GiannaLia Cogliandro Beyens, has been since 2004 the Secretary General of ENCATC, the European network in the field of cultural management and policy. She is also the administrator of the Thomassen mobility programme and serves on several boards. With more than 20 years experience in international relations, GiannaLia is an expert in advocacy, cultural policy and strategic management, in particular in the context of international cultural organisations. Former Policy Officer of the Cultural Forum of EUROCITIES, the network of major European cities, she successfully designed and coordinated several transnational and cross-sectorial projects in the field of culture and education. GiannaLia was Secretary General of the Association of the European Cities of Culture of the year 2000 set up in 1996 by the European Commission. Journalist since 1993, she started her career as Press & PR Officer for the N.A.T.O organisation in Rome. For the European Commission she wrote 10 Reports on social European policy and a major study on the European Cities of Culture for the year 2000. Educated at the University “La Sapienza” in Rome, GiannaLia holds a Degree in Political Sciences – International Relations, a M.A. in European & International Career Studies and a M.A. in European Constitution. GiannaLia was trained for six months at the European Commission and at the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, ICE, in Brussels.