A joint publication of the University Museums Group (UMG) and University Museums in Scotland (UMIS)
“A University Museum is a space to encounter extraordinary collections, take part in intellectually rewarding events, witness inspirational teaching and engage with ground-breaking research”
A new publication to highlight the outstanding contribution made by UK University Museums will be launched by Mark Taylor, Director of the Museums Association at the Museums Association Conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, 12 November, 2014.
This report celebrates the growing success of University museums as part of the UK higher education sector and their unique contribution to the public profile of universities across the UK. University Museums hold 30% of nationally-significant collections but constitute only 4% of England and Wales’ museums. In Scotland, three university museums alone hold 14% of nationally-significant collections.
The report shows how University Museums deliver unique benefits to the HE and wider cultural sector and have demonstrated exceptional performance in leveraging funding, with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) core funding having enabled an increase of non-HE funding by 179 per cent to £20.34 million over the last five years. Resourcing from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Council (SFC) has recently increased its museums, galleries and collections grant to £6 million over five academic years and extended the number of universities receiving the grant from five to nine to include all higher education institutions which have nationally accredited collections.
Kate Arnold Forster and Sally MacDonald, joint chairs of the University Museums Group: “This report celebrates the exceptional contribution that University Museums make to the quality and impact of academic research, to teaching and the student experience, to the profile of universities nationally and internationally as well as their economic and social contributions as visitor attractions and cultural destinations. We hope this report provides a valuable perspective on the great potential of University Museums to enhance the quality and vitality of higher education in challenging economic times.
Leave a Reply