Vasif Eyvazzade

Founder and Board Chair CCEI | President of the UNESCO Culture Commission, 41st General Conference (2021)

Dear Colleagues, Partners, and Global Citizens,

It is both a profound honor and a global responsibility to address you as the Founder and Board Chair of the Chartered Culture and Education Institute (CCEI). In a time of transformative change, our commitment to reimagining culture, education, science, and urban life as pillars of sustainable development is more urgent and more meaningful than ever.

As the world faces converging crises—climate disruption, digital inequality, cultural erosion, educational gaps, and urban challenges—it becomes clear that we cannot build resilient societies with fragmented systems. Culture, education, and science must move from the margins of global policymaking to the center of how we lead, govern, and innovate.

In 2021, I had the privilege of presiding over the UNESCO Culture Commission during the 41st General Conference, where we reaffirmed that culture is not a luxury, but a necessity for peace, identity, and sustainability. At CCEI, we carry that spirit forward—not only through vision, but through structure and action.

For the first time ever, we have created professional standards and globally recognized certifications in cultural and educational management—specifically for the fields of culture, heritage, museums, and libraries. Much like SHRM in human resources, HRCI in leadership, and PMI in project management, CCEI now sets the benchmark for professional excellence in our domains. These standards provide not only knowledge, but legitimacy, structure, and pathways for career growth in fields too often overlooked by global certification frameworks.

Through our international certification programs, the upcoming Global Culture Index, and our ecosystem of learning, coaching, and cross-sectoral collaboration, we are advancing a new generation of leadership—one that bridges culture and science, heritage and technology, education and diplomacy, innovation and ethics.

We are also deeply invested in shaping the future of urban management and cultural governance, helping cities transform into inclusive, sustainable, and heritage-informed spaces. Our work empowers professionals across disciplines—whether in government, civil society, or education—to lead with purpose, policy, and people at the center.

At CCEI, we believe that education must be inclusive, science must be human-centered, and leadership must be ethical and globally minded. We are here to build systems where knowledge is not only certified, but empowered to make lasting change.

To our global community—thank you. Your ideas, trust, and shared commitment make this work possible. Together, we are creating more than an institution—we are building a movement.

Let us continue this journey—to measure what we value, elevate what we protect, and certify what we believe in.

With enduring respect and vision,