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On the evening of 16 December in Brussels, ELENA BORIN, from Italy, was announced as the winner of the 3rd ENCATC Research Award on Cultural Policy and Cultural Management.

 Elena Borin, from Burgundy School of Business in France, has won the 3rd ENCATC Research Award for her PhD thesis, “Public-Private Partnership in the Cultural Sector: A comparative analysis of European Models” defended at the University of Ferrara in Italy.

 The Award winner was revealed at the ENCATC Research Award Ceremony organised at the Balassi Institute Brussels to an international audience of leading academics and renowned researchers, representatives from the European Commission, policy makers, cultural practitioners, and artists.
 
Speaking on behalf of the Award’s international jury, Annick Schramme, President of ENCATC said: “The work of Elena Borin  is based on impressive empirical research, with 8 case-studies from four different European countries; It has significant policy relevance, by providing a more nuanced understanding of public-private and multi-stakeholder cultural partnerships - such partnerships are increasingly important, in the context of declining State support for the arts in Europe. In addition the focus of the research on Public-Private Partnership in the cultural sector is a central subject of first importance at the extent that the model of state support is declining and the entrepreneurial model becomes more and more important.”
 
ENCATC was honoured to have Catherine Magnant, Deputy Head of Unit Cultural Diversity and Innovation at the European Commission deliver the highly-anticipated Award announcement. Speaking of the Commission’s dedication to supporting excellence in cultural policy and cultural management research, Ms. Magnant said: “ENCATC’s Research Award is a great recognition for young researchers in the field of culture. I am delighted to be part of this years' Award ceremony, as better regulation remains a cornerstone of our approach to policy making. Better regulation needs evidence, solid research and independent thinking and ENCATC 's Award is promoting exactly that.”
 
The winner, Elena Borin expressed her esteemed gratitude for this international recognition from the Award jury and ENCATC: “This research was made possible thanks to the ENCATC network through which I was able to establish connections to carry out my comparative research in four European countries. I am looking forward to continuing my research career, relationship with ENCATC, and the exciting new opportunities that lie ahead,” said Elena Borin. The winner will have her PhD thesis published in the ENCATC Book Series on Cultural Management and Cultural Policy Education by the international publishing house, PIE Peter Lang.
 
Launched in 2014, the ENCATC Award exists to stimulate academic research in the field of cultural policy and management to explore, through comparative and cross-cultural research, contemporary issues at stake and possibly anticipate new cultural policy orientations. Moreover, it contributes to the process of creating an infrastructure, a network of researchers who are competent in doing comparative research projects in cultural policy and management issues. “To contribute to the strength and sustainability of the cultural sector we need bridges that connect innovative and leading research being conducted in the field with education in cultural management and cultural policy. As the only network at the intersection of culture, education, research and training, ENCATC takes its responsibility seriously to recognize, promote, and share research that will serve academics updating their curricula and help in teaching today’s cultural managers and practitioners as well as future generations to come, The ENCATC Award and the Book Series project are valuable and concrete ways ENCATC actively strengthens the European cultural sector,” said ENCATC Secretary General, GiannaLia Cogliandro Beyens.
 
Alongside the 2016 winner, the second finalist, Jonathan Price from the Robert Gordon University (Aberdeen) in United Kingdom, received a special mention for his PhD thesis, “The Discourse of Cultural Leadership” from the Award's international jury for his relevant contribution to the field of cultural management and policy research.
 
On this occasion, Alessia Usai from the University of Cagliari in Italy, winner of the 2015 ENCATC Research Award, presented her new book “The Creative City. Cultural policies and urban regeneration between conservation and development”, the second volume of the ENCATC Book Series on Cultural Management and Cultural Policy Education. The second winner 2015, Annika Hampel  from the University of Hildesheim in Germany will publish her work in 2017.