UMAC 2019
2019-09-01 - 2019-09-07 | Kyoto ICC, Kyoto, Japan
The 19th UMAC Annual Conference will be in Kyoto — 1-7 September. See more details here.

TOKYO UMAC SEMINAR
2019-09-09 - 2019-09-10 | Keio University Art Center, Tokyo, Japan
UMAC TOKYO SEMINAR University Museums as Cultural Commons
Post-UMAC 2019 Seminar.
With Yohko Watanabe (Keio University Art Center), Andrew Simpson (UMAC/Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, Australia) and Judy Willcocks (Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London, UK), among others.
See Program and more info here.

Conference 'Universities and their Contested Pasts'
2019-09-11 - 2019-09-12 | Samuel Alexander Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
The University of Manchester’s Research Group on University Histories is organising a conference on 11-12 September 2019, focussing on ‘Universities and their contested pasts’. The conference aims to include both academic and practice/policy discussions and abstracts from UMAC members are warmly invited.
Call for Papers
Deadline: 31 May 2019

Conversation about the legal framework for university museums
2019-10-14 | Universum, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
See the debate live here.

Launch of MÁS MUSEOS: REVISTA DIGITAL
2019-10-23 | UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

International Colloquium on the Public of University Museums
2019-11-05 - 2019-11-07 | University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Supported by UMAC-ICOM.

Les musées universitaires connaissent, depuis le début du XXIe siècle, un véritable regain d’intérêt : fondation d’un réseau européen UNIVERSEUM (2000) et du Comité international pour les musées et collections universitaires (UMAC) au sein de l’ICOM (2001), rénovation de l’Ashmolean Museum à Oxford (2009) reconnu comme premier musée universitaire (1683), création de nouvelles réserves accessibles et rénovation du Conservatoire national des arts et métiers à Paris (2000).
Ces quelques initiatives semblent incarner la volonté des acteurs universitaires de donner un nouveau sens à leurs structures muséales mais aussi le besoin d’une reconnaissance officielle par la communauté internationale des professionnels des musées ; alors que le grand public semble se sentir moins concerné.Aujourd’hui, l’Embarcadère du Savoir s’associe au Séminaire de Muséologie de l’Université de Liège pour l’organisation d’un colloque relatif aux publics des musées universitaires qui aura lieu du 5 au 7 novembre 2019.
Read more and call for papers here.

VII Encuentro de Museos Universitarios de Latinoamérica y del Caribe/I Encuentro de Museos Universitarios de Guatemala
2019-11-25 - 2019-11-28 | MUSEO DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE SAN CARLOS, COLEGIO MAYOR DE SANTO TOMAS DE AQUINO, Guatemala, Guatemala
MUSEO DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE SAN CARLOS, 25 al 27 de noviembre.
COLEGIO MAYOR DE SANTO TOMAS DE AQUINO, 28 de noviembre
HORARIO: 10.00 a 17.00 horas.
ADMISION: GRATUITA
PROGRAMA PRELIMINAR

Europeana 2019: Connect Communities
2019-11-27 - 2019-11-29 | National Library of Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
There is no one-size-fits-all cultural heritage professional – your roles, your institutions, your passions and your skills are incredibly wide-ranging. Europeana 2019 makes the connection between you all. At this unique interdisciplinary event 250 professionals with interests in tech, copyright, education, research, impact and communications will come together to explore where those communities meet and how each specialist group can support the others.
This three-day conference at the National Library of Portugal, Lisbon, isn’t simply three days listening to others talk. It’s a real hands-on affair with workshops, discussions, panels, interaction and networking. Attend, contribute and transform the world with culture.
Whether it’s tips on how to run a workshop, insights into the best approach to opening up content, new ideas for digital storytelling, or new people to follow up on Twitter, you can go back to your day job with tangible new skills, experiences and contacts to help you make a difference to your organisation.
Read more.

Joint Conference ICOM CIMUSET-CIM-CIM
2020-02-04 - 2020-02-06 | Cité de la Musique, Paris, France
Playing and operating: functionality in museum objects and instruments
4-6 February, 2020
Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris, France

See final program here.

