museum Frankfurt, and is responsible for the Numismatics, Military, Models, Technology and Industry, and Sculpture collections. She is the curator of the next special exhibition focusing on global history and Frankfurt’s international entanglements, scheduled to open in early 2026.

Christina studied History, English, and Japanese at the University of Potsdam, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Waseda University in Tokyo.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Curated Networking: Global Museum Futures: Young Professionals Unite

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Barker Langham, United Kingdom

Darren is a globally experienced cultural strategist who harnesses the transformative power of culture to shape both the sector and society. From working with major institutions to shaping national initiatives, Darren creates innovative models that empower organisations and places to thrive. His work strengthens the cultural and creative industries through landmark projects and a deep, sustained commitment to sector-wide progress.

As a Founder of Barker Langham, he has guided the company’s evolution into one of the world’s leading cultural practices. Darren’s vision, business and operational planning work has shaped the development of cultural projects across the world. Today he directs the company’s work on vision development, options appraisals, business, spatial and operational planning.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Mentoring: Professional Development for Museum Workers (For Grantees)

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

DVDL, USA

David van der Leer is a forecaster, educator, moderator, researcher, strategist, and writer. His passion is for reinventing institutions and public spaces of yesterday, and dreaming up the most inspirational institutions of tomorrow, through excellent design and interdisciplinary programs.

David is Principal of DVDL, a visitor experience strategy agency that transforms spaces and organizations by pairing innovative program mixes with design and cultural interventions. His focus is on visitor experience and public engagement in the work he undertakes with museums, public spaces, commercial real estate, and philanthropic initiatives, creating projects that are programmatically and architecturally ambitious and socially responsive.

He was formerly Executive Director of the Van Alen Institute and led the Guggenheim Museum’s Architecture and Urban Studies programme.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Masterclass: Visitor Experience: A DIY Toolkit for Museums & Cultural Districts

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

The Henry Ford, USA

Dr. Debra A. Reid is Curator of Agriculture and the Environment at The Henry Ford. The museum’s focus is on exploring the American experience of innovation, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. She is on the museum’s Green Team which is responsible for benchmarking and managing its energy and water use, and for reducing waste by recycling and composting.

Dr. Reid is also Secretary of ICOM-SUSTAIN which leads ICOM’s mandate of addressing the climate emergency and supporting sustainable development through knowledge sharing, networks, commitment, and concrete action.

Her recent publications include Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites, and also Interpreting the Environment at Museums and Historic Sites, with David Vail.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Forum: Nature as Collaborator: The Power of Restoration

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Keynote

Independent, Ghana

A leading artist of our time, El Anatsui transforms everyday materials into sculptures of astonishing complexity and visual impact.

His art contains an entire material sociology of daily life, consumption and commerce that reflects the flux and flow of postcolonial capital, embracing the wisdom of local cultures and societies where things are constantly adapted and reused.

Resisting the rules of art history, El Anatsui’s guiding concept of the “unfixed form” means that sculpture, like life itself, is dynamic and remains fluid and adaptive according to place and circumstance.

In 2015 El Anatsui was awarded La Biennale di Venezia’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, followed by the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture in 2017. In 2023, he was recognised in “Time100 Most Influential People”.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1

Keynote

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

International Council of Museums

A graduate in in Humanities and in Sociology at University of Rome La Sapienza Emma is a former professor of Museum Education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of Roma Tre University. There, she founded the first University Museum Education Centre in Italy.

In 2007 Emma was elected CECA president. In 2015, she was elected in the ICOM Executive Board and became ICOM treasurer.

On August 24 at ICOM’s Prague 2022 General Conference Emma successfully run for President and has been acting as the official representative of ICOM ever since.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Welcoming Words

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Barker Langham, United Kingdom

Eric is a cultural thinker and curator who reimagines how we understand and experience the world through museums and storytelling. He is known for redefining the dynamic between narrative, space, and audience to create meaningful, future-focused experiences that celebrate inclusivity, imagination, and impact. He is recognised globally as a planner of new museums and cultural projects.

As a Founder of Barker Langham and Barker Langham Future, a not-for-profit foundation established in 2025, Eric is dedicated to shaping a cultural sector that connects diverse voices and generates new ways of understanding the world.

Prior to Barker Langham, he was Head of Exhibitions and Collections at the Commonwealth Institute and Senior Curator at the National Justice Museum.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Mentoring: Professional Development for Museum Workers (For Grantees)

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Museums of Kenya and University of Nairobi, Kenya

Prof. Esther Kioko is a principal research scientist in entomology focusing on insect systematics, ecology, and the intersection of biodiversity, livelihoods, environment, and sustainable development. She is a passionate advocate for conservation and currently the co-chair, IUCN SSC Kenya Species Specialist Group.

Prior to her current positions, she was a Research Scientist in the Commercial Insects Programme at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya. With a long-standing interest in museum collections, she has led efforts in their digitisation, and in the assessment of insect pollinator species diversity data in East Africa.

Prof. Kioko is a jury member for the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums 2025.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

ICOM Award Session

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Innovation Lab, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Netherlands

With a background in industrial design engineering, Evita Goettsch explores how design and emerging technologies can redefine the way people experience art and culture, and how these developments could impact the Rijksmuseum’s future proposition.

Evita leads the Rijksmuseum’s Innovation Lab and experiments with new technologies, AI use cases and implications, and creative processes that aim to enhance the museum experience.

The intention is to simultaneously exploring the value of innovation, without losing the museum’s authentic character. Her work aims to encourage an organisation-wide culture of innovation and experimentation within a historical institution. Through these explorations, she aims to strengthen the museum’s capacity to adapt, question, and evolve.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Lightning Talks: The Digital Future

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

ruangrupa & Gudskul, Indonesia

Farid Rakun is an artist, writer, editor, teacher, and instigator based in Jakarta. He is also part of the artists’ collective ruangrupa. It is a non-profit organization that strives to support art within the urban and cultural context by involving artists and other disciplines (social sciences, politics, technology, media, etc.) to give critical observation and views towards Indonesian urban contemporary issues.

This focus springs from a desire to explore how art can play a role in not only cultural but also political or social spheres – not separate from life, but part of life itself. ruangrupa is internationally recognized as the artistic directors of lumbung one (also known as documenta fifteen).

