To view the descriptions in French or Spanish, change the language of the page above.

Translation notice: This page uses AI-assisted translation. Professional proofreading was not possible due to time and capacity constraints. In case of discrepancies, the original candidate submissions prevail.

Candidate for a position of a Chair:

Marion Bertin

Member of the ICOFOM team since 2017, I am a candidate to chair the committee for the 2025-2028 term. I am a French museologist, museum professional and teacher, trained in France and Canada, and currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium). My research focuses on collections related to colonial history, decolonial museology and museologies in Oceania and Africa. I have been collaborating with numerous museums in Europe and Oceania, including the Museum of New Caledonia, the Musée L in Louvain-la-Neuve, the Musée National Picasso-Paris, the Natural History Museum of Toulouse and the Museum of African, Oceanic and American Arts in Marseille.
My involvement with ICOFOM began in 2017 when I volunteered to assist the secretariat and the preparation of annual symposiums. I was subsequently elected for two consecutive terms as secretary (2019-2022) and then as co-vice-chair (2022-2025). During these two terms, I participated in several activities: organisation of conferences, collaborations with ICOM and external institutions, publications, communication, special SAREC projects, as well as ICOM discussions on the museum definition and the code of ethics. I now have got a clear understanding of ICOM’s internal structures and functioning.
As ICOFOM chair, I would like to examine what museology is today, from an inter- and transnational perspective. Museums are now rethinking their social role in connection with the climate crisis, colonial legacies and issues of inclusion. New museums are emerging in Asia, the Gulf and Africa, turning these regions into laboratories for museum innovation. I am interested in studying more expansively the circulations and transfer of knowledge, expertise, and museum concepts around the world through training and establishment of new museums. From a theoretical point of view, it is also important to understand the impacts of the new museum definition, as well as to study the implementation of the new code of ethics. I wish to follow the path of my predecessors, with whom I have collaborated extensively: François Mairesse, Bruno Brulon Soares, and Karen Brown. Decolonisation, power issues, the social role of museums, island museologies, environmental museology and sensitive collections will still be extensively studied. In line with the previous work undertaken with museology in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Central and Northern Europe, I seek to expand geographical areas studied in the field of theoretical museology. In this regard, some texts will be published and translated, whether they are significant historical landmarks or more recently published texts that shed light on the development of museums.
One of my goals as a Chair will be to help the participation of young museum professionals and museologists in ICOFOM discussions and activities. In particular, I will encourage greater involvement from our colleagues in Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Gulf, where many new museums are being established. Annual conferences, workshops or special projects funded by SAREC will take place in these regions. In addition, I will keep on reuniting theory and practice, in addition to museums and universities offering courses in museology.
Finally, I hope that this election will enable ICOFOM and its members to continue the important groundwork undertaken within ICOM to promote museum theories, while strengthening partnerships with national and international committees.

Candidates for the positions of Vice-chairs:

Melissa Aguilar
Designer, researcher and visual artist

Biography: Melissa Aguilar Rojas (Costa Rica) holds a Master’s degree in Visual Communication Design from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Faculty of Art and Design. Her research interests focus on Experimental Museology and the intersection of Art and Technology from a critical perspective, which was reflected in her master’s project titled The Immersive Experience in the Exhibition Environment. Melissa has been an individual member of ICOM since 2016, actively contributing to various committees in different capacities. Within ICOFOM, Melissa serves as an ordinary board member and Co-chair of the Working Group on Website for the 2023–2025 period. She is currently part of the ICOFOM Communications Team. Additionally, Melissa served as graphic designer and social media coordinator for ICOM LAC from November 2022 to May 2023 and is currently ICOM Costa Rica’s secretary. Academically, Melissa presented her research on immersive museological practices during the ICOFOM session on Museology & Technology at the 2019 Kyoto International Conference, with her paper “Experimental Museology: Towards a Practical Method” (published in ICOFOM Study Series 48-01).In terms of graphic design and visual communication, Melissa has designed promotional materials, flyers, book covers, and branding for various ICOM committees and events. As the graphic designer for several issues of the ICOFOM Study Series (Vol. 50, Issue 2 (2023); Vol. 51, Issue 1–2 (2023); Vol. 52-1 (2024); Vol. 52-2 (2024), Vol. 53-1-2 (2025)), edited by Elizabeth Weiser, she introduced a new visual approach through illustrated covers. Other key contributions include work on publications such as Materials for a Discussion: Transnational Island Museologies (2024) and History of Museology in Latin America and the Caribbean: Fundamental Collections (2024). Furthermore, Melissa designed abstract booklets and promotional materials for the ICOFOM LAC Meetings, including the 31st Meeting (Recife, Brazil, 2023) on Histories of Latin American and Caribbean Museology and the 30th Meeting (Barbados, 2022) on Multivocal Museology in Latin America and the Caribbean since the 1972 Santiago Roundtable.

Native tongue: Spanish
Languages: Spanish, English

Melissa’s motivational statement

I would be delighted to continue contributing to ICOFOM’s mission, this time as Co-Vice Chair, supporting the new board in advancing our strategic vision for the museological field and the wider museum community. My experience as a board member (2023–2025) has been an invaluable learning process, enhancing my comprehension of ICOFOM’s structure, history, and relevance today as a cultural and academic harbor for the international museum landscape.