CALL FOR PAPERS
Deadline for submissions: 22 October 2019
Museum collections are formed by selections of objects that represent snapshots of the complexity of the world at different times. As such their value resides as much in their physical supports, as in
the representation of the cultural networks of meanings and interactions of which they were part.
For some types of objects, this includes a particularly strong ‘performative’ element, where the object is a tool to accomplish an action: musical instruments, vehicles, clocks and watches, machinery and objects of science and technology are few of the most obvious examples.
For decades, museum approaches have been divided between emphasizing the preservation of the material support of the object, and preserving its capability to operate, for reasons that include
dissemination as well as research. The use of alternatives, such as replicas and digital modelling has also been explored, sometimes controversially, and few attempts have been made at producing
guidelines for the care and preservation of few among these types of objects.
This conference aims at offering a platform to discuss and compare current approaches the preservation, and interpretation of functional objects, comparing practices across collections, institutions and countries. It is hoped that, by highlighting overlaps and differences, it will be possible to develop a greater understanding of the practical and ethical reasons that inform different policies and that the outcomes of the conference will prepare the ground for a common set of guidelines that might build on the cross-disciplinary experience provided by a variety of objects that present common challenges.
The conference is particularly open to perspectives from curators, conservators, makers, musicians and all key professional stakeholders dealing with the preservation and interpretation of functional objects across collections.
The conference is jointly organized by the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Musical Instruments and Music (CIMCIM), the International Committee for Museums of Science
and Technology (CIMUSET) of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris. It is generously supported by the International Council of Museums ICOM. The International Council of Museums is an international
organisation of museums and museum professionals which is committed to the research, conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world’s natural and cultural
heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.
Sub-themes:

1. The ontology of functional objects
It has been widely argued that the nature of an object is transformed as soon as it enters a museum collection. Moreover, most functional objects have undergone changes, repairs, maintenance work
and degradations, either before or after entering a museum collection, which might have transformed the way it operates and its outcome.
How relevant is the preservation of functionality – or the capacity to operate – in faithfully preserving and representing a museum object, and how does it combine with the many conflicting priorities that regulate the life and choices of a museum collections?

2. Interpretation of functional objects
Interpretation and public engagement are traditionally among the main reason to operate functional objects in museums collections, either within the museum galleries or taking them outside of the
museum environment itself. This is often the case with musical instruments, vehicles, trains and several types of objects that would have operated in public spaces before entering a museum.
How can the impact of operating an original object be measured and justified, if at all, beyond the satisfaction of passing curiosity? How reliable is the message conveyed by operating an original and
how satisfactory are possible alternatives such as copies or digital reproductions. Can truly satisfactory alternatives be found, compared to operating originals, which could still deliver a fully satisfactory experience for the visitor?

3. Good practice and risk management
During the last decades, approaches to operating museum objects have greatly changed leading to the production of sometimes contradictory policies and guidelines that reflect the spirit of their time.
Individual museums, sometimes individual conservators, have developed practices and protocols to support informed decision making and risk assessment/management.
Can these policies and approaches be distilled in an overarching approach to operating objects held
in museum collections? Where do they overlap and where are they unique to certain types of
collections? Which policies and practices are currently in place and how effective have they been in
their implementation?

4. Objects functionality in the 21st Century
In the last few years, the rise of virtual object design and physical modelling has created new opportunities and alternatives to reproduce and demonstrate the functionality of objects. These
innovative approaches may question the very reason for making actual objects work.
How is the ongoing digital revolution changing the discussion on instruments playability and objects functionality? Can it provide a satisfactory alternative to understand functional objects? What can
it contribute to the discussion on the usage of functional objects?

Abstracts submission Guidelines:
The following types of contributions are invited:
– Short papers, 10 min. + 5 min. Q+A
– Full papers, 20 min. + 10 min. Q+A
– Posters
Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words and a short CV of no more than 150 words including the following information.
Family name:
Given Name:
Museum/Organization:
Position:
Email:
Please specify if you are a member of: CIMCIM, CIMUSET, ICOM
Please specify if you are proposing a short paper, a full paper, or a poster.
Abstracts must be sent to Mathilde Thomas by midnight (12:00 AM-GMT) 22 October 2019; late entries will not be considered.
Accepted formats are MS, word and .rtf.
All submissions will be vetted by the Review Committee.
Please note that the conference language is English.
It is planned to provide simultaneous French translation.
N.B.: a limited number of travel grants will be available for invited speakers, especially young professionals.

