Skip to content
Pernille ASKERUD

Past ACCFs

Pernille ASKERUD

UNESCO/UNDP Advisor on Cultural Industries, Geneva

Pernille Askerud is Danish and works as international freelance consultant. Since 1988 she has lived abroad first in Thailand and from 1999 with her husband in Geneva, Switzerland.

She graduated from University of Copenhagen majoring in 'Nordic Philology', 'Education' and 'Applied Linguistics'. After a brief career as teacher at high school and university she came to work as Publications Officer for UNESCO's Regional Office in Bangkok from 1988 to 1992.

Since then she has worked as freelance consultant to a number of international agencies, especially for UNESCO and the inter-agency Education for All Forum, and directly for Governments. She has specialized in development issues related to capacity building, conceptualization of policy, project design, and evaluation of projects in the areas of education and culture.

Working with a wide range of international agencies and NGOs, she has gained wide experience with different approaches to development. Working with all sectors of UNESCO, she has a comprehensive understanding of UNESCO's programme and aims.

She has in particular worked to improve systems of access to books and information in developing countries. Together with other specialists she has contributed substantially to the development of a more comprehensive methodology for sustainable textbook provision and the development of national publishing industries in developing countries.

She has extensive experience as researcher, editor and writer. She is the author of three handbooks which have been published by UNESCO: A Guide to Sustainable Book Provision, Framework for the development of National Policies for Provision of Instructional Materials to Schools and Non-formal education Programmes, and Preventing the Illicit Traffic in Cultural Property.

Over the last five years she has been lead consultant for the research and implementation of UNESCO Bangkok's activities in the area of cultural industries, including the preparations for the Jodhpur Symposium on cultural industries and its follow-up programme.