Born in the Congo, Dr. Luxen has been a leader in the international preservation field for nearly 20 years. He served as President of the Cultural Heritage Committee of the Council of Europe from 1989 to 1993 and as Secretary General of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) from 1993 to 2002. He most recently served as President of CHEDI (Culture, Heritage, and Development International) and as the Administrateur Général of the Department of Cultural Affairs of Belgium.
Dr. Luxen has written extensively on the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage and between preservation and economic development. He has published analyses of the role and effectiveness of international and national preservation charters, including their effect on lieux de mémoire of social and political significance.
With a Masters in Economics and a PhD in Law, Luxen brings critical organizational experience to his cultural work. He currently serves as Professor Emeritas at the Catholic University of Louvain.