145e congrès annuel du CTHS: Collecter, collectionner, conserver
2020-02-22 - 2020-02-25 | Université de Nantes – – Campus Centre Loire, Nantes, France

Convención International de Antropología ANTHROPOS 2020
2020-03-09 - 2020-03-12 | Palacio de Convenciones, La Habana, Cuba
ANTHROPOS 2020 is organised by the Museo Antropológico Montané, the Cátedra de Antropología “Luis Montané” of the University of La Habana, the Faculty of Biology of the Faculty of La Habana, the Sociedad Cubana de Antropología Biológica and the Sociedad de Estudios Primatológicos “Eopithecus”, Mexico.
The following meetings will take place simultaneously:
– XIII Simposio de Antropología Física ‘Luís Montané’
– IX Congreso ‘Primates como Patrimonio Nacional’
– VI Coloquio ‘Primates a través del Caribe’
– I Simposio Hispanoamericano de Neuroantropologia
Call for Papers (English)
Event Facebook
Contact: anthroposmontane2020@gmail.com

I Simposio Patrimonio y Cultura
2020-03-10 - 2020-03-12 | Playa de Varadero, Cuba
TEMATICAS
· Patrimonio cultural, desafíos para su gestión integral.
· Museos y colecciones universitarias.
· Socialización y educación patrimonial: experiencias y alternativas.
· La universidad: memoria histórica y tradiciones.
· Identidad cultural y universidad,
· La universidad como centro de promoción de cultura.
· Las manifestaciones del arte y la Literatura en las universidades.
· Consumo y recepción cultural desde y hacia la universidad.
· Perspectivas en la formación humanista del profesional universitario.

Contacto: Armando Santana Montes de Oca

Diálogos. Redescubrir el patrimonio universitario. Arte, ciencia, historia y sociedad
2020-03-25 - 2020-03-26 | Museo de Geofísica, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) tiene una larga y consolidada trayectoria en cuanto a su patrimonio, sus colecciones y sus museos, que se inicia en 1910 con la creación de la Universidad, y se reafirma a partir de 1929, con el reconocimiento de la autonomía universitaria.
Desde entonces ha desempeñado un papel protagónico en la reunión, estudio, conservación, preservación, exhibición y divulgación de bienes culturales y naturales, cumpliendo con las funciones universitarias de docencia, investigación y difusión de la cultura.
Muchos acervos son tradicionales, mientras otros son de reciente formación. En todos los casos es necesario visitar y revisitar el patrimonio para revalorizarlo y darle un sentido de actualidad, que sea significativo para las nuevas generaciones.
Redescubrir el patrimonio universitario significa conocerlo, interpretarlo y reinterpretarlo, pero sobre todo preservarlo para las generaciones futuras y para fomentar un sentido de identidad universitaria.
Con este propósito, el Seminario Universitario de Museos y Espacios Museográficos, el Museo de Geofísica de la UNAM, el Comité Nacional Mexicano del Consejo Internacional de Museos (ICOM-México), el Grupo de Colecciones y Museos Universitarios (UMAC) en México convocan a los miembros de la comunidad universitaria relacionados con el patrimonio universitario a participar en el análisis de la situación del patrimonio universitario y presentar propuestas para su mejor utilización en la reunión.

Jagiellonian University Staff Training Week
2020-04-06 - 2020-04-10 | Jagiellonian University Museum, Krakow, Poland
Jagiellonian University Staff Training Week
Management of Academic Heritage: Challenges and Opportunities
Jagiellonian University Museum, Krakow.
The Jagiellonian University welcomes you to the Erasmus+ Staff Training Week ‘Management of Academic Heritage – Challenges and Opportunities’, to be held at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków on 6-10 April 2020.
As the topic for the first time is dedicated to the university special collections and academic heritage, the event is organized by the JU International Relations Office together with the Jagiellonian University Museum in cooperation with multiple university units working in the field of managing academic special collections, mainly Centre for Science Education, the Museum of Pharmacy of the JU Medical College, the Museum of the JU Medical Faculty.
The working language is English.
More info, contact and registrations here.
DEADLINES:

Starting date for applications: 7 February 2020
Closing date for applications: 28 February 2010
All applicants will be notified about the selection results on 9 March 2020.