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Panel: Reframing Power: Whose Stories Do Museums Tell?

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Lord Cultural Resources, Canada

Dr. Gail Lord is a leading museum planner, cultural visionary, and co-founder of Lord Cultural Resources. She has helped to shape the global museum profession through the company’s involvement in over 2,900 projects in 57 countries.

Her clients include the Louvre, Tate, the Smithsonian, Etihad Museum, Dubai, and the Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi.

She is author of The Manual of Museum Management: Museums in Dynamic Change, co-author of Cities, Museums and Soft Power, and is also an art critic, commentator, and public speaker.

She has been honoured as a Member of the Order of Canada, an Officer of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, and a Doctor of Letters from McMaster University, in Canada.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Museum Leadership & Strategic Planning

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

WHITRAP (Shanghai, China), Sri Lanka

Dr. Gamini Wijesuriya’s contributions are extensive and impactful, both in his home country Sri Lanka and internationally. In acknowledgement he received the 2021 ICCROM Award, and in his acceptance speech, he recognised the “voices of Asia and other regions of the world that for too long went unheard in many international arenas.”

Dr. Wijesuriya is an architect, archaeologist, and heritage management specialist whose career spans over four decades. He is a pioneer in living heritage and people-centred approaches, and served as Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM and advising the Director of WHITRAP Shanghai, and as a UNESCO Facilitator for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Lightning Talks: Museums as Healing Spaces: Stories of Renewal and Resilience

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Department of Creative Economy and Tourism of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan

Head of the Department of Creative Economy and Tourism of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, Gayane Umerova leads the building of Uzbekistan’s cultural infrastructure.

Committed to boosting the country’s presence internationally, Gayane serves as Chairperson, National Commission of Uzbekistan on UNESCO Affairs, and has been honoured as a Knight of France’s Order of Arts and Letters. She fosters a cultural economy that unites communities and generations, and creating opportunities for young people in Uzbekistan’s cultural sector.

Her responsibilities include but are not limited to: commissioner of the Bukhara Biennial, leading the National Museum of Uzbekistan’s construction, and overseeing the restoration and development of the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Panel: Defying Convention: Developing Museums Anew

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, United Arab Emirates

Hala Badri was appointed as the Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority by a royal decree from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

She oversees the full strategic roadmap of Dubai Culture across four key sectors: Strategy; Arts, Design and Literature; Museums and Heritage; and Corporate Enablement. She ensures that its projects align with the emirate’s broader vision of positioning Dubai as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity and a thriving hub for talent, as well as driving impactful cultural initiatives, forging international partnerships, and enhancing public engagement with arts and heritage.

She led the Authority in winning the bid for the 27th ICOM General Conference (ICOM Dubai 2025) and currently chairs its Organising Committee.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Welcoming Words

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Heritage Board, Singapore

Harrick Koh is a Community Partnership Executive in Singapore’s family services landscape. He is actively involved in community development through designing impactful programmes and forging strong partnerships to uplift under-resourced families and residents.

He is also a founding member of the National Heritage Board’s Youth Panel, which provides a platform for youth engagement and action in Singapore’s heritage and museum landscape. One outcome is Singapore’s first Youth Heritage Blueprint, which includes opportunities to strengthen partnerships between young people and the heritage and museum sector. Harrick currently contributes to the Youth Panel’s development of inter-generational programmes.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Masterclass: Reverse Mentoring: Empowering Youth for Museums & Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Networking

Baden State Museum, Germany

After working in (digital) visitor research and data curation, Harriet Meyer leads the Digital Education Department at the Baden State Museum.

In 2019, she founded the ICOM Germany Young Professionals Netzwerk, an independent, multidiscipline association of students and early-career professionals in the museum sector. In regular online meetings, the network addresses topics such as diversity, sustainability, digitalisation, and criticism of discrimination. The group actively contributes to conferences through programme input, network meetings, and innovative formats.

Harriet studied European Ethnology, Art History, Art Education and Cultural Management in Kiel, Basel, and Düsseldorf.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Curated Networking: Global Museum Futures: Young Professionals Unite

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Moderator

Clore Leadership, United Kingdom

Hilary Carty OBE is the Executive Director, Clore Leadership, a role she took up after working as a consultant, facilitator, and coach, specialising in leadership development, management and organisational change. Rooted within the arts and cultural industries, Hilary draws on her creative acumen and experience to co-create bespoke interventions for a range of sectors and businesses.

Earlier roles include Director, Cultural Leadership Programme; Director, London (Arts) at Arts Council England; Director, Culture and Education at London 2012; Director of Dance for Arts Council England; Visiting Professor (Austria) and London Committee Member, National Lottery Heritage Fund. Awards include three Honorary Doctorates and three Fellowships from UK Universities. Hilary is a Governor of the Royal Ballet.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Heritage Board, Singapore

Jeremy How is a Senior Manager (Marketing) specializing in digital brand planning, performance marketing, and automated Customer Relationship Management systems. At the National Heritage Board of Singapore, he has focused on driving museum visitation through integrated digital campaigns which also results in establishing post-visit engagement loops.

He also serves on the Board’s Youth Panel team, guiding young people to create authentic, youth-centric social content to increase awareness and engagement of local museums among this demographic. Listening to and incorporating the views and perspectives of youth ensures that Singapore’s heritage and museum landscape remains relevant and dynamic to this audience today and tomorrow.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Masterclass: Reverse Mentoring: Empowering Youth for Museums & Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Dr. Julie Higashi is a specialist in international education and in memorial museums, Professor Emerita at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, and currently a consultant for 9/11 Memorial and Museum, New York.

She believes that museums dealing with complex and painful histories have a responsibility to remember those affected, convey their experiences to the public, and ensure that future generations understand the context and impact of these events.

She is a board member of ICOM Japan, of the Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums and has served three terms as a board member of the International Committee of Memorial and Human Rights Museums, ICMEMOHRI.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Keynote

Public Arts Project, BLRHubba, India

Bringing institutions together in collaborative projects has always been one of Kamini Sawhney’s passions. She works closely with global peers on initiatives that forge new and enduring partnerships.

She is committed to enabling South Asian voices to have a stronger presence and impact on the world stage. Raising knowledge and awareness of lesser known contemporary artforms, especially the living traditions unique to South Asia, is particularly important to her.

