Dr Selma Harrington MRIAI HonAIA is a PhD Architect (University of Strathclyde), with an MPhil in European Studies (Trinity College Dublin) and MSc in Architecture (University of Sarajevo). Based in Ireland, she combines her practical experience as a Team leader and Project Architect, with academic leadership and research in architectural and design disciplines. As Programme Director at post-graduate level, centred on design studio, she was instrumental for the curricula development and constructive alignment of conservation, sustainability, design theory, research and thesis development modules and supervision. Selma’s academic interests include sustainable development goals and built heritage, 20th century modernist architecture and politics of heritage preservation.

Her expertise is rooted in working with multicultural teams and environments in the EU (Ireland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Finland), in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Southern-African region (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa) and Malaysia, and demonstrated in the portfolio of projects in architectural and interior design, conservation and sustainable renovations. She is experienced as member and chair of architectural competition juries (in Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, Romania, Ireland) and as an Advisory Board member to the EU-funded projects (ARCH4CHANGE, EFESSUS). Selma devotes a considerable energy to advocacy of architectural role in society, environment and economy, through the leading roles held in pan-European and national professional organizations (ACE, ECIA, RIAI, IDI), thus contributing to an institutional and capacity building in non-for-profit sector. She is a Founding member of the New European Bauhaus Forum Bosnia and Herzegovina (NEB Forum BiH) and a Member of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Science (BHAAAS). As member of the Executive Board (2022-23) of the Architects Council of Europe, Selma currently coordinates the Research & Development area of work in the ACE.