University Museums in Scotland - Conference 2011
The Kelvin Gallery, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
Thursday 27 to Friday 28 October 2011
UNIVERSITIES AND MUSEUMS: NEW RULES OF ENGAGEMENT?
This conference aims to explore the current and potentially changing relationship between universities and museum and gallery services; and to clarify emerging challenges and future strategic directions. In addition to a focus on the dynamic situation of university museums in Scotland, the programme will also draw on the current experience of colleagues from counterpart institutions elsewhere.
Scottish university museum and gallery services need to remain core business to their parent organisation and main funding source. In the brave new world of REF (Research Excellence Framework), university objectives are beginning to shift from what were once diverse agendas towards a greater focus on research excellence and the impact of public engagement activities. University museum and gallery services may need to align themselves with this changing strategy and demonstrate their impact more explicitly in terms of research and teaching engagement, through enhancing the student learning experience and by creating a distinctive cultural strand to the university's global identity. However, whilst our institutions are expected to be dynamic and innovative in their programmes, they are also being asked to make deep cuts in their infrastructure. How do they balance this contradiction and continue to develop their role as a core university service?
Programme
Where names are highlighted, you can click on them to see the speakers' Powerpoint presentations and/or the text of their papers.
Thursday 27 October
17:00 Welcomes
Neil Curtis (Head of Museums, University of Aberdeen), Convenor of UMiS
David Gaimster (Director, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow)
17:10 KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Sally MacDonald, Director of UCL Museums and Collections
'Not core business' - why should universities spend money on museums?'
18:00 UMiS Reception
Main Museum galleries, The Hunterian
Friday 28 October
9:30 Coffee
SESSION I
10:00 Peter Bjerregaard, Ethnographic Collections, Moesgard Museum, University of Arhus, Denmark.
'Death, materiality and the origin of time - why anthropological research needs museums'
10:30 Jack Ashby, Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL.
'Ask not what your university can do for you...Displaying research and sharing museum experience'
11:00 Eleanor Smith, St Cecilia's Hall, University of Edinburgh.
'Drawing to scale: a museum project in the university environment'
11:30 Coffee break
11:50 Ellen McAdam, Head of Museums, Glasgow Life.
'Finding new friends: collaboration between Glasgow Museums and the University of Glasgow'
12:20 Discussion
12:30 Lunch break
Launch of Revealing the Hidden Collections (on-line search portal to UMIS collections - funded by Scottish Funding Council's Strategic Priority Investments in Research and Innovation Translation (SPIRIT))
SESSION II
14:00 David Gaimster, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow.
'What are university collections for? New contexts, new audiences, new directions at The Hunterian'
14:25 Neil Curtis, University of Aberdeen Museums.
'Public engagement, research and teaching: the shared aims of the University of Aberdeen and its museums'
14:50 Tea break
15:15 Ann Gunn, Museum and Gallery Studies, University of St Andrews.
'Playing to our strengths: the uses of university collections. The view from St Andrews'
15:40 Alison Turnbull, Head of Research and Standards, MGS.
'Seeing museums differently'
16:05 Concluding discussion, chaired by Kate Arnold Foster (MERL, University of Reading)
16:30 Close
Cick here to read a review of the conference by Kate Arnold Foster
