CIVIS Museum University Forum

Generating Roadmaps for Research in Museums

Generating Roadmaps for Research in Museums was an online gathering designed as a collaborative space for PhD students working on heritage-, museum-, and collection-related topics. Rather than a traditional academic conference, this meeting emphasises peer-to-peer networking, building new connections, and exchanging ideas in a supportive environment.

A select group of professors provided guidance during the event, but the core of this meeting was about learning from each other, clarifying research directions, and developing meaningful discussions.

Through short presentations, interactive discussions, and small-group exchanges, this event aimed to help participants navigate the complexities of museum research, develop their research angles, and gain new perspectives. We hope to create an engaging and comfortable space where PhD students can share insights, offer constructive feedback, and explore potential collaborations.

The discussions are a contribution to the future direction of MUF, as they explored its potential as a platform for interdisciplinary exchange.

Decolonizing University Museum Collections

• Project overview: A long-term initiative aiming to re-evaluate and reinterpret university museum collections of University of Tübingen and Aix-Marseille Université through inclusive and ethical research practices.

• The first Think Tank meeting: titled Reinterpreting university museum collections, this collaborative digital initiative for decolonization took place in Tübingen and Stuttgart between 1 and 4 April 2025, uniting university and museum professionals from Uganda, France, and Germany. The meeting, supported by CIVIS Seed funding for research activities and African-European collaboration, provided an opportunity to explore the ethical, pedagogical, and practical challenges of working with collections shaped by colonial legacies. Activities ranged from collection visits, critical discussions on provenance research, source communities’ and students’ involvement to the co-design of future joint teaching and research projects.

The story behind "Challenging Museums: Rethinking Institutional Norms and Practices" project offered in the past years shows how you can create a model for future educational programmes, highlighting the value of international and interdisciplinary approaches in university education.

From BIP to long lasting collaborations

Created through a combination of three Blended Intensive Programmes organised since 2022 by the Museum, Heritage and Cultural Studies departments at four CIVIS universities, the course has not only deepened relationships between partner universities and local museums, but also led to new collaborative projects and research initiatives. The innovative programme contributed significantly to the connections between universities and museums in the involved cities - Marseille in 2022, Athens and Elefsina (Cultural Capital of Europe 2023) in 2023, and Tübingen and Stuttgart in 2024. The students valued the combination of academic, creative, and practical aspects of museology presented during the BIPs, the programme's role in highlighting how museums can reflect and influence social developments, as well as the diverse perspectives it offered on contemporary issues.

It serves as a hub for discussion, idea-sharing, and networking among those interested in developing joint initiatives, such as co-supervised PhDs, collaborative research projects, and new teaching formats. The Moodle platform also serves as an archive for key discussions and materials from our meetings. There, participants can revisit insights from past events, find relevant resources, and continue conversations beyond in-person encounters. It supports exchange and collaboration through two main areas:

• A general discussion and idea-sharing space, where members can brainstorm joint initiatives such as co-supervised PhDs, collaborative research, and new teaching formats.
• A focused area for the annual CIVIS MUF PhD students’ meetings, including access to program details, participant contributions, recordings of the meetings, and outcomes from past events.

Together, these spaces foster long-term connections and collaborative projects across disciplines and institutions.