ICOM-UMAC & UNIVERSEUM @ TUD 2024 (24.-29.09.2024)
"SHAPING TRANSFORMATION. University Collections in a Changing World"
Joint annual meeting of ICOM-UMAC and UNIVERSEUM 2024
University collections are among the great cultural treasures in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Their vast potential, still untapped in many cases, has begun to catch the attention of the international research community. Furthermore, due to their unique position at the intersection of research, teaching and society, university collections often find themselves at the centre of far-reaching processes of transformation, facing challenges as well as opportunities.
From September 24th to 29th, 2024, the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections at TUD Dresden University of Technology welcomed academic heritage experts from all over the world to the capital of Saxony. For the first time, ICOM-UMAC (Committee for University Museums and Collections of the International Council of Museums) and the European Academic Heritage Network UNIVERSEUM, two of the major international professional associations for university collections and academic heritage, came together for a joint annual meeting on site.
The conference, titled "Shaping Transformation. University Collections in a Changing World”, saw professionals from a variety of backgrounds coming together examining the impact of transformation processes on university collections and academic heritage, discussing urgent questions and presenting new approaches to pressing challenges.
A multifaceted program offered panels and roundtables alongside workshops and working groups, inviting all participants to open dialogues across disciplinary and geographical boundaries. Collection visits and two specifically curated exhibitions will illuminated the rich culture of TU Dresden and other academic institutions in the city. A number of high-profile cooperations enriched the program and opened a perspective to broader contexts.