EXPANDING OUR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – OUR INSTITUTION HAS JOINED UNIVERSEUM

From 2024, ELTE University Library and Archives will be a member of the Universeum European Academic Heritage Network.

The mission of the University Heritage Coordination Project, led by the ELTE University Library and Archives, which is also responsible for the preservation of a rich cultural heritage, is to map, protect and make visible the cultural heritage preserved by the University to both the academic and the general public, becoming part of a European network by joining Universeum.

Universeum aims to preserve and promote the European cultural heritage and knowledge assets held in the collections of higher education institutions. The European organisation was founded in 2000 with representatives of collections and museums from twelve European universities at the University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany.

Universeum regularly organises meetings, edits publications and facilitates exchanges between academic heritage institutions across Europe. The organisation is open to heritage and museum professionals, researchers, students, university administrators and all people interested in university heritage, and is committed to the continuous dissemination of knowledge, exchange of expertise and experience, and the promotion of the use of European scientific heritage in research and education. It provides a European forum for the implementation of cooperation projects, encourages the creation of national networks and provides support for the preservation of cultural assets and for networking between European institutions and universities. Annually, it will also organise a conference with in-person participation, in 2024 with ICOM–UMAC, the world association of university collections and museums. Our affiliation will allow us to participate in meetings and build international professional relationships. Our membership currently includes a number of representatives from Eastern Europe, allowing us to contribute effectively to both the European and regional discourse.

Source/author of illustration: ELTE ULA