The number of participants is limited to 30, with a maximum of 2 people per institution. Any available additional places will be announced as soon as possible.
PLEASE NOTE

Welcoming lunch and coffee breaks planned in the programme are provided by the organizers.
The costs of travel, accommodation and other meals should be covered by the Participants themselves.

International Museum Day 2020
2020-05-18

AAMG 2020
2020-06-17 - 2020-06-20 | University of Kansas (Lawrence), KS, United States

Universeum 2020
2020-06-22 - 2020-06-26 | ULB & KU Leuven, Belgium
University museums and collections in the vanguard of contemporary societal debates
This main theme echoed the debate on the definition of museum in ICOM community. During the 2020 Universeum Annual Conference in Belgium, we would like to continue this debate and focus it specifically in relation to university museums (U-museums) and collections, questioning their role as actor of social and political change on one hand ; and how they deal with the challenges of their past on a second hand?

20th UMAC Annual General Meeting
2020-07-27 13:00 - 14:30 (Europe/Berlin) | ZOOM platform
More info here.

UMAC ORIGINS: Conversation with Lyndel King
2020-08-10 17:00 - 18:00 (Europe/London) | UMAC YouTube channel

UMAC Origins: Conversation with Bernice Murphy
2020-08-17 08:00 - 09:00 (Europe/London) | UMAC YouTube channel

Beirut Series: Conversation with Suzy Hakimian, Chair of ICOM-Lebanon
2020-08-27 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Berlin) | UMAC YouTube channel

UMAC ORIGINS: Conversation with Hugues Dreyssé
2020-08-31 10:00 - 11:00 (Europe/London) | UMAC YouTube channel

UMAC AWARD 2020
2020-09-01

Annoucement of the UMAC AWARD 2020
2020-09-28 | UMAC YouTube channel

UMAC Origins: Conversation with Panu Nykänen
2020-10-01 08:00 - 09:00 (Europe/Berlin) | UMAC YouTube channel

APRU 2020: University Museums Research Symposium
2020-11-07 - 2020-11-09 | National University of Singapore, Singapore

Patrimonio científico: Colecciones universitarias y estrategias digitais
2021-05-24

Polyphonic Perspectives
2021-06-07
Polyphonic Perspectives: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural materials in Museums and University Collections and global issues of repatriation and restitution.
A combined CAUMAC / UMAC / ICOM Australia webinar with the support of the National Museum of Australia.

Museums and universities are institutions centred on knowledge. As focal points with social, political and cultural authority, museums and universities both generate and transmit knowledge. Museums de-contextualise and re-contextualise objects in their collections. This means they can be both a constrainer and liberator of meaning. Museums have historically mediated meaning and access to meaning around collections and objects. Access to meaning can either challenge or embed paradigms of knowledge. Universities and museums were at the centre of political power when European colonisers spread across the globe. This involved massive displacements of cultural objects, scientific specimens and even human remains. Objects became a part of the trade in Imperial knowledge systems.

Many argue that now is the time for museums and universities to come to terms with this historical legacy. Museums and universities have many collections that are colonial legacies. There are demands from source communities for repatriation and restitution. Furthermore, audiences and students want to know how and why much of that material got there in the first place. There are calls for this reckoning with historical legacies to reshape universities and museums into new types of organisations through decolonization.

This webinar asks the questions (among others):
· Are museums and universities changing to incorporate new knowledge systems?
· Are museums and universities organisations that are capable of polyphony?
· Can these institutions be Indigenised?
· Do attempts to bring in new voices, perspectives and knowledge systems amount to more than tokenism or appropriation, or is real progress being made?

