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SJTU-T.D. Lee Science and Artworks Competition 2021

Call for Proposals 

Liquid crystal in its crystal state under a polarized-light microscope. Photo: Alamy.

The SJTU T.D. LEE Science and Art Lecture Fund of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (hereinafter referred to as the Science and Art Fund) was established in 2013 to promote the integration of science and art and carry forward the spirit of science and art. The Science and Art Fund would organize a Science and Art Works Competition every year to encourage the creation of works of art based on scientific themes, and select outstanding scientific and art works from around the world to organize special exhibitions after review and evaluation. So far, 7 science and art works competitions and exhibitions have been successfully held. 

Read more about the competition, dates, awards, etc here.

Competition website, Shanghai Jiao Tong University T.D. LEE Science and Art Lecture Fund  here.

 
 
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We’re getting closer to the new UMAC app!

Last week, UMAC signed the agreement with the Vice-President of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Professor Xiaorong Shen, to conclude the first stage of the UMAC app. This app, developed by the Electronic Science and Technology Museum of UESTC, under the coordination of Zhao Ke, will enable access to the World Database of University Museums and Collections data from any smartphone anywhere in the world.

Xiaorong Shen, Vice-President of UESTC and Marta C. Lourenço, UMAC President.
Marta C. Lourenço with the President of the UESTC, Zeng Yong; Vice-President Xiaorong Chen; Zhao Ke, Director of the Electronic Science and Technology Museum, and other UESTC officials, last week in Chengdu, China.

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UMTWS 2019 edition was a success

Last week, university museum professionals from all over China gathered at the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University for another edition of the UMTWS.

This year, the course counted with the presence of Marta Lourenço (UMAC Chair), Jill Hartz (President Emeritus of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries USA), Sébastien Soubiran (President of Universeum, the European Academic Heritage Network) and Andrew Simpson (UMAC Board). Moreover, from China, and apart from Laishun AN (Vice-President of ICOM), high officials from the cultural sector attended, namely Qiang GUAN and Xiaobo CHU, respectively responsible for the cultural heritage of China and Shanghai.

Kai Zhang and Hu Hao were our kind hosts at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Xiaobo CHU, Qiang GUAN, Marta Lourenço, Laishun AN and Kai ZHANG.

UMAC and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have agreed to continue their partnership, diversifying the training offer to suit different types of professionals and creating new initiatives to promote university museums in China.

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UMAC and QLM-SJTU consolidate their partnership

Marta C. Lourenço and Kai Zhang, Qian Xuesen Library and Museum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Today, UMAC and the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, have publicly agreed to take their partnership to a more substantial level.

Here are some of the changes:

  • UMTWS (University Museum Training Weeks Shanghai) will be more directed to the needs and aspirations of university museum professionals.
  • There will be internships in overseas university museums for Chinese university museum professionals.
  • A high profile event, called the SJTU Directors’ Forum, will bring together university museum directors, higher education senior administrators and stakeholders from the museum and culture sectors, to discuss strategic issues related to universities, museums, heritage and culture.
  • The creation of a Research Centre for University Museums and Collections at SJTU.

The agreement was made after the opening session of the UMTWS 2019, and counted with the presence of An Laishun, Vice-President of ICOM; Guan Qiang, Vice-President of the National Cultural Heritage of China; and Hu Hao, Member of the SJTU University Council, among others.

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University Museums Training Week Shanghai: 2019 edition is next week!

Next week, 33 university museum professionals from China and Japan will participate in the University Museum Training Week Shanghai UMTWS 2019, 23-27 April, organized by UMAC-ICOM in partnership with the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The UMTWS is part of UMAC’s strategic Professional Development Program, aimed at significantly increasing the qualification of university museum professionals worldwide. Almost 100 Chinese professionals have been trained by the UMTWS since its first edition in 2016.

In 2019, UMTWS is dedicated to the theme INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY: A ROADMAP TO UNDERSTANDING UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS TODAY. The program of the 5-day course is rich and intense, encompassing lectures, round tables, workshops and visits to university museums in Shanghai. Faculty includes Andrew Simpson (Macquarie University, Australia), Jill Hartz (University of Oregon, USA), Xiangguang Song (Peking University, China), and Zhongmou Li (Shimao Group, China).

Moreover, the opening ceremony will count with Qiang Guan, Vice-President of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, and An Laishun, Vice-President of ICOM and Vice-President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Museums Association, in representation of ICOM.

In the words of Marta C. Lourenço, UMAC-ICOM President, and Kai Zhang, Executive Director of the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum, “UMTWSs are currently the only regular and sustained training offer for university museum professionals anywhere in the world and we want to reach many more in coming years. That is why in 2019 we are both very excited to take the UMAC-QLM-SJTU partnership a step further”.

