Anita Vaivade is Associate Professor of Cultural Heritage Studies and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage Policy and Law at the Latvian Academy of Culture. She holds academic degrees in cultural sociology and law from universities in Latvia and France. She led Latvian delegation to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2013–2015) and has served as a trainer at UNESCO organized trainings, and as an individual consultant to Living Heritage Entity. She has co-led an international comparative study on intangible cultural heritage related national legislations in 26 countries (2014–2020).