Andrew Simpson

Macquarie University Art Gallery

ICOM No. 38944

Nominators: Gina Hammond (Australia), Paul Donnelly (Australia)

Biographical note

1984-1999: Museum Curator, University of Queensland.
1999-2005: Museum Education Officer, Macquarie University2005-2007: Lecturer, Museum Studies program, Macquarie University
2007-2014: Senior Lecturer and Director, Museum Studies program, Macquarie University.
2014-present: Project work in higher education, heritage, museums and galleries.
2022-present: Research Affiliate, Chau Chak Wing Museum, The University of Sydney
2022-2025: Chair UMAC
2019-2022: Vice-Chair UMAC
2016-2019: Ordinary Member UMAC
2016-present: Editor, University Museums and Collections Journal
2020-present Member, Strategic Evaluation Review Committee (SAREC) ICOM.
Link to CV.

Qualifications for the position

I have a long history with UMAC and a good global understanding of both ICOM and higher education with involvement in different Board capacities for many years, the last three (2022-2025) as Chair. I am seeking a second and final term as Chair. Rather than list past achievements as qualifications for the position, I’ll mention instead some attributes I bring to the work of the UMAC Board.

The first is an ability to learn, adapt and improve. In reviewing the past three years it is fair to say we have done some things very well (e.g. membership growth, conferences, publications) and other things we have not so well (e,g. timely financial transfers, regular communications). There have been times when the Board has worked very effectively together and other times where our efforts have been more fragmented.

The role of the Chair is straightforward. It involves facilitating both the wishes of the membership and coordinating services for the membership. If elected, I will work to enhance collaboration between members of the Board to operate cohesively together for the entire three-year period. I will also encourage and empower individual Board members to take on specific parts of UMAC’s strategic agenda (something that has already started with our Working Groups). If elected for a second term, the first meeting of the new Board will establish a sound basis of mutual understanding about how we will work together to advance UMAC as an International Committee of ICOM. I suggest a few possible areas of focus in the section below.

Each UMAC mandate commences with a review and a redrafting of our strategic plan. If elected, I will ensure that for the 2025-2028 period, it will involve broad consultation across the membership. This consultative approach will continue throughout the mandate with regular online town hall meetings where UMAC Board members can discuss issues with members.

In the 2022-2025 mandate, the UMAC Board completed two unfinished projects from previous mandates (restitution and return & pedagogy of the university museum) through the publication of results and commenced two new decolonization projects (Building Bridges and Two Horizons), one supported by funding from ICOM (Two Horizons). Some of the money from the Two Horizons project has not been expended. The new UMAC Board in consultation with the membership will decide whether to pursue the project further. The new UMAC Board will also build on those things that have been done well in the previous mandate. One of those areas is membership growth. From 2022 to 2025 UMAC membership grew by 50% (from 400 to 600 members) with strongest growth in non-European nations. I set some goals for this below.

A final ‘qualification’ for the position that I bring is time. My experiences as Chair (2022-2025) and from talking to other IC Chairs has taught me the role absorbs much time, much more than other Board roles. If elected as Chair, I am in the fortunate position of being able to commit three full days a week to UMAC business.

Main goals of candidacy

From 2022 to 2025 UMAC membership has grown by 50% (from 400 to 600 members) with strongest growth in non-European nations. Higher education changes and advances are occurring in Asia and a wave of change is building in Africa. UMAC must be present and proactive in these regions if we are to enable a truly global future with meaningful global south and north exchanges and collaborations. UMAC is on the cusp of changing from a small IC dominated by Europe to a mid-sized global IC. We should aim for a membership of 800 by 2028 with 50% from outside Europe. I believe I am the best placed candidate to facilitate this transformation.

Advocacy UMAC must continue to be a strong and supportive voice advocating for the benefits that museums and collections bring to the mission of higher education. University leadership groups must be persuaded we can broker new relationships with knowledge for society. This is an essential social remit or contract of higher education globally; museums and collections are a fundamental keystone in enabling this. A communication campaign with higher education sector groups using our ‘guidance’ documentation and other advocacy is needed.

Decolonisation This is a challenge for the entire museums sector and can only be affected on a global basis. Most new museological movements start with university museums. The ‘Two Horizons’ project was specifically established to build on the earlier ‘Guidance for Restitution and Return of Items from University Museums and Collections’. The building bridges project is to raise awareness of the rich history of museology and academic heritage in the Hispanic centres of higher education. These will be reviewed with the Strategic Plan revision.

Capacity building through collaboration Our professional output consists of the following inter-related products: the UMAC Journal, The UMAC database, Advocacy documents and most recently the Teaching With Objects (TWO) platform in collaboration with our European partner Universeum (and new associated publication series and collaborative Working Group). These are significant undertakings, and we need to strategically plan how they can be advanced by internal and external collaborations. This capacity building should include means to secure financial sustainability for this professional output. This can include seeking project funding and support internally from ICOM, including in partnership with other International and National committees, and externally from research agencies and philanthropic organisations.

Responsiveness and Resilience The uncertainty and turmoil in many different higher education systems around the world suggests we should consider the possibility of establishing some new internal structures that would assist with UMAC’s responsiveness and resilience. This could be a new working group monitoring threats to university museums and collections, or a system of regional representatives that convene on a regular basis to report on changes in the higher education sector. It may also mean working with existing structures and developing ways to strengthen and expand the role of the UMAC Futures Working Group.