Programme

Born January 23, 1950, in Baku (Azerbaijan). Graduated from the Azerbaijani University of Foreign Languages and the Department of journalism at the Baku Higher School of Political Sciences. 1973 to 1986: Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Youth Organization of the Azerbaijani. 1986 to 1991: Information Department Chief and Director of the Press center at the Committee of Youth Organization of the USSR. 1991 to 1995: General Director of the «Infomol» Association for Cooperation in Information. 1995 to 1998: Vice-President of the «ANKOM-TASS» International Analytic Agency. 1998 to 1999: Chief of the ITAR-TASS Department for International Cooperation. January 1999 to October 2000: Deputy Director-General of ITAR-TASS. October 2000: Appointed First Deputy Director-General of ITAR-TASS by Russian President Vladimir V.Putin. Since 1999: Executive Secretary of the World Association of the Russian Press (WARP). Since May 2000: Secretary-General of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA). Since September 2002: Vice-President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). Member of the Board of the «Mediasoyuz» - Russian Media Organization; Member of the Board of the Moscow Union of journalists; Member of the International Academy of Information; Professor, Doctor of Political Science; Merited Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Clive Marshall is Chief Executive of PA Group, the parent company of the Press Association, UK’s leading multimedia news agency and digital content & service provider. Since taking up the role in February 2010, Clive has led the successful transformation of the business, implementing a strategy to reduce the Group’s reliance on the traditional media sector, and consolidate its position as the preeminent supplier of multimedia content and services to customers in the UK and overseas, across media, business and government. Clive was previously Chief Executive of the Australian Associated Press (AAP). With over 30 years of experience in the international media industry, he has held senior positions at a number of news organisations, including Canada’s CNW Group, Reed Elsevier Plc and Trinity Newspapers Limited. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he is Chairman of the motoring business, Baize Group, and the current President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA).

Date and Place of Birth: September 2, 1980, Yerevan. Education: 1996-2000, Yerevan State University, Foreign Relations Department, Bachelor’s Degree. 2000-2002, Yerevan State University, Foreign Relations Department, Master’s Degree. 2002-2005, Post-graduate study at RA NAS Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, defended a thesis entitled “The Armenian genocide factor in Armenian-Turkish relations in 1991-2005”. Career Experience: 2001, RA Ministry of Urban Development, First Degree Specialist. 2001-2003, RA National Statistics Service, Head of Unit, Chief Specialist. 2003-2005, RA NAS Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, junior research worker, senior research worker. 2005, RA Ministry for Foreign Relations, Aide. 2005-2006, RA NAS Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs. 2006-2009, RA History Institute, senior research worker. 2007-2008, “Forum” monthly, editor-in-chief. 2008-2009, Aide to the President of Armenia. 2009-2011 Assistant to RA Prime Minister. 2011-2012 - Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of Armenia. As of October 2011 – Director General of «ARMENPRESS». As of May 25, 2012 - Adviser to RA Prime Minister. Other Details: Candidate of Historical Sciences. Fridjoff Nansen Medal awarded in 2009. Author of 3 monographs, about 20 scientific papers and over 200 publications.

Ilgar Huseynov was born in 1962 in Baku. He graduated from the Economy Faculty of the Moscow Aviation Institute. Starting from 1986, Mr. Huseynov worked at various public and state structures of Azerbaijan. He has been heading the Trend International News Agency since 2004. In 2006, the news agency was named «The best media company» in Azerbaijan. Today, Trend is one of the most quoted agencies in the Caucasus region. The news agency is also one of the main sources of latest developments from the countries of the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea region and Central Asia. The authoritative Expert Council, created by Trend, has also contributed to strengthening of its role in the international information community. The council is composed of about 40 leading political analysts from the region’s countries and the Western states as well. In 2008, Trend was awarded the national prize «Brand Award Azerbaijan» in nomination for «Exclusive News Agency of the Year». The same year the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio named Trend «The most dynamically developing resource in Eurasia». In 2010, Trend was elected a member of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA).

Journalist with an extensive career in the International Department at the Spanish News Agency EFE, of which he was the Director from 2003 to 2005, a period during which he organised the EFE coverage of the main meetings and summits of the European Union. He has been Director of International Relations of EFE and Director of the Web Site of the Spanish Presidency of the EU during the first semester of 2010. Since September 2010 he works in the Commercial Department of EFE, as responsible of Tenders and Strategical Projects. Related Experience: 1981 - Started working in the Spanish News Agency EFE 1981-1982 - Correspondent in Equatorial Guinea (also covering other Gulf of Guinea countries, like Nigeria, Cameron and Gabon). 1982-1984 – Correspondent in Israel 1984-1986 – Correspondent in Bolivia 1986-1996 – Based in Madrid, especial envoy to cover European, African and Middle East affairs. Posted in Bagdad during the First Gulf War (1990-1991) 1996-2003 - Deputy Editor in Chief. International Department. 2003-2005 - Editor in Chief. International Department. 2005-2009 - International Relations Manager 2009-2010 – Director of the Official website of the Spanish EU Presidency 2010-2014 – Responsible of Strategical Projects and tenders. Sales Department. International Relations Manager

Thomas Kent is Deputy Managing Editor and Standards Editor of the AP, responsible for standards of fairness and accuracy across the organization. He is currently leading the "Create your own ethics code" projects for the Online News Association. Kent has served as International Editor of the AP; News Editor of AP’s World Services division; Bureau Chief in Moscow; Chief of AP operations in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; correspondent covering NATO and the European Union in Brussels; and reporter in Sydney, Australia and Hartford, Conn. He has served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes in international reporting, and is advising the Society of Professional Journalists in its ethics work. He was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, holds a degree in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University and speaks Russian, French and Spanish. He has taught and advised at Columbia University's School of Journalism since 1996, and since 2001 has taught at the Harriman Institute of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.

