UMAC is pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2026 UMAC Award of Excellence, recognising outstanding and innovative projects in university museums and collections worldwide.
This year’s nominations reflected the diversity, creativity and impact of work being carried out across the university museum community. Projects were evaluated according to four main criteria: innovation and creativity, excellence, transferability, and impact on the host university, the community or society at large.
Following the deliberations of the UMAC Award Evaluation Panel, the three finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:
CEMENT: MOMENT – Every Moment of Cement
Hanyang University Museum, Seoul, Korea
CEMENT: MOMENT explores how an apparently ordinary material can become a powerful tool for interpreting history, research and contemporary society. Hanyang University Museum used cement as a curatorial thread through a century of Korean history, from colonial extraction and postwar reconstruction to urbanisation, while connecting these histories with contemporary art, engineering research and community engagement.
Developed in partnership with industry, local government, artists and social enterprises, the project attracted 41,572 visitors, led to the creation of a permanent student-designed pavilion and a 241-page archive catalogue, and received Korea’s “University Museum of the Year” award. Its community tours continue through an ongoing partnership.
Prototyping
Indra and Harry Banga Gallery, City University of Hong Kong, China
Prototyping transforms the university gallery into an interactive “Living Lab”, bringing together three decades of academic research and translating 23 complex scientific innovations into immersive and participatory experiences.
Co-curated with the Academy of Innovation, the exhibition invites visitors to follow the iterative journey from an initial idea to its real-world societal application. The project proposes a transferable model for university museums seeking to communicate scientific research, encourage interdisciplinary exchange and foster engagement between universities, schools, industry and the wider public.
Reflection, Melody, Rhythm: Museums as Classrooms
Institute of Design and Visual Arts (IDVA) at Lahore College for Women University and Fakir Khana Museum, Lahore, Pakistan
Held on International Museum Day, 18 May 2026, Reflection, Melody, Rhythm: Museums as Classrooms brought together the Fakir Khana Museum, Lahore College for Women University’s Institute of Design and Visual Arts, and Naqsh School of Art.
The project responded to a significant challenge in Pakistan, where many universities do not have art and design collections of their own. Three 18th-century Raga Mala Pahari miniatures became the focus of live classical music, dance and poetic narration, giving miniature painting students direct access to original heritage within a historic house museum. The initiative demonstrates how collaboration between universities and private museums can create new opportunities for heritage education and turn museum collections into active learning environments.
Winner to be announced in Patras
The winner of the 2026 UMAC Award of Excellence will be announced during the UMAC Annual General Meeting at the University of Patras, Greece, on Wednesday 14 October 2026.
UMAC congratulates the three finalists and all the teams behind the nominated projects, and thanks the members of the Evaluation Panel for their careful work in selecting this year’s finalists.