Welcome

Opening
Remarks

Distinguished guests from home and abroad! It is my great pleasure to host the 50th Conference of ICOM-CIMUSET. I would like to extend my warmest welcome to President Marie Gilbertova who is leading the CIMUSET, as well as to the board of the CIMUSET committee members and the more than 100 participants from abroad who will provide presentations and join in our discussions. My thanks also go to our national participants.

In August of last year, I signed an MOU with ICOM-CIMUSET in Prague, Czech Republic for the successful hosting of this conference. I find it all the more meaningful to be upholding the promise I made in Prague here in Seoul. I also promised to show everyone the crystal clear autumn atmosphere of Seoul and I am pleased to have fulfilled that promise as well.

The National Aviation Museum of Korea opened on July 20, 2020 under the slogan, “Where you can reach your highest dreams in the nearest way.” Therefore, the tasks to be performed as a museum and the social responsibilities of a national museum rest in abundance on our plate. As you may be aware, a new museum definition was adopted at the ICOM Prague 2022. Each of the newly added words move a step further from the existing definition of a museum towards becoming “a museum for all,” seeming to present a route and goal for the National Aviation Museum of Korea which has just raised its landing gear for takeoff.

To this end, today’s conference, held under the topic of “Enhancing the Accessibility to Museums,” will serve as a valuable forum for prominent experts from all across the world to share and converge their insights in order to apply concepts like accessibility, inclusiveness, diversity and sustainability to the field of science and technology museums. We received more than 100 abstracts from 30 countries during the call for abstracts that was open from March until June. Of these, we carefully selected 60 abstracts that will present theories, practices, plans and voices in the field for the next three days so as to facilitate a wave of active discussion.

We have spared no effort in preparing this conference so that you can spend a meaningful time in Korea. The National Aviation Museum of Korea will take this conference as an opportunity to stand tall, as presented in our vision of being “the Central Agency of Aviation Culture That Ushers in the Future.”

Last but not least, I would like to once again extend my appreciation to Vice-president InKyung Jang of ICOM who will deliver the keynote speech, President Sunjung Kim of ICOM-KOREA, President Hanhee Cho of the Korean Museum Association, and Chairman Hyeong Jung Yoon of the Korea Civil Aviation Association. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to Vice-president Jacob Thorek Jensen and Secretary Riina Linna of CIMUSET who have been actively involved in preparing this conference together with the National Aviation Museum of Korea since last February. I would like to once again thank the speakers and other distinguished guests from home and abroad who have taken time out of their busy schedules to join us.

October 23, 2023Ahn, Tae-hyun
President/CEO of the National Aviation Museum of Korea

Welcoming
Remarks

Dear colleagues, dear National Aviation Museum of Korea's president - Taehyun Ahn, and dear guests.

it is my great honor and pleasure to personally welcome you to the 50th Annual Conference of CIMUSET, a committee of the International Council of Museums - ICOM. Our committee brings together experts, museum workers and other enthusiasts for science and technology. One of the goals of our work is to provide space for cooperation, communication, and exchange of information on the protection of this kind of cultural heritage. We have different specializations, we come from different backgrounds, but we are united by the same topics. At our meetings, which are regularly held in different places in the world, we share the joys and sorrows of our beautiful and varied work. This year we are meeting at your place, on the grounds of the National Aviation Museum of Korea. It is a great honor to be able to personally welcome and meet such a number of participants from all over the world this year, especially after the previous few years when our in-person meetings were significantly limited by the COVID-19 pandemic and moved more into the online space.

As you know, the key word of this year's conference is "accessibility", not only physical accessibility, but also mental, ethnic, etc. The theme of this year's conference is "Enhancing the accessibility to museums.“ In the next three days we will have a chance to listen to presentations of exceptional guests from all over the world, of whom there are more than 60. The topics, or questions formulated by the organizing team, are as follows:

For whom is accessibility improved and enhanced?
How can we improve an enhancing accessibility in museums?
What role should museums play in strengthening accessibility?

