Annual Conference 

ICOM International Committee for the Training of Personnel (ICTOP)

Taiwan Museums Association, the National Museum of History Taiwan and the National Palace Museum Taiwan

November, 12th to 17th 2026

Taipei Taiwan

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

ICTOP, Taiwan Museums Association, the National Museum of History Taiwan and the National Palace Museum Taiwan

announce a joint conference:

How Can Sustainable Museum Training and Education Respond to the Needs of Small and Local Museums?

This joint conference brings together museum professionals, educators, researchers, and policymakers to address a critical challenge in the museums sector: the development of sustainable and future-oriented approaches to museum training and education, with particular attention to the needs of small and local museums. Across many regions, these institutions form the backbone of cultural heritage preservation and community engagement, yet they often face structural limitations in terms of resources, staffing, and access to professional development.

In this context, the conference seeks to examine how museum studies and training programs can be strengthened and reoriented to respond more effectively to evolving professional demands and societal transformations. It further aims to explore how such systems can contribute to more equitable, resilient, and context-sensitive capacity building within the museum field.

A central focus will be placed on the role of inter-institutional collaboration, including partnerships between higher education institutions, and museums, as well as the development of regional, national, and international networks that support knowledge exchange and professional learning. 

By bringing together diverse perspectives from practice, policy making, and academia, the conference aspires to contribute to the advancement of sustainable frameworks for museum development and to strengthen the long-term viability of small and local museums in a rapidly changing global environment.

We invite museum professionals, professors/lecturers in museology and related subjects, students in museum studies and other heritage professionals (ICOM and non ICOM members) to share their experience, case studies, practice, thoughts, research and ideas on these topics:

• How can museum study programs evolve to prepare qualified museum professionals for the changing needs of the 21st century?
• How can training frameworks for local heritage professionals balance local relevance and global perspectives on a sustainable manner?
• How can partnerships and networks strengthen study programs that support the development of small and local museums?

Your contribution could be in the form of a

• presentation/paper (15-20 minutes)
• workshop (1 hour)

Please, send your abstract (250 to 350 words maximum) and short biography (maximum 150 words) before September 1st, 2026. 

Ultimate announcement of approved proposals is September 21st, 2026.

The following information should be included with the abstract:

• Name(s) of Author(s) / or workshop leader(s)
• Affiliation(s) & full address(es)
• Title of submitted paper & type of presentation
• Abstract in English (250 to 350 words maximum)
• Support equipment required (if any)
• Short bio/CV of presenter(s) (no more than 150 words)
• Please label your filenames with your surname and ICTOP2026.
• Font: Arial

Abstract submissions should be sent as a MS word, or PDF attachment to the ICOM-ICTOP 2026 Program Committee:

icom.ictop[at]gmail.com 

Please attach to the mail as CC the following mails: 

eddiewclai2015[at]gmail.com