Kamini was the founding Director of Bengaluru’s Museum of Art & Photography, and currently heads the public arts project for BLR Hubba, a festival that aims to catalyse community engagement and bring the city’s public spaces to life.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Keynote: Whose Museum Is It Anyway?

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Independent, United Arab Emirates

Kate is a culture sector leader who has been a key driver in the development of the cultural landscape and ecosystem of the GCC for the past 18 years, working with regional and global institutions including governmental ministries, cultural authorities, museum bodies, cultural attractions, and foundations. She was previously CEO at Barker Langham; one of the world’s leading cultural practices.

Kate now serves as an independent arts and culture advisor and strategist, supporting clients to vision and deliver successful cultural initiatives, projects, and strategies. She is currently working within the Public Art Abu Dhabi team with DCT Abu Dhabi, to deliver the second edition of Manar Abu Dhabi, the acclaimed public light art exhibition.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Education, Programming, Outreach & Youth

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Art Conservation Education, The Netherlands

Kate Seymour is an expert in training emerging conservators and advancing best practices in art conservation. With a background in Art History and a Master’s in Painting Conservation, she has spent over two decades shaping the field through education, research, and technical expertise.

In 2024, she founded Art Conservation Education, a platform offering hands-on workshops and advanced courses for both emerging conservators and seasoned professionals seeking Continuing Professional Development. Her teaching covers a full spectrum of painting conservation topics, from investigative techniques to treatment methodologies and preventive conservation strategies.

Kate is also committed to ICOM-CC, currently serving her third term on the Directory Board and her second as Chair.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Collections, Conservation & Cultural Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

The Foundation Statsraad Niels Aall’s Memorial, Norway and Germany

Dr. Kathrin Pabst is a German and Norwegian ethnologist, researcher, author, and speaker with a Ph.D. in professional ethics. She has extensive experience addressing ethical challenges in museums, particularly those involving sensitive topics.

After many years as Head of the Scientific Department at the Vest-Agder Museum in Kristiansand, Norway, and project leader for an EU-funded collaboration project about the long-term consequences of forced migration, war and trauma, she is now leading a project for community engagement in cultural heritage

She is former Chair of ICOM Norway, co-founder and first Chair of the ICOM International Committee on Ethics and contributed to developing the Code of Ethics for Norwegian museums.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

UNESCO, France

Krista Pikkat is Director of Culture and Emergencies at UNESCO’s Culture sector. In this capacity, she also serves as the Secretary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols (1954, 1999), the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, and the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Previously, Krista has held positions at UNESCO Headquarters and the field (in Central Asia). She believes strongly that cultural heritage protection and the safeguarding of culture concerns us all, and we all have our role to play.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Dialogue: AI and Museums: From Vision to Global Action

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Honorary Address Speaker

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, United Arab Emirates

Since her appointment as Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority in 2019, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has championed transformative strategies that position Dubai as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

Her Highness is at the forefront of building a sustainable ecosystem for the creative sector in Dubai, ensuring that creativity is supported with the infrastructure and opportunities it needs to nurture talent, safeguard heritage, and foster innovation across the creative industries.

Embodying Dubai’s ethos — a city that dares to dream, innovate, and lead while remaining rooted in its heritage and values — Her Highness is guided by a continuous legacy of culture and creativity that inspires generations, reflecting the spirit of progress, innovation, and inclusivity that defines the UAE’s leadership.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Honorary Address

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

In-Conversation: The Spirit of Exchange: The UAE’s Unique View on Cultural Diplomacy

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Museum of Art and History Geneva, Switzerland

Laura Zani leads international relations and fundraising at the Geneva Musée d’art et d’histoire. She is visiting Professor at various universities in the field of cultural heritage fundraising and international museum relations. She has published widely on the museum philanthropy, as well as on Geneva’s challenges in the protection of world heritage and the fight against illicit trafficking. Laura has been on the Advisory Board and the Board of ICOM ICEE, and is a Member of the ICOM Resolutions Committee.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Heritage Board, Singapore

At the National Heritage Board of Singapore, Lim XingYi oversees the Heritage Activation Nodes initiative, which empowers communities to co-create projects that celebrate the heritage of their neighbourhood. Each features tailored programmes and activities that reflect the distinct character of their precinct.

XingYi also serves on the Board’s Youth Panel, guiding a team on youth-led heritage programming. She has collaborated with diverse partners in the community, including schools, institutes of higher education, heritage businesses, individuals, and young volunteers.

She previously contributed to the Board’s intangible cultural heritage initiatives, and public engagement campaigns for Singapore’s nominations to the UNESCO Representative List of ICH.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Masterclass: Reverse Mentoring: Empowering Youth for Museums & Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Smithsonian Institution, United States of America

Lisa Sasaki is the Deputy Under Secretary for Special Projects at the Smithsonian Institution, where she provides leadership for the institution’s Semiquincentennial activities that celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and in efforts that maximise the institution’s impact online and in communities across the country.

Previously, Sasaki was the Interim Director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

She has worked in the museum field for 30 years at such organisations as the Oakland Museum of California, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Stephen E. Weil Memorial Lecture: Moments of Consequence: Reflections on Centering Visitors & Maintaining Public Trust

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Ainu Museum, Japan

Liu Gaoli’s expertise includes multilingual exhibition curating, public engagement, and research translation, focused on cultural representation, language accessibility, and inclusive storytelling. She is currently Research and Curatorial Fellow at the National Ainu Museum.

She has museum experience in East Asia, and has undertaken anthropological fieldwork across South and Southeast Asia. Her languages include fluency in Chinese, English, and Japanese, with proficiency in Urdu and Hindi for effective cross-cultural communication. She contributes to international projects on digital curating and intercultural collaboration, and considers herself to be curious, grounded.

Liu Gaoli is a member of the ICOM Resolutions Standing Committee, and General Secretary for the ICOM International Committee for Audiovisual, New Technologies and Social Media.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Dr. Luciana Menezes de Carvalho’s academic research and professional expertise centre on theoretical and applied museology, its history, and its evolution as an academic discipline. She is currently engaged at the School of Museology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, leading the implementation of a territory-based museum and providing academic and technical support to students of Museology. She is currently a Visiting Research Fellow in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, UK (Sept. 2025, Apr. 2026). She was formerly director of the Museum of Memory and Heritage at the Federal University of Alfenas overseeing its creation and establishment.

