Svetlana Kopylova graduated
from Moscow State University, Geographical department, in 2002 with Masters
degree in Geography. She has a Masters of Arts in Sociology (French University
College, MSU & Sorbonna University). She is fluent in English and French.
Having changed several jobs (eco-tourism management, news-making, analytics
etc.), since 2004, Svetlana is working in Environmental Education Center “Zapovedniks”.
It’s Russian non-profit organization with a mission to build public awareness
and support to Russian Protected Areas (PA). For 3 years (2005-2008) she was
Project Manager for GEF/UNEP Medium-Sized Project “Strengthening the network of
Training Centres for Protected Area Managers of Northern Eurasia”, where 3 new
training centers for PA staff were created in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Now she’s the Head of PA Training Center and Deputy Director on Strategic
Development. Responsible for strategic development, fundraising, launch and
promotion of new services, project management, financial management, consulting
services to protected areas etc.
Svetlana is a member of World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of IUCN since
2005 and member of European Training Task Force of WCPA since 2007. In 2009 she
was selected to become Vice-Chair of WCPA/IUCN on Youth and Intergenerational
Partnerships.
Svetlana has several publications in PA management field; she’s also translated
a number of international best practice books, consecrated to protected areas.
She’s now working on her thesis on “Integration of European ecological networks
into regional socio-economic development”.