Cristina Amescua Chávez

Dr. Cristina Amescua Chávez is a distinguished anthropologist and researcher at the Regional Center for Multidisciplinary Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where she holds the prestigious UNESCO Chair on Research on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity. Her academic excellence is evidenced by her award-winning PhD dissertations in anthropology from UNAM and her receipt of the National University Distinguished Recognition for Young Academics in social sciences research in 2014. Throughout her career since 2001, she has been instrumental in establishing and advancing the field of intangible cultural heritage studies at UNAM. Her scholarly contributions include seven books as editor or co-editor, 27 book chapters, and multiple journal articles, demonstrating her significant impact on the field. As a UNESCO collaborator since 2007, she has led various initiatives in intangible cultural heritage preservation and recently coordinated research for UNESCO's publication "Celebrating the Living Heritage of Indigenous Peoples," where she emphasized the importance of recognizing indigenous cultural strength and sustainable futures. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications in cultural heritage preservation, making her a leading voice in both national and international contexts.