She currently serves as Vice-President of ICOM Brasil, and was previously a board member of the International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM) and its regional subcommittee for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Visitor Experience: Technology, Accessibility, Communication

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Museo Memorial de la Resistencia Dominicana, Dominican Republic

Dr. Luisa De Peña Diaz is Founding Director of the Dominican Resistance Memorial Museum in the Dominican Republic. Her research areas include management, economy and financing of culture, the recovery of archives of repression and historical memory, the pedagogy of memory and human rights, museology, and museography,.

She is an active participant in ICOM and its committees, and is currently Vice Chair of the International Committee of Memorial and Human Rights Museums. Further ICOM committees have included the Dominican National Committee, Permanent Committee on Legal Affairs, Ibermuseos, ICOM Executive Council, Standing Committee on Museum Definition, the Ethics Committee, and others.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - iThra, Saudi Arabia

Lujain has a background in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and Masters degree in Arts and Cultural Management. After graduation Lujain was a teacher at Bahrain Bayan school for one year. This is when she discovered how her passion was driven to out of cuticulum learning experiences. She has joined IThra since 2014, where she started her career as a Children Museum Educator, during which she worked on establishing the museum educational system and recruitment for the first children museum in Saudi Arabia.

Today Lujain is the head of Knowledge and Learning Unit at iThra, which overlooks most engagement educational experiences in ithra museums and Children Museums. This include: tours, hands-on experiences, school programs, camps, and seasonal experiences for various audience groups.

Lujain’s passion has always been to connect people to culture by turning traditional practices into meaningful experiences, by enabling museums to become a welcoming space for learning and exploration.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Education, Programming, Outreach & Youth

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

City Museum of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Léontine Meijer-van Mensch is currently Director of the City Museum of Rotterdam as it undergoes renewal and expansion. This new museum aims to preserve, share, and bring to life Rotterdam’s heritage, inspiring and connecting people. She is also Chair of the ICOM Standing Committee on Ethics where she works on connecting museum theory and ethics with museum practice and management.

Previously she was Director of the State Ethnographical Collections of Saxony, Programme Director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, Deputy Director of the Museum of European Cultures in Berlin, and Lecturer in Heritage Studies and Professional Ethics at the Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam University of the Arts.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Museum of the Future, United Arab Emirates

Majed Al Mansoori has served as Executive Director of the Museum of the Future since October 2024, following six years in senior roles across the organization.

He sees the museum as a portal that transports millions on a multi-sensory journey through space and time to experience Dubai’s inspirational vision for the future.

Looking ahead, Majed is working with his team to establish the Museum of the Future as a global center from which the world’s most curious and creative minds convene to find fresh solutions to the challenges facing humanity.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Lightning Talks: The Digital Future

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Sharjah Museums Authority, United Arab Emirates

Manal Ataya is the Museums Advisor to the Sharjah Museums Authority, contributing to cultural strategy, policy, and new museum project developments.

She was formerly Director General of the Sharjah Museums Authority for 15 years, overseeing a network of 17 museums and a team of over 600. Her leadership has strengthened the role of museums as spaces for learning, dialogue, and inclusion, while advancing Middle Eastern museology globally.

Her contributions to culture have been recognized internationally, and has been honoured as a Knight of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, and the Order of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Visitor Experience: Technology, Accessibility, Communication

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Lusófona University , Brazil / Portugal

Dr. Marcelo Murta works across Latin America, the South Pacific, and Africa, focusing on the role of museums and cultural heritage in advancing sustainable development. He has led initiatives with UNESCO, UNDP, OEI, the European Union, and national governments, with a focus on governance, public policy, and results-based project management. His work includes coordinating UNESCO’s regional programme on creativity and digital transformation in the Pacific, and supporting culture and development projects in Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. He has also conducted research and programme assessments for the EU, UN, and OEI across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific…

Dr. Murta is a jury member for the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums 2025.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

ICOM Award Session

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

SOLUZIONIMUSEALI Integrated Museum Solutions , Italy

Museologist, cultural designer, and strategist, Maria Cristina Vannini entered the world of cultural heritage as an archaeologist. Before founding her cultural enterprise, SOLUZIONIMUSEALI, she gained experience in marketing by working with market research institutes, and in museography and museotechnique. She teaches widely, in particular as an associate lecturer at IULM University of Milan.

Maria Cristina has been an active contributor on the boards of various national and international museum and cultural associations, including INSULA-UNESCO, ICOM Italy, and the ICOM International Committee for Museology.

Maria Cristina Vannini is currently Secretary of ICOM International Committee for Museum Management, and Member of the ICOM Finance and Resources Standing Committee.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Visitor Experience: Technology, Accessibility, Communication

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

TAO Management Corporation, Philippines

Marian Pastor Roces is an independent curator, cultural critic, and policy analyst addressing cross-national concerns from her base in Manila, Philippines.

She maintains a research and activism interest in the continuous reproduction of violence through cultural infrastructure in place today in specific parts of the world. The enduring work, for her, has been a stubborn alertness to asymmetries of power, well beyond the postcolonial turn in the mid-20th century; and toughening the imagination in hopes of responding to inequity.

She leads TAOINC, a corporation curating the establishment of museums, and is presently focused on the creation of a museum to cross-cultural understanding in a location previously known for extreme violence.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Lightning Talks: Museums as Healing Spaces: Stories of Renewal and Resilience

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Chair

Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Marjan Faraidooni’s work is situated at the intersection of culture, sustainability, and civic life, where she focuses on building programmes that foster learning and meaningful connections.

As Chief Experience Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, she oversaw thematic exhibitions, youth initiatives, and visitor journeys, including the development of Terra, the Centre for resilience, biodiversity, and environmental education, which united architecture, nature, and storytelling to inspire action on planetary challenges.

Marjan also helped shape the event’s long-term vision and led the legacy strategy that guided its transition into today’s Expo City Dubai, a future-oriented urban district.

In her current role, Marjan stewards Terra as a living hub for urban resilience, biodiversity, and environmental learning.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Forum: Nature as Collaborator: The Power of Restoration

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Currently a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Tulsa, in Oklahoma, Mark Swiney was previously an instructor of Humanities at Tulsa Community College.

