Richard A. Engelhardt was educated in anthropology, archaeology, and history at Yale and Harvard universities. Since the 1980s, he has spearheaded heritage conservation efforts throughout Asia, serving with UNESCO and other specialized agencies of the United Nations. In 1990, he established the first UNESCO Office in Cambodia and initiated the International Safeguarding Campaign for Angkor, in recognition of which King Norodom Sihanouk awarded him the title Commandeur de l’Ordre Royal du Cambodge. From 1994-2008, Engelhardt was UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific; from 2008-2010 he served as UNESCO Senior Advisor for Culture and World Heritage Mentor; in 2010 he was appointed UNESCO Chair Professor of the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Centers, as well as Executive Director of the UNESCO-ICCROM Asian Academy for Heritage Management. From 2010-2015, Engelhardt held the position of Distinguished Visiting Professor of Research in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. In 2011, he was named Guest Professor in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Southeast University, Nanjing. Engelhardt also holds posts as Honorary Professor in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, Shanghai, and Visiting Professor in the World Heritage International Research Center of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu. Author of numerous publications on cultural conservation policy and heritage management, Engelhardt has been honored by the Global Heritage Fund with a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as by the governments of Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Viet Nam for his contribution to safeguarding cultural heritage in Asia.