CALL FOR PAPERS --- 15th Annual Conference of University Museum and Collections (UMAC)

CALL FOR PAPERS

The University Museum and Collections (UMAC), international committee of International Council on Museums (ICOM) and the University of Santo Tomas represented by UST Museum in cooperation with the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will hold the 15^th Annual Conference of University Museum and Collections (UMAC) to be held on May 11-14, 2015 at the University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines. The conference theme is:

“Rethinking University Museums: Bridging Theory and Practice”

The conference in Manila aims to encourage discussion on the role of the university museum amidst evolving trends and persistent challenges. The goal of rethinking involves examining the place of the university museum within a larger network of relations and issues. The subthemes span the reexamination of the museum’s mandate and expanding its outreach beyond the academe, to exploring new paradigms and shifting practices in order to address urgent issues such as the increasingly apparent effects of climate change. The goal of this conference is to create a platform where interdisciplinary theories drawn from the disciplines of Museum Studies, Cultural and Heritage Studies, Tourism Studies, Art Studies, Anthropology, and Conservation Science could be expanded based on practical experience or various case studies offered by international colleagues. Rethinking University Museums hopes to flesh out critical perspectives and innovative approaches in affirming the significance of university museums today.

UMAC invites papers that expound (but not limited) to the following subthemes:

I.      Towards Responsive Museums: Examining the role of museums in education and public formation

1.     Engaging publics: Museum pedagogy and outreach programs

2.     Ways of telling: Exploring representation, narratives, and exhibition strategies

3.     Reflecting on the university museum’s institutional history and mandate through innovative programs

4.     Reassessing the roles of decision makers, donors, museum professionals, and audience as stakeholders 

5.     Going against the grain: Reinventing traditional museum practices

6.     Reassessing the mission/ vision of a university museum in line with the university per se mission/ vision

II.    Greening the Museums and the Environs: Challenges in preservation and conservation of cultural property

1.     Sustainable practices in preservation and conservation

2.     Collaborative conservation research projects by the various units of the university

3.     Utilizing cost-efficient and eco-friendly materials in aspects of collections management

III. Role of University Museums in Cultural Tourism: Enhancing tourism through museum experience

1.     Restoration and/or beautification projects of historical university museum buildings for tourism promotion 

2.     Partnerships with the local government and private organizations in promotional activities

3.     Going Viral: Museum publicity and online platforms

Papers may be presented in three forms:

a.)    20 minute formal talks(15 minutes talk + 5 minutes discussion)

b.)   10 minute informal ‘experiences’ or 5 minutes inform-all

c.)    Posters

All submitted abstracts should include:

·       Title of submitted paper

·       Type of paper: 20 minutes, 10 minutes or poster

·       Name of Author(s)

·       Affiliation(s)

·       Address(es)

·       Contact Email Address

·       Telephone Number

·       Fax Number

·       Abstract in English (not to exceed 300 words)

·       Support equipment required

·       Include a short biography highlighting main research interest (not more than 50 words)

Poster papers should be A1 (594mm x 841mm), portrait format.

Participate to UMAC ‘inform-all social’ event. To be selected, you must provide the following in one document:

·       Name, position and email

·       Your institution’s name and website specific to the museums, galleries or collections therein

·       Compose a short description of the proposed content of the 5 minute talk (max 100 words)

Abstracts will be accepted electronically until February 10, 2015.

All submitted abstracts will receive an acknowledgment notice by email.

All submissions (papers accounts and posters) will be considered by a Review Committee who will assess each abstract for relevance to the theme, museological importance and clarity of ideas and expression. The review committee will let proposers know their decision within two week.

It is our intention to publish the abstracts and the papers given on the UMAC’s website. Selected presentations (after further review) will be published and printed as part of the conference proceedings.

If you would like to submit a paper or poster, please send the abstract (in English) to:

UMAC 2015 Secretariat

umac2015manila@mnl.ust.edu.ph or umac2015manila@yahoo.com

copy furnish chair@umac.icom.museum