Jelena Trkulja, Senior Advisor for Academic and Cultural Affairs at Qatar Museums and Editorial Director of QC Talks. Her work advances the role of art, design, architecture, and education in societal development, with a focus on how cultural institutions can foster collaboration across museums, universities, and schools through cultural diplomacy and strategic partnerships.

With a Ph.D. in art and archaeology from Princeton University, Trkulja brings a broad interdisciplinary perspective to her work. Her academic research spans Byzantine, Islamic, and Western Medieval art, as well as modern and contemporary architectural history and design theory. She has taught at universities in the USA  and Europe. Her career has also included work in museums, research institutes, and a consulting firm. In Doha, Trkulja has served as Director of Education at Qatar Museums and has collaborated with Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education to develop school art curricula and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create a cultural diplomacy training program for diplomats.