UMTWS 2019 is supported by the two largest university museums associations in China: the National Educational Alliance of University and College Museums (NEAUCM) and the Shanghai Educational Alliance of University and College Museums (SEAUCM).

Media release

 

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Science & Technology Collections in China

11th Symposium of Chinese Science Museums

China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing, China

19 April 2019

Science & Technology Collections – Collection, Research, and Communication

 

The 11th Symposium of Chinese Science Museums “Science & Technology Collections – Collection, Research, and Communication”  is hosted by China Association for Science and Technology – Research Center of Science Communication and Popularization (CAST-RCSCP) of Tsinghua University, China Science and Technology Museum (CSTM), and Journal of Natural Science Museum Research, and supported by Chinese Museums Association (CMA), Chinese Association of Natural Science Museums (CANSM), Scientific Instrument Commission (SIC).

A wide range of topics will be covered, but not limited to, the following areas:

  • Science & Technology Collections in Science Museums: Significance, Value and Function

What is the role of collections in science museums in the digital/new media/Internet age? Science museums usually held collections, while science centers did not accumulate or study collections. We will invite experts to share their studies on current situation, problems and reasons referring to collections in Chinese science museums.

  • Collecting Contemporary Science and Technology

For collecting contemporary science and technology, which is different from the much older science and technology, the questions range from how to identify what to collect, how to collect the objects and documents, how to preserve what is being collected to what to do with what is being collected.

  • Communication through Science & Technology Collections: Objectives, Content and Strategy

How to transform collections into exhibits/digital/ cultural and creative products? How to explore the relationship between collections and science education?

Each topic will have a 120-minute time slot for 3-5 speakers. A 30-minute panel discussion will be featured at the end of each topic. We look forward to discussing these timely topics with professionals from science museums, universities, research institutions, as well as the industry of science popularization. The symposium will be in Chinese, and simultaneous interpretation is only provided while international speakers make their presentations.

The day commences at 8:30 am, finishing by 6:00 pm. Registration will be required. There will be no registration fees charged. Furthermore, lunch during the symposium will be arranged by the secretariat of the symposium.

Additional Information of Morning Session

The seminar will focus on the topic “Collecting Contemporary Science and Technology”. Today, in science museums, universities and national research institutions around the world, collecting contemporary science and technology is a much discussed topic. The questions range from how to identify what to collect, how to collect the objects and documents, how to preserve what is being collected to what to do with what is being collected. It is recognized by all that collecting contemporary (defined here as post 1960) science and technology requires an approach different from that of collecting much older science and technology.

Confirmed Speakers:

Dr. Richard Kremer, President of the Scientific Instrument Commission.

Mr. Gabriel Bevilacqua, Vice-Chair of ICOM CIDOC.

Mr. Claude Faubert, Coordinator of the ICOM-ITC.

Please feel free to contact Ms. Bai Ting from the secretariat of CSTM for more detailed information about the symposium. 

Announcement in Chinese

 

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Strengthening global university museum collaboration in China

UMAC President, Marta Lourenço, recently signed two significant agreements in Shanghai, spin offs of UMAC’s partnership with the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum of Shanghai Jiao Tong University since 2016. 

The first is for the development of a university museum app for iOS and Android (pilot version). 

Marta Lourenço and Zhao Ke, director of the Electronic Science and Technology Museum (ESTM) (photo courtesy QLM-SJTU).

This is a partnership with The Electronic Science and Technology Museum (ESTM) of the University Electronic Science and Technology (UESTC) in Chengdu. This is a university museum, and the first comprehensive electronic science and technology museum in China. UMAC President Marta Lourenco says “We are committed to increasing the visibility of university museums and collections worldwide. With the ubiquity of hand held devices these days, this development will make UMAC’s world-wide database more accessible to a broader global audience.” “We believe China’s Electronic Science and Technology Museum, as a university museum are excellent partners for this enterprise. We are delighted to be working with them. It will bring data about university museums to everyone’s phone.” 

The second is the translation of Journal editions into Chinese. This is an agreement with Shanghai University Museum. UMAC has been publishing a journal since 2001. This agreement will make the University Museums and Collections Journal (UMACJ) available to a new and large sector of museum practitioners and university administrators.

Marta Lourenço and LIU Shaoxue, Director Shanghai University Museum (photo QLM-SJTU).

UMACJ Editor Andrew Simpson says “We are working towards making UMACJ the primary academic source for the emerging speciality of university museum work. This agreement will engage Chinese university museum curators and scholars in the work of UMAC”.

Read the full media release.