Zhao Ke

Electronic Science and Technology Museum, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

ICOM No. 90022

Nominators: Andrew Simpson (Australia), Wenjia Qiu (China)

Biographical note

Ke Zhao is the director of the Electronic Science and Technology Museum (ESTM), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. He led a team to complete the preparation and construction of the ESTM, the first museum about electronics in China.

He is also an associate professor and teaches the History of Electronic Science and Technology course. He received Ph.D. in Microelectronics and Solid-state Electronics. His field of interest includes university museums and history of science and technology. He is the vice-president of the Chinese Committee on History of Scientific Instruments. Link to CV.

Qualifications for the position

Demonstrated strong leadership and managerial skills

In 2015, he led a team at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China to prepare and complete the Electronic Science and Technology Museum. It is the first electronic museum in China and has now been selected as a National Science Education Base in China. In cooperation with UMAC, he led a group to develop the UMuseum app for the university museum database based on UMAC’s Worldwide Database.

Interdisciplinary educational background and work experience

He earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, his M.S. and Ph.D. in Microelectronics and Solid-State Electronics, and has worked in the university museum field for almost ten years. He exercises a fusion of thinking from disciplinary backgrounds, which fits that university museums are the best platform for interdisciplinary learning and practicing. He organized the “MUSEUM + CLASS” project in our museum. Thirteen courses of four categories, including discipline history courses, introduction courses, engineering technology courses, and engineering ethics courses, join the project. All the courses are taught in the museum or in the storage room, with collections and research results of ESTM. They provide a new way of thinking about the history of science and technology for students from different majors.

Experienced in UMAC working groups

Since 2019, he has worked as the co-chair of UMAC FUTURES, a group of young scholars in the university museum community. He started and moderated the IMAGINATIONS project, a series of online conversations with young professionals. There have been eight episodes from the Czech Republic, UK, Serbia, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Senegal, and Brazil. Videos of the project are available on the UMAC YouTube channel. It is a project that makes young professionals’ voices heard.

Ability to coordinate regional and network cooperation

He organized the Western University Museums Seminar in Chengdu, China, building a regional micro-network with nine university museums. UMAC President Marta attended the seminar to introduce UMAC and the development of university museums. He hosts the seminar annually. He is elected the vice-president of the Chinese Committee on History of Scientific Instruments, being able to coordinate cooperation from scientific and industrial museums in China.

Global perspective of university museums

He has conducted field research and interviewed directors and professionals in university museums, including Portugal, Spain, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, and China. He has also traveled to Canada, the USA, Japan, Cuba, and other countries to learn about the development of university museums in depth.

Main goals of candidacy

To better develop the UMAC FUTURES and get more young professionals involved

I will spread the IMAGINATIONS project more widely and interview more young professionals to share their work and research. A long-term mechanism will be established for young professionals to communicate with each other online and in person. I will organize a seminar annually for young professionals, providing the opportunity to participate in at least one academic or work event. I will use social media, websites, and other media to post young professionals’ achievements. It will help interest more to join the construction of our global university museum community.

To enhance network connection with digital technology and upgrade the mobile database UMuseum app

I will improve and upgrade the UMuseum app to make it easier to access. The new version will provide a section to display brief introductions and links to new exhibitions from the university museum community. Also, some sections to stimulate online communication among members within UMAC will be designed. More UMAC resources section will be added to the app for easy access.

To expand the impact of UMAC

I will host regular seminars based on the already formed network of the Western China University Museums Network. It will expand the UMAC’s impact in China. In addition, I will try to promote more collaboration between UMAC and science and industrial museums in China if needed.