Terms such as accessibility, sustainability, diversity, etc., are also part of the new museum definition, which we approved last year as part of the ICOM General Conference in Prague. Their more significant inclusion in our work and application in practice are very important for all of us, although in reality it is not always easy. On this occasion, we will also have the opportunity to discuss this new museum definition and how it can be implemented in science and technology museums.

Meeting in person is what makes us a community and what creates friendships. Sharing experiences and examples of good practice strengthens our expertise and work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this possible and participated in the preparation of this conference. Many thanks to the National Aviation Museum of Korea, and to the entire organizing team for their warm welcome and unwavering commitment, namely Khayoung Kim and her colleagues. I would also like to thank the board of the CIMUSET committee for their tireless cooperation in the preparations, namely Riina and Jacob. And last but not least, I thank all of you who are participating with us in this exceptional conference.

Marie Gilbertova
ICOM CIMUSET Chair

Congratulatory
Remarks

Good morning everyone. I am Seon-jeong Kim, chairperson of the Korean National Committee of International Council of Museums (ICOM Korea).

I am delighted to have the opportunity to address you at the opening ceremony of the 50th Conference of CIMUSET 2023 Seoul, which is being held at the National Aviation Museum of Korea in October when the sky is deep and blue and leaves are turning red and gold.

As many of you are aware, the National Aviation Museum of Korea is one of our country's premier science and technology museums, focused on aviation. It has been actively fostering international collaboration with leading science and technology museums around the world, under the auspices of ICOM CIMUSET. Today's event provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the vision and international capabilities of the National Aviation Museum of Korea, not only in the field of aviation but also in various aspects related to museums. We hope this conference will serve as a platform for demonstrating our multidimensional growth and expertise to museum professionals from around the world.

Today, there is active discourse surrounding the accessibility, inclusivity, and diversity of museums within the museum community. In particular, during the ICOM General Conference held in Prague, Czech Republic in 2022, a new museum definition was introduced. This redefinition prompted a reevaluation of the responsibilities and roles of museums regarding accessibility, inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability. Today's academic conference serves as a platform to apply these new museum concepts and definitions to science and technology museums, facilitating in-depth discussions. We are confident that this event will open new scholarly horizons for improving accessibility in science and technology museums, and we hope to discover insights for creating museums that are truly inclusive and accessible to all.

Today, I know that profound discussions on the fundamental approach to museum accessibility, as well as engaging case studies from diverse national museums, are taking place with the participation of museum experts and scholars from around the world at today’s international academic conference. We acknowledge the presence of esteemed guests, including the National Aviation Museum of Korea, CIMUSET, president of CIMUSET, presidentn of Korea Civil Aviation Association and all the presenters who have joined us to share valuable research topics that have been explored over time. We extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to each and every one of you. We hope that this event becomes a meaningful and enriching experience for all. Thank you.

Seon-jeong Kim
Chairperson of the Korean National Committee of International Council of Museums (ICOM Korea)

Good morning. I am Han-hee Cho, president of the Korean Museum Association. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on the opening of ICOM CIMUSET conference at the National Aviation Museum of Korea.

National Aviation Museum of Korea has been an active member of ICOM since its opening in 2020 and has been leading international cooperation with world’s leading science and technology museums in the CIMUSET subcommittee.

This academic conference holds a significant place as it contributes to raising the international profile of museums in South Korea.

I would like to recognize that the National Aviation Museum of Korea leverages its expertise in the field of aviation and science and technology, not only benefiting our nation but also actively engaging with the global community through its museum initiatives.

I look forward to insightful presentations from various experts at this academic conference which is being held under the theme of “Enhancing the Accessibility to Museum.”

We hope that this event becomes a platform for exchanging a wide range of perspectives on accessibility.

I believe that the presentations of our distinguished speakers for this event, including Vice President In-kyung Jang from ICOM, President Elizabeth Rasekoala, Professor Hannah Thompson, Member Sinid Burke, and Advisor Camille Berube will greatly contribute to the improvement of museum accessibility.

Lastly, I extend my deep gratitude and congratulations to everyone involved in preparing this academic conference, especially Director Tae-hyun Ahn of the National Aviation Museum of Korea. Thank you.

Han-hee Cho
President of the Korean Museum Association

Ye-ji Kim
The 21st member of the National Assembly