Building bridges between academic research and creative practice is central to my professional approach, and ICOFOM has been the ideal platform to apply both dimensions—reflected in my design and visual contributions throughout the current mandate.

For this upcoming period, I envision my role as a connector—strengthening partnerships and fostering collaborative projects with other ICOM committees, especially ICOFOM LAC and Latin American International Committees, SOMUS and Regional Alliances.

As Co-vice Chair, I aim to take on greater responsibility in organising, negotiating, and supporting strategic planning, while also continuing to contribute my expertise in design and communication for ICOFOM’s communication strategy. I am prepared to represent ICOFOM when needed and actively participate in planning and coordination through our conferences, meetings, and other events.

I bring to this role a strong sense of collective consciousness, the ability to approach challenges with critical thinking, and a meticulous attention to detail that fuels my passion for excellence.
Above all, I want to honour the trust placed in me during my first mandate by working alongside colleagues whose professionalism and dedication inspire me. I am committed to contributing my creativity, organisational skills, and cross-cultural perspective to help ICOFOM strengthen its leadership in museological thought and practice for the 2025–2028 period.

Working Groups + skills brought to those groups:

(1) Communications Working Group

Strengthening outreach across social media platforms
Promoting effective, multilingual communication
Updating content for the website. (Linked to website revision working group)
Translation and proofreading in Spanish.

(2) Website Revision Working Group

Ongoing review and optimisation of existing pages.
Updating and maintaining the news section.
Creation of new pages and archival of content.
Supporting translations in ICOM’s three official languages.

(3) Publications Working Group

Extensive experience in book, zine, art catalogue, and art book design.
Graphic design for publications, including covers, layout supervision, and
promotional materials.
Spanish-language revisions when required.
Visual strategy development to strengthen ICOFOM’s editorial identity.

| Application submitted in English and Spanish | Read all the texts in English, French or Spanish on our website

 

Didier Marcel Houénoudé

Professor of Art History, University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) / Research Associate and Acting Deputy Director of the Saxon State Ethnographic Collections

I am submitting my candidacy for the position of Vice-President of the International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM) with the desire to actively contribute to the strategic development of our committee, the promotion of museology, and the networking of museum institutions worldwide.

As an art historian and teacher-researcher, I have devoted my career to the study, teaching, and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage (University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, Saxony National Ethnographic Collections in Germany). My career has led me to collaborate with national and international museums, organize and participate in numerous scientific conferences, and publish several reference works on art history, heritage, and museology. This experience has given me a deep understanding of the challenges facing museums, whether in terms of restitution, audience inclusion, sustainability, or digital transition.

Didier Marcel’s motivational statement

My vision for ICOFOM is based on three pillars: enhancing the visibility of museums, particularly African museums, and museological research; promoting intercontinental collaboration; and supporting the development of innovative and inclusive scientific events.

To increase visibility, I propose to boost communication through a collaborative digital platform, a series of thematic webinars, and the enhancement of the quarterly newsletter. These tools will enable the wider dissemination of museological ideas and consolidate ICOFOM’s place in the international debate.

In terms of collaboration, I would like to develop twinning and residency programs between museums in Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, encourage the multilingual translation of publications, and support the creation of a mobility fund for young researchers and professionals in order to promote the circulation of knowledge and equitable access to opportunities.

With regard to conferences, I will contribute my experience to the organization of congresses and advocate for the regular holding of decentralized regional conferences, associated with traveling doctoral schools. These initiatives will make it possible to include the diversity of museum realities more fully in collective reflection.

These projects are part of a partnership and funding approach, in collaboration with SAREC, UNESCO, the European Union, and other institutions. I also propose the creation of an observatory of museum innovations to document and analyze emerging practices.

As vice-president, I will work closely with the presidency, providing strategic and operational support (project monitoring, funding, international representation). With my strong academic roots in Africa, I will support the increased involvement of colleagues from Africa, Oceania, and the Gulf, while contributing to the visibility and dissemination of knowledge.

I wish to put my experience, rigor, and commitment at the service of ICOFOM, in order to make it a global platform for research, dialogue, and museological experimentation, serving cooperation between museums and heritage professionals.

Candidate for the position of Treasurer:

Jamie Allan Brown

Biography

Jamie Allan Brown is a Research Fellow in the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He currently serves as Treasurer of ICOFOM, Co-Chair of the Working Group on Conferences and Manager of Membership. His research and practice focus on museums, community heritage, and sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on youth participation within museology and climate action. He has extensive experience coordinating international projects across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Oceania, supporting heritage initiatives and collaborations with partners ranging from institutions to grassroots community groups. These include the award-winning EU-LAC Museums project and the Shared Island Stories youth exchange programme, longlisted for the ICOM Sustainability Award. Jamie has published widely on museology and heritage, and is committed to fostering inclusive, intergenerational, and globally connected community-led approaches to the future of museums.

