Octavian Saiu

Professor Octavian Saiu is a scholar as well as a professional cultural and academic consultant. He is the President of the International Association of Theatre Leaders (IATL), the global alliance represented in more than seventy countries: https://theatreleaders.org He holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from NUTF in Romania and another PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Otago in New Zealand. His Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Modern Literature was funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand, and he was subsequently awarded his European Habilitation (Higher Doctorate) in Theatre and Performing He has been a Professor at universities in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Bucharest, Sibiu and Lisbon and twice a Visiting Fellow at the University of London (SOAS).

Prof. Saiu has been Conference Chair and Invited Speaker at major theatre and academic events such as the European Capitals of Culture Programme, The Theatre Olympics and Edinburgh International Festival. He has hosted dialogues and conferences with hundreds of renowned writers and artists, from Jon Fosse and Wole Soyinka to John Malkovich, Tim Robbins, Bill Murray, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Robert Wilson. He has authored fourteen books on theatre translated into different languages, he serves on the editorial boards of various journals and publishing houses, and coordinates the new Theatre Leaders Series of Anthem Press & CUP. He received the Critics’ Award in 2010 and the Award of the Union of Theatre Artists (UNITER) in 2013. In 2020, on the National Day of Culture, the President of Romania awarded him the Order of Cultural Merit. In 2024, the Romanian Ministry of Culture offered him its Honorary Award for his “extraordinary contribution to promoting the art of dialogue between artists, performing arts professionals and audiences alike”.