Mark’s legal responsibilities for the City included matters related to the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, which presents hundreds of Indigenous cultures from across North and South America, with material culture and archaeology ranging from 12,000 BCE to the 21st century. In this sector, his research focused on the legal aspects that impact the museum, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Mark Swiney is a Member of the ICOM Resolutions Committee.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Livingstone Museum, Zambia

At the Livingstone Museum in Zambia, Martha Ikabongo is an Administrative Officer, focusing on museum management, human resources, organising programmes at national and international exhibitions, and assisting research.

Martha graduated from the University of Leicester with a Masters in Heritage and Interpretation, and is an active contributor to international forums on museum management, including ICOM Prague 2022 and INTERCOM Doha 2023. She was also involved with conducting INTERCOM’s global survey on museum leadership.

Martha is a Board Member of the ICOM International Committee for Museum Management, and National Secretary of ICOM Zambia.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Education, Programming, Outreach & Youth

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

In 2014, Maya Allison helped found the Art Galleries at NYU Abu Dhabi, including a museum venue and a project space, which support exhibitions as means for communal knowledge-production. As a contemporary art curator, her focus is on installation art and vanguard art communities.

She has authored and edited multiple studies of UAE and Gulf art history, as well as monographs on Syrian-American sculptor Diana Al-Hadid, and Swiss installation artist Zimoun. Allison curated the UAE pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennial, for the artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim.

Before relocating to the UAE, she held curatorial posts at The RISD Museum and at Brown University’s Bell Gallery, and directed the annual Pixilerations art festival.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Mentoring: Professional Development for Museum Workers (For Grantees)

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

International Council of Museums

Medea S. Ekner is the Director General of ICOM – International Council of Museums and, as such, serves on the board of Blue Shield International, which protects cultural heritage under threat, and as trustee of the European Museum Forum. Her work is centered on organisational transformation and innovation, aiming to enhance the organisations ability to address global challenges that impact museums, cultural heritage and communities.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Welcoming Words
Dialogue: AI and Museums: From Vision to Global Action

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Zoma Museum, Ethiopia

Meskerem Assegued Bantiwalu is an anthropologist, curator, and writer. In 2002, together with Elias Sime she founded the Zoma Contemporary Art Center, in Ethiopia.

Together, they purchased land and transformed it into today’s Zoma Museum, a destination that features a gallery, library, restaurant, café, gardens, outdoor amphitheatre, primary school, and an abundance of cows, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, and tortoises. The distinctive vernacular architecture and surroundings provide an impactful foundation for the Museum’s programmes.

She has curated numerous exhibitions both in Ethiopia and abroad, and has been honoured as a Knight of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, and is a Fellow of the Yale Directors Forum.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Panel: The Interconnectivity of Life: Opening the Museum to Multi-species Perspectives

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Moderator

The National, United Arab Emirates

Mina Al-Oraibi is Editor in Chief of The National, an Abu Dhabi based English-language regional news outlet, with extensive experience covering Middle Eastern, European and American affairs. She has conducted multiple high-profile interviews including with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia AlSoudani and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

Previously, Mina was a Yale World Fellow and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for State Effectiveness working on policy recommendations for improved governance in the MENA region, focusing on Iraq and Syria.

Mina was formerly Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Alawsat, and its Washington Bureau Chief. She is a member of the International Media Council, and a member of the board of trustees of the American University in Iraq – Sulaimani.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

In-Conversation: The Spirit of Exchange: The UAE’s Unique View on Cultural Diplomacy

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak oversees the growth of Abu Dhabi’s cultural, entertainment, real estate, and tourism sectors. He is Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, overseeing the preservation of the emirate’s heritage and history whilst simultaneously creating a recognised cultural capital where culture is a driver of social and economic development. Under his leadership, Saadiyat Cultural District Abu Dhabi has become a global destination for inspiration, artistic expression, and cultural dialogue.

He oversees the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, which works to advance the Arabic language across scientific, educational, cultural, and creative fields, is President of the Abrahamic Family House, which serves to deepen understanding of our common humanity, and is Vice-Chair of the Foundation Board of ALIPH, the international alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Welcoming Words

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Cultural Institute of Bonyad Museums, Iran

Dr. Mohsen Ghanooni is an art conservator whose expertise includes historical research, art authentication, and the assessment of cultural artefacts.

His primary focus lies in painting conservation and architectural decoration, combining technical skills with an understanding of historical context to achieve both aesthetic and structural preservation.

He has led projects in museum development and the conservation of historic buildings to ensure optimal preservation of cultural heritage values. He is particularly interested in sustainable development management for museum construction and heritage conservation, integrating modern strategies with cultural and historical contexts to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility.

Dr. Ghanooni is a Member of the ICOM Resolutions Committee.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Ministry of Culture , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mona Khazindar is an art historian, curator, and cultural advisor. She currently serves as Advisor to the Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She is also an Advisor to the Museums Commission – one of the 11 sector-specific commissions in the Ministry of Culture – focusing on the development of the museum sector across the Kingdom.

She continues to play a pivotal role in promoting Arab art and culture globally. Mona has served as Director General of the Institut du monde arabe in Paris, curated contemporary art exhibitions and collections, and has written extensively on Arab art, culture, and history.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Panel: Defying Convention: Developing Museums Anew

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

International Committee on Museums and Sustainable Development , Norway

Morien Rees was Chair of the ICOM Working Group on Sustainability, which in 2023 became the International Committee on Museums and Sustainable Development, with Morien again taking up the mantle as its Chair. ICOM SUSTAIN assists ICOM in advancing the engagement of museums with the 5Ps of the UN’s Agenda 2030.

He has worked in the Norwegian museums sector, including at the Varanger Museum on Norway’s north-eastern arctic coast, as a researcher on museums and sustainability. He studied architecture at the University of Wales and art history at the University of Oslo and has practiced architecture in the UK and Norway.

Morien is Chair of the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums 2025.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

ICOM Award Session

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Women’s History Museum of Zambia, Zambia

Mulenga Mpundu Kapwepwe’s passion is preserving the history and culture of her people. As an author, playwright, and social activist, she has been an influential voice in the creative industries of Zambia for more than two decades. Her writing focuses on culture, social issues, heritage, and history.

