27th ICOM General Conference

This year, we will gather in Dubai for the 27th International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference.

For information about the conference, call for papers, and registration, please visit the official conference webpage.

CIMUSET Activities during the General Conference

Session A: Navigating the Chain of Accessibility

In this fast-paced workshop, participants will analyze each stage of the Accessibility Chain, while receiving tools to create action-items to apply it in their institutions. The Accessibility Chain, also known as the mobility chain, is a process that ensures accessibility and universal design at all stages of an experience. It focuses on creating inclusive environments by considering accessibility needs from the user’s perspective, starting with their initial decision to visit and ending with their safe return home. The Chain not only applies to people with disabilities (visual, auditory, motor, cognitive and learning), but also those who experience social, economic or ethnic/cultural disadvantages. Facilitators: Annkatrin Mayer, Dialog Haus Hamburg, Amparo Leyman Pino, Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Session B: Collecting the Digital: Rethinking Materiality in Science and University Museums (session together with ICOM UMAC)

Digital technologies present a unique challenge for science and university museums. Unlike traditional scientific instruments or artifacts, digital innovations—such as artificial intelligence, algorithms, and data-driven research tools—often lack a physical presence that corresponds to their profound societal impact. This session explores how museums can collect, document, and interpret digital and contemporary scientific heritage in ways that preserve both their material and conceptual significance.

Bringing together perspectives from universities and museum professionals, this session will examine key questions: How do we collect and exhibit AI and other digital technologies? When is the physical object necessary, and when can alternative collecting strategies be employed? How do decisions about what to collect shape future research and public engagement?

Through a keynote presentation, case studies, and discussion, this session will highlight innovative approaches to collecting scientific heritage from university labs and beyond. Rather than providing definitive answers, it will raise critical questions about the evolving role of collections in the digital age, balancing materiality, research, and dissemination.

Session C: Education(s) in Science and Natural History Museums: Potential Orientations and Impact for Audiences from Early Childhood to Young Adults (together with ICOM CECA and ICOM NATHIST)

Science museums can exhibit quite different collections in quite different ways. They can also adopt quite various modes of interpretation and mediation. Concentrating on youth, from early childhood to young adults, the session will tend to foster discussion between attendees around diverse case studies and reflexions interrogating the specificities of sciences in museum education.

International Committee’s Day: The Future of Science Museums: New Roles, Sustainability, and Relevance in Rapidly Changing Communities

Science museums are at a pivotal moment, standing at the crossroads of evolving societal needs and global challenges. As trusted institutions, their role has never been more vital. During CIMUSET Day at the 27th ICOM General Conference in Dubai this November, we invite you to explore how science museums can navigate and thrive in a post-truth society, where misinformation, disinformation, and urgent issues like climate change and artificial intelligence demand innovative and adaptive approaches.

Building on the momentum of the new museum definition adopted in Prague in 2022, the CIMUSET Day will focus on the responsibilities of science museums and centres to foster trust, promote sustainability, and engage with diverse communities. This is an opportunity to examine the evolving roles of science museums in shaping informed, resilient, and inclusive societies.

CIMUSET Travel Grant 2025

CIMUSET offers travel grants to support participation in the conference. Grants may cover travel, accommodation, registration, or other related costs.

Costs will be reimbursed after the conference.

Deadline to apply: 22 June 2025
Contact: secretary.cimuset@icom.museum (please email after submitting your abstract with application and budget).

Priority will be given to:

Applicants from ICOM Categories 3, 4 & 5
Presenters in the CIMUSET/UMAC Session B or CIMUSET Day
CIMUSET personal or institutional members

CIMUSET