ICOM-ASPAC 2012 General Assembly in Wuhan, China

The 2012 Assembly of the International Council of Museums Asia-Pacific Alliance (ICOM-ASPAC) was held in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China from 24 to 27 September, organised in cooperation with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and Hubei Provincial Government, hand-in-hand with the Chinese Museums Association and Hubei Provincial Museum.

Gathering ICOM colleagues from Asia and the Pacific Region together for discussions on the theme Today’s Museums: Interdisciplinary Approaches, the 2012 ICOM-ASPAC Assembly brought together museum professionals from throughout this vast region to treat relevant issues. Participants could attend a range of panel sessions and keynote speeches dealing with subthemes including Museological Thinking and Ethics, Museum Management and Communication, and Regional Cooperation. ICOM-ASPAC’s Executive Board meeting and a Business Meeting were also held during the Assembly, and ICOM China Chair Song Xinchao was elected as the Regional Alliance’s new Chair.

ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz spoke at the opening ceremony in the company of ICOM-ASPAC Chair Zhang Bai and fellow speakers including Song Xinchao, AFRICOM Chair Nath Mayo Adediran, Hubai Province Governor Wang Guosheng and Director General of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage Li Xiaojie.

A number of visits were also organised to regional sites and museums such as the Hubei Provincial Museum, the Jingzhou Ancient City Wall and the Xiongijazhong Site Museum, while participants were able to further their exploration of the region and country by choosing from an array of pre- and post-conference tours.

ICOM Regional Alliances stimulate international work within a specific region in cooperation with the National Committees of the region or with ICOM’s International Committees. In the wake of the 2010 General Conference in Shanghai, China has hosted yet another successful event, sparking off cross-cultural dialogue and highlighting the various activities undertaken by ICOM members in the region.