She co-founded The Women’s History Museum of Zambia which was established to document and revive narratives of African history with a specific focus on women.

Mulenga has served as the Patron of many organisations, including the Women in Visual Arts Association, the Zambian Folk Music and Dance Association, and the Youth for Culture Association.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Panel: Defying Convention: Developing Museums Anew

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

ICCROM Regional Centre, United Arab Emirates

Nasir Al Darmaki began his career as a curator for the Sharjah Archaeology Museum, and was later Manager of Strategic Planning for the 16 museums of the Sharjah Museums Authority.

Currently, Nasir serves as the Deputy Director of the ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah where he oversees all professional development and on-site projects aimed at cultural heritage preservation and management in the Arab region. This involves coordinating efforts to safeguard cultural heritage in conflict zones, ensuring that the rich history, art, museums and cultural identity of these regions is preserved for future generations.

Nasir is also Chair of ICOM UAE and jointly leads the hosting of ICOM Dubai 2025.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Welcoming Words

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Barbados Museum & Historical Society, Barbados

Barbadian curator and researcher Dr. Natalie McGuire focuses her practice on community-led museology of the global south and its exchanges with the post-empire global north.

She is Vice-Chairperson for ICOM Barbados, a member of the ICOM Working Group on Decolonisation, and serves on the executive boards of ICOFOM LAC, the Barbados National Art Gallery, and The Fresh Milk Arts Platform Inc. She is co-founder of the Transoceanic Visual Exchange triennial, and is a Salzburg Global Fellow.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Panel: Reframing Power: Whose Stories Do Museums Tell?

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Neha Vora is an ethnographer with a focus on multidisciplinary and transnational projects that generate human insights.

Her teaching and research interests include diasporas and migration, citizenship, globalised higher education, gender, liberalism, political economy, and human-nonhuman encounters, primarily in the Arabian Peninsula region. Prior to taking up the position in Sharjah, she was a Professor in Anthropology at Lafayette College in the USA.

Dr. Vora’s current research project approaches Dubai and other UAE cities as sites of entangled uncertainties between humans and nonhumans, paying particular attention to informal stray cat care by immigrants and the place-making practices of cats themselves.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Panel: The Interconnectivity of Life: Opening the Museum to Multi-species Perspectives

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

ICLEI, Sweden

Nupur Prothi trained as a landscape architect and physical planner and has delivered award-winning social and physical infrastructure projects with a focus on Climate-neutral cities. She has over two decades of experience addressing environmental sustainability in the co-creation of public spaces with local communities.

She is a Member of the Board of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), where she focuses on the intersection of nature, culture, and community-led climate action. She is especially inspired by youth-led efforts.

A Senior Climate Expert with Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI Europe), Nupur Prothi, who is of Indian origin, currently works out of the ICLEI’s Brussels office and lives in Stockholm.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Forum: Nature as Collaborator: The Power of Restoration

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Agadir Museum of Reconstruction and Agadir Art Museum, Morocco

Dr. Omar Idtnaine is a museum curator and heritage specialist, currently Director at Agadir Museum of Reconstruction and Conservator at Agadir Art Museum. He was previously at Marrakech’s Museum of Confluences and the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets.

He focuses on colonial collections, Amazigh heritage, preventive conservation, and digital mediation in museums, and his publications explore Gnaoua representation, photographic archives, multilingual inclusion, and sustainable exhibitions.

An Arab Council grantee on colonial museum formations, he engages in restitution research via Open Restitution Africa. He teaches heritage at Ibn Zohr University, and professional practice in the arts, culture, and creative industries at the National Institute of Fine Arts.

Dr. Idtnaine is a board member of ICOM Morocco.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Science and Technology Museum, University of Patras, Greece

Trained as an architect and ethnologist, Penelope Theologi-Gouti is Head Curator at the Science and Technology Museum at the University of Patras where she is responsible for exhibitions, operations, education and other programmes. The Museum operates on the university campus as a Laboratory of the School of Natural Sciences and was founded with the intent of connecting the university with the broader community.

Her research and publications focus on museum documentation, museum organisation, sustainable development and the Science and Technology Museum.

Penelope is currently Chair of the ICOM Resolutions Committee and of ICOM Greece. She is a founding member of ICOM UMAC- the International Committee for University Museums and Collections to which she has served as Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice-Chair.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Moderator

Zayed National Museum, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Peter Magee spent more than 30 years directing heritage research in the UAE and across the Middle East prior to becoming Director of Zayed National Museum. This appointment followed 20 years serving as Professor, then Chair, of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia, as well as academic positions in Belgium and Australia.

He has published more than 70 scientific papers and books on the history and archaeology of the Arabian Gulf and is a Fellow of The Society of Antiquaries in the United Kingdom. He also serves as the current Chair of the International Association for the Study of Arabia.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Panel: Defying Convention: Developing Museums Anew

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Heritage Board, Singapore

Rais Raiyan is a technology sector specialist, who uses immersive technologies and game engines to translate concepts and ideas into engaging, interpretive tools for public audiences.

As a National Heritage Board of Singapore’s Youth Panel member, he leads a project team that designs interactive heritage experiences inspired by popular culture to engage new audiences. Their upcoming choose-your-own-adventure tour through Singapore’s heartlands will offer personalised, self-directed journeys into local heritage.

He contributed to organising the first edition of the National Youth Council of Singapore’s Youth Action Challenge, which empowers young people to champion new initiatives in partnership with government, the commercial sector, and community organisations.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Masterclass: Reverse Mentoring: Empowering Youth for Museums & Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Keynote

Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia

Rakan Altouq is the Assistant Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also serves as Vice Chairman of Diriyah Biennale Foundation.

One of the founding team members of the newly created Ministry, he has supported His Highness Prince Bader Al Saud, the Minister of Culture, to deliver the Kingdom’s cultural growth and transformation under Vision 2030. Importantly, he led the development of Saudi Arabia’s national cultural strategy, ensuring it aligns with the broader objectives of Vision 2030.

Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Rakan holds a BA from Columbia University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Before his current role, he held several key leadership positions within the Ministry of Culture, with previous roles in the financial and management consulting sectors. His experience includes cultural policymaking, international cultural diplomacy, and cultural infrastructure development.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Keynote

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Networking

Galerie Bernau, Germany

Rebecca Stoll is familiar to many museum professionals in the UAE through her work with the SAWA Museum Studies Programme, an educational initiative for young museum professionals from the UAE, MENA region, and Germany.

Since 2024, Rebecca manages Galerie Bernau, a municipal public gallery for contemporary art. She is an active member of the ICOM Germany Young Professionals Netzwerk, and her professional interests are community museums and international museology.

Rebecca holds a Master in Museum Management and Communication from the University of Applied Sciences Berlin. Prior to this she undertook Cultural Studies and French in Potsdam and Murcia, Spain.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Curated Networking: Global Museum Futures: Young Professionals Unite

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

National Heritage Board, Singapore

Rozanne Low is a founding member of the National Heritage Board of Singapore’s Youth Panel. A history graduate who was drawn to it through her heritage-related work during her university days, where she was involved in managing heritage trails, and contributed to the Board’s online magazine. She currently develops land policies at the Ministry of Law.

The Youth Panel provides a platform for youth engagement and action in Singapore’s heritage and museum landscape. Rozanne contributed to Singapore’s first Youth Heritage Blueprint, and she currently leads a team on the Panel designing inter-generational programmes, to connect young people and seniors through shared heritage experiences in museum spaces.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Catalyse’

Masterclass: Reverse Mentoring: Empowering Youth for Museums & Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Moderator

Independent, United Arab Emirates

Independent writer and researcher, Saira Ansari, uses creative nonfiction and publishing to explore art practice and alternative histories across South Asia and the Arabian Gulf. She collaborates with institutions, artists, and writers from the Middle East, Iran, South Asia, and Brazil, and continues to consult on publishing projects for artist-led initiatives.

Previously, Saira worked at the Sharjah Art Foundation and most recently served as Director of Research and Publications at Misk Art Institute in Riyadh. In both roles, she managed research-led publications and the development of regional art book fairs focused on independent publishing.

Her independent projects include ongoing research on Pakistani modernist artist Zubeida Agha, and co-editing the exhibition project, The importance of staying quiet.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Panel: The Interconnectivity of Life: Opening the Museum to Multi-species Perspectives

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Ministry of Culture, United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi is the Minister of Culture, where he is responsible for the strategic and policy direction of the UAE’s culture sector. He leads initiatives that enable a robust cultural and creative ecosystem in the country and ensure its sustainability and active contribution to the local economy. Helming multilateral engagements with the UAE’s global and regional partners on international platforms, he represents the country in high-level global fora related to culture, creativity, and heritage preservation.

He was formerly the Permanent Delegate of the UAE to UNESCO, highlighting the country’s efforts and successes, overseeing the implementation of many joint projects that aim to enhance human and cultural cooperation.

Other responsibilities at the Ministry of Culture have included leading the implementation of high-level projects on national identity, Arabic language, Islamic arts, theatre, literature, archaeology, film, and architecture.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Honorary Address

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Columbia University, United States of America

Dr. Sally Yerkovich is Head of the Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums and was previously Chair of the ICOM Standing Committee on Ethics.

She is Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University, where she teaches a course on ethical issues in museums. As a cultural anthropologist, she has extensive leadership experience in museums and cultural institutions in New York and Washington, D.C., including The New Jersey Historical Society and the Museum for African Art.

She is currently Director of Educational Exchange & Special Projects at The American-Scandinavian Foundation in New York City, and author of A Practical Guide to Museum Ethics.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Roundtable: The Revision of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Stephanie de Roemer’s professional focus is on conservation as a shared, communal practice, with the goal of inspiring social and environmentally sustainable development within museums.

Her qualifications include a BSc in Conservation and Restoration of Surface Decorations and an MA in Conservation of Historic Objects, and she is trained in art history, classical archaeology, and the conservation of surface decorations, archaeological artefacts, and sites. Stephanie has previously worked as a conservator for sculpture and installation art at Glasgow Museums.

Stephanie is a jury member for the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums 2025, and is the current vice chair of the ICOM International Committee for Conservation.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

ICOM Award Session

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Barjeel Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates

Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi is an Emirati columnist and researcher on social, political, and cultural affairs in the Arab Gulf States. He is the founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation, an independent initiative established in 2010 to contribute to the intellectual development of the art scene in the Arab region.

He has taught ‘Politics of Modern Middle Eastern Art’ at New York University, Yale University, Georgetown University, Boston College, The American University of Paris, Brandeis University, Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University, and Bard College Berlin.

Sultan recently completed a Fellowship at Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and in 2024, was a Research Associate at SOAS Middle East Institute, London. Sultan is currently an Instructor at the American University of Sharjah.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Panel: Reframing Power: Whose Stories Do Museums Tell?

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Keynote

Counterspace, South Africa

Sumayya Vally is the principal of architecture and research studio, Counterspace. Her practice is dedicated to articulating expressions of hybrid identities and spaces, with a particular interest in the complex relationships between territories and places.

She is the youngest architect commissioned to design London’s Serpentine Pavilion, which explored themes of identity, community, belonging, and gathering. She was also invited to be the Artistic Director of the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, which marked a pivotal moment in reimagining the definition of Islamic art.

Vally’s practice is in constant conversation with her research and teaching at leading architecture schools, including Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), and UCL’s The Bartlett School of Architecture.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Keynote: Groundworks: Toward a Shared Language of Place, Practice, and Possibility

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

PRESENT, USA

Sundar Raman is a Creative Engineer. He is co-founder and CTO of experience design firm PRESENT, and prior to this was the Director of Technology at Dubai’s Museum of the Future.

Sundar’s background spans telecommunications, alternative energy systems, community media, social gaming, and interactive experience design. He strives to leverage this to bring conceptual visions to life using a variety of cultural, technological, and engineering approaches.

He believes that technology is a facilitator for art and user experience, and that it should be easy and fun for everyone. “Bi-directional interactive environments” that allow visitors to engage in active dialogue with immersive spaces are a current focus of his work.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Masterclass: Navigating Lifecycles: Technological Obsolescence

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

City Museum Berlin, Germany

Suy Lan Hopmann is a Curator at the City Museum Berlin. Her work focuses on colonialism and coloniality, racism and migration, as well as cultures and politics of remembrance.

