Lorenc Bejko, the newest member of UNESCO Venice Council

TIRANA, June 26 – Lorenc Bejko, a professor of archaeology and heritage management at the University of Tirana, is the newest member UNESCO Venice Office’s Scientific Council.
The nine individuals from various sub-disciplines in the fields of Science and Culture come from all around Europe and are nominated to serve a two-year term, renewable once.
When asked about his expectations for his first session as a member of the Scientific Council, Professor Bejko had this to share: “After the experience of working with the Regional Bureau in several projects in Albania, this will be a great opportunity to get involved in the discussions of the framework and philosophy of its action plans. I strongly believe that the Office can continue to have a profound impact on the heritage of regions such as the Balkans, where it has already built important bridges of regional cooperation and appreciation of common heritage.”
Lorenc Bejko, the newest member, joins the Scientific Council from Albania, where his research activities have not only contributed to furthering his fields of archaeology and cultural heritage management within his own country, but have served to enhance our understanding of history of the Balkan region as a whole. He is a professor of Archaeology and Heritage Management at the University of Tirana. He has an MA in Archaeology from the Boston University and a Ph.D. from the Academy of Sciences of Albania. He is specialized in prehistoric archaeology with a special interest in the Bronze and Iron Ages of Albania and the neighboring regions. His interests include methods and theory in archaeology, social and comparative studies in issues of early complex societies, archaeological conservation, heritage and contemporary society, landscape archaeology, archaeological education. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in many regions of Albania and directed/co-directed over 7 multi-disciplinary projects.
Professor Bejko has worked for the Institute of Archaeology of the Albanian Academy of Sciences and served as director of the Albanian Rescue Archaeology Unit, director of the Institute of Cultural Monuments of the Albanian Ministry of Culture. Since 2008, he teaches at the University of Tirana. He is member of many professional organizations among which the Archaeological Institute of America and the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management.