2020 IFLA Europe Elections – Secretary General 2020-2022
IFLA Europe Elections for the position of Secretary General for the period 2020-2022 will take place from 10 September to 10 October 2020 through Big Pulse online platform!
The candidate for the Secretary General is Diana CULESCU, President of the Romanian National Association AsoP. Diana is active in IFLA EUROPE issues since 2008 through Romanian Landscape Architects Association - AsoP. She is President of AsoP since 2016 and has been active in numerous activities: together with AsoP Delegate Ioana Tudora, she coordinated organisation of the 2017 IFLA Europe Conference & General Assembly in Bucharest; since 2018 she volunteered as Liaison Officer of IFLA Europe for the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) and European Green Cities initiative. Through this collaboration, she is currently acting on shaping the collaboration with several other European organisations (ENA - European Nursery Stock Association, Federation of European Green Roof Associations - EFB, WUP - World Urban Parks, EILO - European Interior Landscape Organisation, and VYL - The Finnish Association of Landscape Industries) under a future Green Sector organisation. She has been involved in IFLA Europe Working Group on Professional Recognition Assistance as well as EU Policies Working Group on European Green Deal.
Diana Culescu obtained her Bachelor Diploma in Landscape Architecture field from the Landscape Architecture Department of the Faculty of Horticulture from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest, with Master Diploma on Integrated Urban Development field (2008) from Academic School for Postgraduate Studies of the University of Architecture and Urbanism “Ion Mincu” Bucharest in collaboration with the Academy of Economic Studies, the Technical University of Construction Bucharest, the University of Bucharest and L’Institut de Sciences Appliquees (INSA) from Lyon - France. She obtained her PhD in Horticulture field (2015) from the Faculty of Horticulture from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest - Doctor in Horticulture title acquired based on the thesis “Development of a quality assessment method for urban green spaces”.
Her aim in this is to join efforts with other colleagues in making IFLA Europe more visible and present at the European Union’s table, underlining the important role of landscape architect in its policies as well as in addressing the climate challenges. The European Commission is developing the European Climate Pact and the first European Climate Law, making efforts to transform Europe into first carbon neutral continent by 2050 and considers that landscape architects should have important place in this endeavour.
She will also focus on strengthening IFLA Europe’s position by consolidating the relationship with the National Associations, reaching toward new countries to join the organisation, maintain a strong relationship with IFLA World and the other Regions, and building robust collaborations with strategic European and international partners. Diana
intends to contribute to the work aimed toward the automatic recognition of landscape architect profession. She will also assist the Vice President for Professional Practice in the efforts to reach out to potential new members of IFLA Europe and the Vice President for Education to establish strong relationships with recognised educational organisations and to promote the highest standards in the Landscape Architecture Schools across Europe.Likewise, in following the steps already made by our colleagues Diana will continue the work on making the necessary changes and adapting IFLA Europe Statutes to its Mission and Vision, in congruence with nowadays opportunities and constraints.
Last but not least, Diana would like to take this opportunity to bring more public awareness about the rich history and the evolution of the landscape architect profession across Europe, with the aim of generating a stronger sense of belonging for professionals and to outline powerful arguments for the recognition and the accreditation of our
profession at European level.