Previously, she was responsible for Hamburg’s decolonisation strategies at the city’s Department of Media and Culture, and curator for special projects and diversity at the Museum am Rothenbaum – Kulturen und Künste der Welt (MARKK). She worked as a research associate at the Chair of Politics and Economics of China at Freie Universität Berlin.

Suy Lan serves as a member of ICOM’s Working Group on Decolonisation and is a Board Member of ICOM Germany.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Adapt’

Mentoring: Collections, Conservation & Cultural Heritage

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Networking

ICOM Germany Young Professionals Network, Germany

Svenja Gründler began her museum career in digital collection management at the Humboldt Forum Foundation at the Berliner Schloss, where she was project coordinator for the multilingual Media Guide and Humboldt Forum App shortly before the institution’s opening.

Most recently she was Project Coordinator for the JMB App at the Jewish Museum Berlin developing tours for diverse audiences, with a special focus on content for youth. The JMB app uses audios, videos, images, texts, and games to convey the museum content with a focus on accessibility.

Svenja studied Art History at the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Copenhagen, and Museum Studies at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Curated Networking: Global Museum Futures: Young Professionals Unite

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

teamLab, Japan

Takashi Kudo was born in Tokyo, spent his childhood in Abu Dhabi, and later studied literature and philosophy at Waseda University. After working as Editor-in-Chief for a video game magazine in Stockholm, he returned to Japan to join teamLab.

teamLab (f. 2001) is an international art collective based in Tokyo. Their collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, and the natural world. Through art, the interdisciplinary group of specialists, including artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians, and architects, aims to explore the relationship between the self and the world, and new forms of perception.

teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi opened in 2025.

Session(s)

13 November 2025 – Day 2 ‘Catalyse’

Panel: The Interconnectivity of Life: Opening the Museum to Multi-species Perspectives

Takashi Kudo, Communication Director, teamLab, Japan

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Pratt Institute, USA

Dr. Uzma Z. Rizvi is a Professor at the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York. She specialises in the archaeology of the first cities, teaching anthropology, ancient urbanism, new materialisms, critical heritage studies, decolonization / the postcolonial critique, and social practice. Her work intentionally pushes disciplinary limits, and demands ethical decolonial applications at all levels of engagement, from interpretation to research.

Dr. Rizvi is the Principal Investigator at the Laboratory for Integrated Archaeological Visualization and Heritage at the Pratt Institute. Her current research focuses on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Lightning Talks: The Digital Future

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

LinkedIn MENA, United Arab Emirates

Wael Kamal has been at LinkedIn Middle East and North Africa since 2014, serving as Senior Director Key Accounts based in Dubai. He leads LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions portfolio for UAE government and public sector entities.

With experience in enterprise sales and strategic leadership, Wael brings a wealth of expertise from his tenure at Cisco, where he held senior regional roles and most recently served as Collaboration Lead. His career is marked by a strong track record in building relationships, identifying high-impact business opportunities, and advancing talent acquisition and development strategies.

Wael’s deep understanding of regional dynamics and commitment to innovation have made him a trusted advisor to public sector leaders.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Mentoring: Professional Development for Museum Workers (For Grantees)

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Mentor

Art Jameel, Saudi Arabia

Yazid Anani is Senior Curator at Hayy Jameel, Jeddah’s premier arts complex and creative hub. Previously he served as Head Curator and Director of the Public Programme at the A.M. Qattan Foundation in Ramallah, was Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning at Birzeit University, and taught at the International Art Academy Palestine

Anani has curated and co-curated numerous exhibitions, and has lectured and published on issues of architecture and urban transformations, colonial spaces and power relations, public art and public spaces, and art education.

Hayy Jameel works to develop and support original and thought-provoking programming that speaks to its core audiences and embraces the cross-pollination of ideas, encouraging entrepreneurship, and the development of creative infrastructures.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

Mentoring: Professional Development for Museum Workers (For Grantees)

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Speaker

Culture Tourism Antiquities and Archives Department - Government of Sindh , Pakistan

Zahida Quadri is active in the domain of cultural heritage preservation, advocating for the integration of various disciplines with museums and heritage, and for the capacity of culture to tackle intricate and delicate matters of crisis and conflict resolution within local communities.

She has a strong interest in issues related to migration, particularly the gradual erosion of indigenous traditions following resettlement in new regions, and examines folklore and traditional narratives associated with a site to understand public perceptions of cultural property.

Zahida Quadri is currently Chair of the ICOM International Committee for Regional Museums, Vice President of ICOMOS Pakistan, a Member of the ICOM Resolution Committee, and a Board Member of ICOM Pakistan.

Session(s)

12 November 2025 – Day 1 ‘Preserve’

ICOM Resolutions: Legacy and Implementation

11^th to 17^th November 2025

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Keynote

United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates

Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh is the Cultural Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

His continuous government service dates back prior to the foundation of the UAE. He served as the personal interpreter and adviser to the founder and first President of the UAE, His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, from the late sixties until 2004.

Previously, as Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, he helped develop strategies that promulgate understanding of UAE culture and values and advance international political, economic, and societal cooperation.

Among his numerous associations with cultural bodies, he has held Board roles for the Institut du Monde Arabe and the Aga Khan Museum and has received many honours for his services to cultural diplomacy both nationally and from foreign governments and international institutes.

Session(s)

14 November 2025 – Day 3 ‘Catalyse’

Keynote

11^th to 17^th November 2025

Meet Our Speakers

Speakers from across the globe are coming to ICOM Dubai 2025 to discuss new initiatives, share their experiences, and explore key trends and challenges with you. Meet our speakers, presenters and panellists below, but remember to return frequently to this page since more speakers will be announced.

27th ICOM GENERAL CONFERENCE

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27th ICOM GENERAL CONFERENCE

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27th ICOM GENERAL CONFERENCE

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Speakers

11th to 17th November 2025

Meet Our Speakers

Speakers from across the globe are coming to ICOM Dubai 2025 to discuss new initiatives, share their experiences, and explore key trends and challenges with you. Meet our speakers, presenters and panellists below, but remember to return frequently to this page since more speakers will be announced.

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11^th to 17^th November 2025