Polyphonic Perspectives: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural materials in Museums and University Collections and global issues of repatriation and restitution
The deadline of the call for proposals for the UMAC-Universeum 2021 online conference has been extended until 18 April 2021.
Submit your abstract here.
ICOM is revising the museum definition dating from 2007. UMAC invites the global community of university museums and collections to participate in the ICOM consultation.
In 2019, the ICOM Extraordinary General Assembly held in Kyoto approved to postpone the vote on a new museum definition, deciding to enter into a process of consultation and improved cooperation between committees. Since then, committees around the world have led activities of consultation with their members. In December 2019, the Executive Board decided to expand the MDPP to include over 20 members, incorporating figures who represent varying opinions on the matter. In February 2020, with the committee renamed MDPP2 to reflect the change, members entered into a phase of establishing a new methodology for proposing a museum definition for the 21st Century. This process has had to take into consideration the specificities of different regions and specializations represented by the many ICOM committees, regional alliances and affiliated organizations. Continue reading from the ICOM Advisory Council Report.
The new methodology was presented by ICOM Define at the webinar “Defining the museum in times of change: a way forward” (10 December 2020). If you missed it, click on the image below.
UMAC invites the global university museum community (members and non-members) to participate in the public consultation.
Please fill out the brief survey here BEFORE 14 March, 2021.
‘The future of tradition in museology’, ICOFOM Study Series, 48 (1), 2020
‘Defining the museum: Challenges and compromises in the 21st century’, ICOFOM Study Series, 48 (2), 2020
Marta C. Lourenço, UMAC Chair: Defining the UNIVERSITY MUSEUM today: Between ICOM and the ‘third mission’, Speech 8 May 2019.
The year 2020 has been like no other. The COVID-19 crisis has swept the whole world abruptly, affecting every aspect of our lives, from the interactions with our loved ones, to the way we perceive our homes and cities, to our work and its organisation. Some already pressing issues have been exacerbated, questioning the very structure of our societies: the call for equality is stronger than ever.
Continue reading in ICOM’s website.
Exactly 6 months after the terrible tragedy of the Beirut explosion, UMAC and Universeum want to evaluate the situation of university museums and collections, and museums and cultural heritage in general.
Where are we now? What was achieved and what remains to be done? What are the main problems and difficulties?
Invited speakers:
Suzy Hakimian, Chair of ICOM Lebanon, Director of the MIM – Museum of Mineralogy of the University of Saint-Joseph
Leyla Badre, ICOM-Lebanon
Elsa Urtizverea, Heritage Protection Coordination, ICOM
Nadine Panayot, Curator, Archaeological Museum Associate, Professor of practice, Department of History and Archaeology, American University of Beirut
Maya Haïdar-Boustani, Director, Museum of Lebanese Pre-History, University of Saint Joseph of Beirut
Joanne Farchakh, Board of Blue Shield-Lebanon, Chair of BILADI NGO
Gilbert Nicholas and David Chelala ,Architects specialized in museums, who mobilised and coordinated the specialized team of volunteers.
Moderation:
Marta Lourenço, UMAC President
Sébastien Soubiran, Universeum President
ICOM’s committee for Museums of Science and Technology — CIMUSET — has just released the proceedings of its Kyoto Annual Conference in 2019.
Download and explore the publication here.
Volume 12 of the University Museums and Collections Journal has just come out!
Two thick issues addressing the omnipresent themes of COVID-19 and its impact on university museums and collections — collections access, new ways of teaching, adaptability, uncertainty.
From the Editorial (UMACJ 12, 1):
“If the rapid and continuing development of new knowledge is driving higher education, then it is up to those who work with material collections within the academy to find new ways to transmit that knowledge and new ways to help underpin pedagogy with materiality. We see some great examples of this sort of creativity every year with the UMAC Awards. The development of these future-focused pedagogies will require increasing innovation and creativity from university museums and collections.” (Andrew Simpson, Marta Lourenço).
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UMACJ 12 No. 1
Editor: Andrew Simpson
Six papers, 1.1 M
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UMACJ 12 No. 2
Editor: Andrew Simpson
Eight papers, 1.2 M
Explore more issues of UMACJ.
Continue reading here.
As a result of the research project ‘Cultural Heritage of Science and Technology and University Museums: research, analysis and characterization of strategic relationships’, coordinated by former UMAC Secretary Marcus Granato, from the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences in Rio de Janeiro, 444 university museums were identified in Brazil, including 21 virtual museums.
These museums are part of a universe of 201 Brazilian universities registered in the official accreditation platform for higher education institutions (e-MEC). It should be noted that a university museum is understood as any museum inserted in the administration of a university.
Search here the distribution of these museums by geographic region and by state (in Portuguese). When these exist, the museum websites are also provided.
Explore and enjoy!
For about a year now, humanity has been facing a major global threat: the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, usually referred to as covid-19. Governments across the planet have made all sorts of attempts to deal with this threat. However, the task is highly complex and demanding. Confusion and uncertainties abound while the death toll is becoming increasingly dramatic. High hopes are being placed on vaccination while individuals try to maintain a sense of normality through the increasing use of digital technologies.
This situation raises a number of critical questions, for example:
This event, promoted by the University of Porto with the support of UMAC-ICOM will contribute to critically address these questions. It aims to trigger debate and disseminate the international competition The Power of Design: Re-establishing embodied conviviality beyond covid-19.
PROGRAM
1. Introduction and welcome 2. Reflection by Fátima Vieira (Vice-President, University of Porto) on utopian thinking and the international competition The Power of Design 3. Key note by Olivia Bina (Principal Researcher, University of Lisbon) on alternative imaginaries and their implications for addressing the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic 4. Debate with the participation of audience 5. The Power of Design competition: brief presentation by António Ferreira (Senior Researcher, University of Porto) 6. Conclusions |
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REGISTRATION AND FURTHER INFORMATION Registration is free of charge. To know more about this event and to register, please click here |
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