Read more here

Access here:

UNISOC 2022
2022-10-15 - 2022-10-17 | Hotel Iberostar Bella Vista, Playa de Varadero, Cuba
II CONGRESO CIENTIFICO INTERNACIONAL UNIVERSIDAD-SOCIEDAD 2022
Lema: Conciencia ante la Agenda 2030
15-17 Marzo 2022
CONVOCATORIA
La Universidad de Matanzas , en Cuba, invita a los docentes, consultores e investigadores de los Centros de Educación Superior (CES), escuelas ramales, instituciones científicas y otras entidades análogas, así como a directivos y técnicos de las empresas y órganos de administración pública, a productores, profesores, maestros y líderes comunitarios a participar en el II Congreso Científico Internacional Universidad-Sociedad.
Dedicado a Ecuador como país invitado y al 50 aniversario de la Educación Superior en Matanzas
Normas, ejes temáticos, fechas importantes y cuotas de pago — aqui
Coordinador: M. Sc. Armando Santana Montes de Oca
Email: patrimonio. cultural @umcc.cu, armando.20081991 @gmail.com
Email del Com. Organizador: congresounisoc2022@gmail.com

Supported by

Annual Meeting of ICOM-UMAC 2026 - Greece!
2026-10-12 00:00 - 2026-10-16 00:00 (Europe/Berlin)
«University Museums as actors for Sustainable Development»
Annual Meeting of ICOM-UMAC
Science and Technology Museum of the University of Patras, Greece October 12th to 16th, 2026
From October 12th to 16th, 2026, ICOM-UMAC, the International Council of Museums’ Committee for University Museums and Collections,will hold its annual meeting hosted by ICOM-Greece and the Science and Technology Museum of the University of Patras, at the Science and Technology Museum of the University of Patras, Greece.
Supported by the National Committees ICOM-France, ICOM Burkina Fasso, ICOM South Africa, the regional Alliances ICOM-Europe and ICOM-Africa and ICOFOM the Conference, will be held on-site and online.
The Conference languages are: English, French and Greek.
Universities play a crucial role in advancing United Nations’ Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by integrating them into their teaching, research and operational practices. They act as knowledge generators, leaders and drivers of cross-sectoral leadership, contributing to the pursuit of Sustainable Development.
University museums and collections can align with the Sustainable Development objectives of Universities and also play a crucial role through their collections and museum practice. The integration of the SDGs into U-Museums and collections presents both challenges and opportunities and may affect their everyday life practice.
University Museums and collections are valuable functions in the University and society. They may facilitate people’s access to and understanding of the University’s cultural, scientific, technological and environmental heritage while constituting important resources for education, lifelong learning and research. They can serve as valuable learning environments for University students, school students, teachers (Resolution 4 Empowering Museums in Achieving the SDGs through Youth, ICOM Dubai 2025) and the public providing hands-on experience fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable development issues. Through exhibitions and outreach programs focusing on museum education, they can approach, inform and engage different audiences in climate action, wellbeing and prosperity, human rights, inclusion and peace-related activities, building partnerships, promoting sustainable practices and behaviors, enhancing the effectiveness and implementation of the SDGs, and contributing to changing lifestyles.
Can University Museums become actors enhancing the role of universities for Sustainable Development? UMAC 2026 Conference will explore university museums’ & collections’ worldwide efforts to become powerful actors for Sustainable Development by serving as crucial sites for education, research, community engagement and showcasing university sustainability efforts, bridging academic knowledge with public understanding and action on issues like climate change, social justice, risk management and cultural heritage preservation, thereby enhancing the university’s broader societal role.

Sub-topics
1.The value of University collections in integrating the SDGs
2.University Museums and collections engaging in the educational community and the public for the SDGs
3.University Museums and collections at the forefront of the University’s strategy on Sustainable Development
4.University Museums’ contribution to educating on sustainable development in contexts facing security, environmental risks and climate challenges
5.North-South cooperation to strengthen the contribution of University Museums to the implementation of the SDG

PAPER AND POSTER PROPOSALS
MORE INFORMATION
WORKSHOP
To be announced
EXCURSION
To be announced
TRAVEL GRANTS
To be announced
ICOM-UMAC offer a limited number of travel grants for conference participants from countries 3-5 categories
Questions regarding the event may be addressed to:
umac2026.greece@gmail.com
