{"id":46128,"date":"2021-10-11T10:55:30","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T08:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/?page_id=46128"},"modified":"2026-05-26T17:34:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:34:23","slug":"icom-imrec","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/","title":{"rendered":"ICOM-IMREC"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"headline\"><strong>The ICOM International Museum Research and Exchange Centre (ICOM-IMREC) is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The idea was born after the ICOM General Conference in Kyoto 2019. ICOM and Shanghai University in China agreed to implement Resolution 2 of the General Assembly (to integrate Asia into the ICOM Community) by establishing an International Museum Research and Exchange Centre (ICOM-IMREC).<\/p>\n<p>ICOM-IMREC provides research and knowledge-exchange opportunities for ICOM members around the world, especially those young museum leaders from emerging countries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ICOM-IMREC\u2019s objectives are to:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stimulate a global think tank and an international network<\/li>\n<li>Address critical theoretical and practical issues that the international museum community is facing<\/li>\n<li>Promote cross-geographical and interdisciplinary collaborations for scientific research on current and emerging issues commonly shared by the museum community<\/li>\n<li>Publish data analysis and research reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Recent ICOM-IMREC activities <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>SEMINAR: <em>Museums, Decolonisation, and Restitution: A Global Conversation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-68744\" src=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-768x475.jpg 768w, https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2.jpg 1171w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On March 20\u201321, 2023, ICOM-IMREC hosted a hybrid seminar, &#8220;<em>Museums, Decolonisation, and Restitution: A Global Conversation<\/em>&#8221; at the Shanghai University. Accessible globally via streaming, this seminar explored the decolonisation of museums and restitution practices, attracting 144.000 online attendees and 200 in person.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 1<\/strong> focused on decolonisation, examining the reimagining of museums, the intellectual infrastructure of decolonisation, and its impact on language, collections, and workforce. Discussions concluded with the presentation of the working title <em>Decolonisation: Difficult Histories and National Identity<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 2<\/strong> addressed restitution, analysing its implications for communities, restitution laws, policies, and case studies presented by experts.<\/p>\n<p>Publication of the seminar proceedings<\/p>\n<p>Learn about the <a href=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/news\/icom-imrecs-seminar-museums-decolonisation-and-restitution\/\">program<\/a> and access the <a href=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/news\/museums-decolonization-and-restitution-icom-imrec-seminar-videos\/\">recordings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Publication: Report on Museums and Public Funding <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68745\" src=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"332\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-3.jpg 332w, https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-3-213x300.jpg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In January 2023, ICOM-IMREC selected the International Research Alliance on Public Funding for Museums (IRAPFM), led by the University of Qu\u00e9bec at Montreal (UQAM), as the winning proposal for the Targeted Research Call on Public Funding for Museums. The global research team, including experts from Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Brazil, India, and South Africa, explored the decline in public funding for museums and examined diverse funding models through surveys and a literature review. The final report highlights innovative practices, challenges, sustainable solutions and the need for worldwide advocacy to combat the decline in public funding.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"link_yellow\"><a href=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/news\/addressing-the-crisis-final-report-on-public-funding-for-museums\/\">Read the full report \u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Conference: Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals \u2013 Towards 2030<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68743\" src=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-4.jpg 450w, https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-4-217x300.jpg 217w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Held from July 2\u20133, 2024 at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul, this hybrid conference attracted over 2,000 participants, including 312 in person, and explored the critical role of museums in achieving the SDGs Agenda 2030. Preceded by a workshop on July 1 at the National Hangeul Museum, the event featured keynotes by Jaeseung Jeong and Henry McGhie, panel discussions, and collaborative workshops focusing on the five pillars of sustainable development: Partnership, People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68742\" src=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"603\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-5.jpg 603w, https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-5-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The conference outcomes included actionable recommendations for integrating museums into the SDG framework, with proceedings featuring insights from global experts.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"link_red\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/news\/icom-imrec-conference-museums-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-towards-2030\/\"><strong>Access the conference content and recordings<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Publication of the conference proceedings (add publication)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fully Funded Scholarships for Master\u2019s Degrees in Cultural Heritage<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68741\" src=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"266\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p>ICOM-IMREC offers 10 fully- funded scholarships every year for ICOM members to pursue a 3-year Master\u2019s degree in cultural heritage studies at the School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management, Shanghai University. The scholarships cover tuition fees, accommodation, and living expenses, aiming to equip future museum professionals with the expertise to address challenges in the cultural sector.<\/p>\n<p>Applications are open until March each year, and candidates are selected based on their academic merit, experience, and dedication to cultural heritage.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"link_blue\"><a href=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/news\/call-for-applications-icom-imrec-masters-scholarship-programme-2026\/\">Learn more about the application process.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Digital Leadership Research Fellowship<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2025, ICOM-IMREC launched this initiative aimed at advancing strategic digital transformation in museums. Recognising the increasing role of digitalisation in the sector, this program supports senior museum professionals in developing and implementing innovative digital projects within their institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Through a combination of expert-led workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and collaborative knowledge exchange, the program seeks to build a global network of digital leaders. Selected Fellows will participate in structured online learning, receive tailored guidance from experienced mentors, and present their projects at Shanghai University and Suzhou Museum in March 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ICOM International Museum Research and Exchange Centre (ICOM-IMREC) is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas. The idea was born after the ICOM General Conference in Kyoto 2019. ICOM and Shanghai University in China agreed to implement Resolution 2 of the General Assembly (to integrate Asia into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":2982,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-46128","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>ICOM-IMREC - International Council of Museums<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The ICOM-IMREC is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ICOM-IMREC - International Council of Museums\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The ICOM-IMREC is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"International Council of Museums\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-26T15:34:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1171\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"724\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/\",\"name\":\"ICOM-IMREC - International Council of Museums\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-11T08:55:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-26T15:34:23+00:00\",\"description\":\"The ICOM-IMREC is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/icom-imrec\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Research\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/research\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"ICOM-IMREC\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"International Council of Museums\",\"description\":\"A global organisation of museums &amp; museum professionals committed to the promotion and protection of cultural heritage\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"International Council of Museums\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/ICOM_M_.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/ICOM_M_.jpg\",\"width\":1721,\"height\":1721,\"caption\":\"International Council of Museums\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/icom.museum\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"ICOM-IMREC - International Council of Museums","description":"The ICOM-IMREC is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"ICOM-IMREC - International Council of Museums","og_description":"The ICOM-IMREC is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.","og_url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/","og_site_name":"International Council of Museums","article_modified_time":"2026-05-26T15:34:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1171,"height":724,"url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/","url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/","name":"ICOM-IMREC - International Council of Museums","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg","datePublished":"2021-10-11T08:55:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-26T15:34:23+00:00","description":"The ICOM-IMREC is an international research and exchange platform concerning the museum field and its related areas.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICOM-IMREC-2-1024x633.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/icom-imrec\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/research\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"ICOM-IMREC"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/","name":"International Council of Museums","description":"A global organisation of museums &amp; museum professionals committed to the promotion and protection of cultural heritage","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/#organization","name":"International Council of Museums","url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ICOM_M_.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ICOM_M_.jpg","width":1721,"height":1721,"caption":"International Council of Museums"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46128"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68758,"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46128\/revisions\/68758"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icom.museum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}