Taipei, Oct. 30 (CNA) An international conference on museum management will be held in Taipei and gather experts from around the world to discuss the new roles and missions of the institutions, organizers announced Monday.
The International Committee on Management (INTERCOM) 2006 Annual Meeting and Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) will be held at the Taipei International Convention Center from Nov. 2-4, the Council of Cultural Affairs (CCA) announced at a press conference.
"The importance of Taiwan hosting the event has been underestimated because Taiwan is not even an ICOM member," said CCA vice chairman Wu Chin-fa.
Wu added this is only the second instance of an Asian country hosting the annual meeting, which shows ICOM is starting to pay attention to museums in Asia and regional issues in cultural assets preservation.
Museum experts from 11 countries -- such as Kenya, Indonesia and Nepal, among others -- will focus on the main theme of the conference: the new roles and missions of museums. Issues to be discussed include the new social relevance of museums, different types and roles of museums, and the local, regional and national
identity of museums.
A total of 40 theses by 24 scholars will be presented at the three-day conference, which Hsiao Tsung-huang, director of the National Taiwan Museum, described as "a great opportunity to open dialogue between Taiwan's museums and the world."
Established in 1946, ICOM is an international organization of museums and museum professionals that is committed to conservation, continuation and communication of the world's natural and cultural heritage.
It is also a non-governmental organization that maintains formal relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).