NATO Fellow, NATO HQ, Brussels. Military Academy “G. S. Rakovski”, Sofia, Bulgaria. Pedagogics Lvov University, Ukraine, Journalism. Work experience: 2003 Director General, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) – elected by the Parliament of Bulgaria (10.04.2003), reelected 11.12.2012. 1991-2003 Press Director, The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria. 1989-1998 Deputy Editor in Chief, Bulgarian National Radio. 1991-2000 Editor and Moderator, Free Europe Radio (RFE). 1986-1989 Editor, Narodna mladezh and Dialogue newspapers. 1980-1986 Editor, Bulgarian Soldier magazine. 1999-2001 President, Bulgarian National Broadcasting Association. Memberships: President of Council of National Electronic Media in Bulgaria. President of the Association of Bulgarian Media around the world. Secretary general of ABNA (Association of South Eastern Europe News Agencies). President of ABUJET and member of FIJET - the National and World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers. Member, Union of Bulgarian Journalists. Member, International Organization of Journalists. Member, Union of Bulgarian Writers. Director, International Press Center for the Visit of H.E. Pope Joan Pavel II in Bulgaria (2002). Press Director for the Visit of the American President Bill Clinton in Bulgaria (1999). Director, International Press Center, 38th Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) General Assembly (1997). President of Black Sea and Balkan Association of News Agencies.

Sergey Mikhailov has been Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Cherkizovo Group since 2006. Mr. Mikhailov led Cherkizovo Group during its successful IPO on the London Stock Exchange in 2006, making the Group the first Russian agricultural company listed on the LSE. Since 2006, Cherkizovo has been expanding rapidly and developing its business in Russia and it is now the country’s largest vertically integrated agricultural company and meat producer. In 2001, Mr. Mikhailov was Marketing Director of Cherkizovo Meat Processing Plant. He was promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the plant in 2002 and, a year later, he became its Chief Executive Officer.In 1998, he founded the telecommunications company, aTelo, Inc., in the United States and was its CEO until 2001. In 1998, he trained as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs before moving to Morgan Stanley in 1999. He graduated from Georgetown University (Washington DC) in 2000 with a degree in Finance and Economics.

Joined Kyodo News in 1980 after graduation from Hitotsubashi University with an International Law degree. Roving Correspondent in charge of Middle East and Russian Affairs 1990-91. Tehran Bureau Chief 1991-92. New York Correspondent 1993-96. Washington Correspondent 1997-2001. Washington Bureau Chief 2005-2009. Senior Feature Writer and Editorial Writer 2010-2013. Commentator, TBS News Bird, Tokyo Broadcasting Service. Planning Committee Member, Japan National Press Club. Special fellow at Waseda University Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. Visiting fellow at Chuou University Institute for policy and cultural studies. Fellow at Hosei University Okinawa Cultural Studies International Committee Member, National Press Club in Washington DC 2005-09. Book Publications: “Hikaku No Sentaku” (Shaping of Japan’s non-nuclear policy), Iwanami Syoten, Tokyo, 2005. “Samayoeru Nihon” (Drifting Japan), Seisansei Syuppan, Tokyo, 2008. “Amerika wa naze kawarerunoka” (Why US can change? - a book on 2008 US presidential election), Chikuma Shobou, Tokyo, 2009. "Sekaiga nihonno kotowo kangaeteiru" (The World is watching Japan - a book on interviews with world intellectuals on earthquake-tsunami-nuclear accidents on March 11), Taro Jirou sya, Tokyo 2012. "Shin Tairiku Shugi"(The New Continentalism), Ushio Syuppan, Tokyo 2013. Asia in Washington, Chuou Kouron Shinsha, Tokyo 2014 (translation).

Giuseppe Cerbone is Managing Director and General Manager of ANSA, Italy's leading News Agency and the fourth-largest in the world. After graduating in Computer Science in Italy he obtained a PhD in the same subject at Oregon State University in the United States where he subsequently taught for four years, specialising in artificial intelligence. He also worked with NASA research centers and NeXT Computer. After returning to Italy in 1992 he worked in multi-media for companies in the IRI-Stet Group before moving to the publishing sector where, among other posts, he was Managing Director and General Manager of the Il Sole 24 Ore Group. Throughout his career he has been committed to researching and spreading technological know-how linked to the knowledge economy. He has been Vice President of the Italian Institute of Technology and is at present Vice President of Punto IT.