ECCD
Governance is based on a clear separation of roles between the founders,
the strategic governing bodies, and the operational team,
ensuring institutional sustainability and the protection of the Council’s mission
- Aziz MurtazaevUzbekistanWas born in 1981 in Margilan city, Uzbekistan the most famous place for silk and ikat production in Central Asia.In 2002 he graduated from Fergana State University, Uzbekistan and in 2004 from Kyrgyz-Uzbek University, Kyrgyzstan on finance and economics.He studied business management in Bournemouth and London, UK from 2006 to 2009.Since 2009 he was promoting craft products to the US, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, and India. Collaboration with interior and fashion designers to make custom designs and wholesales was set through online sales.In 2011-2013 he did a research in Uzbekistan and Russian museum collections, documented the textiles presented to Russian czars by Central Asian Khans, researched natural dyes and dyeing methods from old books.In 2014 he published books on Natural Dyeing Technologies and History of craftsmanship in Fergana valley.In 2016, he established Crafts Studio IkatUz, a cooperative of independent artists in the fields of ikat weaving, natural dyeing, block printing and introducing a variety of high-level products.In 2019-2023 he was a Deputy Chairman of Hunarmand Association of Uzbekistan on international cooperation and craft development. The Association unites over 27 000 artisans and 87 000 apprentices of Uzbekistan.He received numerous UNESCO and International Craft Awards.He was in charge of international craft events such as the International Festival of Handicrafts in Kokand in September 2019 and 2023, the International Gold Embroidery and Jewelry Festival in Bukhara in May 2022 and 2024, and the Craft Fair Uzbekistan in Tashkent in December 2022 and 2023. He curated festivals in the Margilan International Textile Festival in September 2022 and 2024, the "Taraz - City of Artisans" International Crafts Festival in September 2022 and 2024, and the Istaravshan Festival of Handicrafts in October 2024.
- Asli SariNetherlandAsli Sari is a legal professional and business developer with a focus on company, startup, and investment law. Provides legal structure and strategic support to help ventures grow and become investment-ready, combining expertise in commercial structuring, management, networking, and business matching. She advises international ventures from formation to expansion, with experience across corporate law, governance, data protection, employment, and intellectual property.
- Eldar AttakurovKyrgyzstanPublic figure, member of the National Union of Writers, and laureate of the Chingiz Aitmatov State Youth Prize. Mr. Attokurov’s professional career is closely connected with educational sector. For many years, he worked at the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. He also taught at the Bishkek Humanities University. He gained extensive managerial experience while holding senior positions within the Office of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic. Since 2020 Mr. Attokurov served as Director of the state enterprise National Association of Folk Arts and Crafts “Kyyal”.
- Dilek Taşdemir-KalkanTurkeyDilek Taşdemir-Kalkan is a cultural advisor and community organizer based in Amsterdam, whose work focuses on building sustainable cultural connections across Europe and Asia.Born in Istanbul and raised in the Netherlands, she represents a multicultural background shaped by Turkish, Kazakh, and Dutch heritage. As a descendant of Kazakh migrants who relocated to Turkey in 1952, her personal history informs her long-term commitment to cultural preservation, intercultural dialogue, and community development.Dilek has extensive experience in grassroots cultural initiatives and community-based platforms. For more than a decade, she has been actively involved as an administrator of “Amsterdam Anneleri” (Mothers of Amsterdam), supporting women through community building, information exchange, and social engagement.She collaborates with the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Netherlands and works with diplomatic, cultural, and civil society institutions on the organization of cultural and commemorative events, including Nowruz celebrations, national remembrance initiatives, and cultural screenings. Her work contributes to strengthening cultural visibility, representation, and mutual understanding within multicultural societies.Dilek also serves as a volunteer with the Dutch National 4 & 5 May Committee (4&5 mei comité), supporting national remembrance and Liberation Day activities in the Netherlands, and acts as a Turkic World Advisor at Yunus Emre Institute Amsterdam, promoting Turkic cultural heritage and cross-cultural cooperation.Within the framework of the Council, Dilek Taşdemir-Kalkan focuses on fostering intercultural networks, supporting cultural diplomacy initiatives, and promoting traditional crafts and cultural design as contemporary, living practices connecting regions and communities across Eurasia.
- Dameli ZhanashevaKazakhstanDameli Serikovna Zhanasheva is the Vice President of the Almaty Chamber of Crafts, a lawyer, an expert of the Public Council of the City of Almaty, and a member of the Working Group on the Tax Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken.”She has been professionally engaged in the crafts sector since 1993. Since the establishment of the Almaty Chamber of Crafts in 2003, she has organized and delivered more than 420 craft fairs, as well as major cultural events including the Celebration of Traditional Kazakh National Dress, the Yurt Festival, and numerous seasonal and thematic festivals aimed at promoting traditional crafts and cultural heritage.She plays an active role in advancing inclusive development in the crafts sector. In cooperation with the Department of Internal Policy of the City of Almaty, she implements educational training programs that enable people with disabilities to acquire craft skills and participate in creative economic activities.She is actively involved in advocacy for artisans, organizing, with the support of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” of Almaty, round tables on taxation and regulatory issues affecting entrepreneurs working in the crafts sector.She has also participated in the International Scientific Conference “History, Theory and Concepts of Creative Space in Decorative and Applied Arts and Contemporary Artistic Practices,” jointly organized by the T. K. Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts (Almaty) and the A. L. Stieglitz Saint Petersburg State Academy of Art and Design, with a subsequent academic publication released in 2022.
- Aidarkhan KaliyevKazakhstanAidarkhan Kaliyev is a Kazakh designer, cultural leader, and founder of ASPARA and ASPARA Fashion Week. For over three decades, he has contributed to the development of contemporary fashion and craft-based design, integrating traditional artisanal knowledge with modern creative practices and the creative economy.As the author of more than 80 fashion collections, presented within official programmes of international fashion weeks and cultural platforms in Paris, Milan, Berlin, Stockholm, Singapore, Istanbul, China and Central Asia. Aidarkhan Kaliyev is recognised for building sustainable cultural connections between East and West.Holding a PhD in Technical Sciences and the academic title of Associate Professor in Art Studies, he is also the founder of the ASPARA College of Fashion and Business, where he actively supports education, mentorship, and the professional development of young designers.He is the initiator of the inclusion of Taraz in the World Craft Cities programme and the organiser of international craft exhibitions and interdisciplinary cultural initiatives.Aidarkhan Kaliyev’s work is guided by a long-term commitment to cultural sustainability, international cooperation, and the promotion of Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage within global creative networks.
- General ConferenceThe highest collegial body of ECCD, responsible for defining the overall strategic framework and the long-term directions of the Council’s activities.
- GoverningStrategic and supervisory body responsible for governance, oversight, and the institutional sustainability of ECCD between General Conferences.
- Governance and TransparencyECCD’s activities are carried out in accordance with its Statutes, Founding Agreement, and internal regulations, which ensure transparency in governance processes, accountability of the Council’s bodies, and the prevention of conflicts of interest.
- PresidentThe highest executive officer representing ECCD and responsible for the implementation of the strategy and the decisions of the Council’s governing bodies.
- SecretariatThe operational body responsible for the day-to-day administrative activities, programme coordination, and organisational functions of ECCD.
- CommitteesPermanent expert bodies established to develop and implement thematic and programme-based areas of ECCD’s activities.
- Working GroupsTemporary expert groups formed to address specific tasks, projects, or initiatives within the scope of ECCD’s activities.
