Irina Bokova served as Director General of UNESCO for two full terms, from 2009-17, and was the first woman to serve in this role. She has successfully advanced a strong United Nations agenda for the better preservation of humanity’s cultural heritage. In particular, she and UNESCO have been successful in criminalizing the illegal trade in cultural artifacts and in persecuting those who willfully destroy parts of cultural history.

HGOR Endowed Lecture, with support from the School of Public and International Affairs, the Willson Center for Humanities and Art, and the School of Law. Part of the College of Environment and Design 50^th anniversary celebration.