Statement of Intent:

I wish to stand for re-election as ICOFOM Board Member and Treasurer for the 2025–2028 mandate. Over the past term, I have brought strategic leadership to ICOFOM’s financial management, ensuring accountability, transparency, and the sustainable use of resources. I have strengthened collaboration with the ICOM Secretariat and partner committees, building confidence in ICOFOM’s governance and positioning the committee as a model of good practice within ICOM.

As Co-Chair of the Working Group on Conferences, I have successfully coordinated our 47th Annual Meeting in St Andrews, Scotland, the ICOM Qatar-led ICOFOM Symposium in Doha, Qatar and am now leading preparations for the 48th Annual Symposium in Dubai, UAE (2025). I also secured three consecutive years of SAREC Special Project funding, an unprecedented achievement, which has enabled ICOFOM to deliver a global youth workshop series across 18 countries and territories by the end of 2025. These workshops connect cultural heritage concerns to international policy frameworks by engaging directly with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 targets, demonstrating the relevance of museums and museology in addressing climate change, sustainability, and social justice. Crucially, this research provides a strong foundation for ICOFOM to influence international museum policy and ensure that theoretical advances in museology are reflected in global practice.

In the next mandate, I propose to:

• Uphold rigorous and transparent financial management as Treasurer;
• Continue to strengthen ICOFOM’s financial resilience by attracting and managing external funding opportunities;
• Expand and ensure fair, transparent management of the Young Scholar Grants to support emerging researchers’ participation in ICOFOM symposia;
• Build on collaborations to bring ICOFOM symposia to locations not yet represented across the Africa and the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia–Pacific regions;
• Expand world-leading partnerships, leveraging my experience coordinating large-scale international projects across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
I bring proven expertise in governance, finance, communication, and transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder partnership-building. Above all, I am committed to ensuring that ICOFOM not only remains financially secure and globally influential, but also leads as the foremost international forum where diverse voices shape the future theory and practice of museology within ICOM and beyond.

 

Candidates for the position of Secretary:

Elizabeth Weiser

I am an Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor in the Department of English at The Ohio State University in the US. Specializing in rhetoric and museology. My several monographs include Museum Rhetoric: Building Civic Identity in National Spaces, along with four co-edited anthologies and 37 articles and book chapters. My current book project, Rhetorics of Repair: Museums of Conscience and Civic Healing, is under review at Routledge. I have been a member of ICOFOM since 2012 and have twice been elected to the Executive Board. I currently serve as the editor-in-chief of the ICOFOM Study Series, as well as managing editor of all ICOFOM publications. I have also served as a reviewer for some 20 academic presses and journals. I hold a PhD in rhetoric and composition, an MFA in creative writing, and an MA in international education.

During the 2025-28 year I hope to serve as Secretary of ICOFOM. My expertise is in communications, skills particularly useful to the person who must record the minutes. I also have prior board experience with maintaining membership rolls and communicating with members, and I can communicate in English, French and Spanish, the three official languages of ICOM.

Apart from the specific duties, I see the Secretary position enabling me to remain on the Board for one more term. I want to continue working to expand our outreach and sensitivity to the Global South. My entire career I’ve taught on a campus where most students are Black or Brown, poor, and/or the first in their family to go to college; prior to academia, I spent a decade as the communications advocate for a Latino-run educational organization. Given my background, I am particularly aware of the need to listen to a greater diversity of voices than the museological world traditionally acknowledges.

That perspective impacts as well choice of working group: I want to continue as editor-in-chief of the ICOFOM Study Series. During my current three-year tenure, we have established protocols for submission, review, and editing; expanded and systematized our list of reviewers; coordinated with staff across several countries; updated both the PDF and online appearance of the journal; and achieved indexing in Scopus, greatly expanding our reach. We also continue to produce the Materials for Discussion and have collaborated on the publication of several monographs. What I am most proud of, however, is the way in which emerging scholars from around the world are better able to publish because I have worked extensively with them through multiple drafts. It takes a lot of work to publish the journal. I cannot envision how we could operate if I were not on the Board and able to provide input and be aware of the ongoing conversations on this critical aspect of ICOFOM work.

 

Candidates for positions of Ordinary Board Members:

Kolawolé Daniel E. ABIDJO

I am a curator and I graduated from the Institut National du Patrimoine (Paris). I majored in museums. I hold two Master’s degrees in heritage studies. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with several famous museum institutions in France, such as the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, the Musée national d’Art moderne – Centre Pompidou, and the Musée des Confluences, where I gained real and practical experience in collections research, provenance studies, and participation in exhibition projects. I have also worked for Expertise France (AFD) on museum projects in Africa, which broadened my understanding of heritage policies and international cultural cooperation.
In parallel, I have contributed to the production of exhibition catalogues such as Mission Dakar-Djibouti, contre-enquêtes (Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac), and have served as curator for several exhibitions. My scientific commitment has also been expressed through the organization and facilitation of conferences and seminars on topics centered on current debates in museology. My research and professional practice focus on issues related to the sacred in museums, provenance, and restitution, with particular attention to intra-African dynamics. Building on these experiences, I am currently pursuing a doctoral thesis to further my specialization in the field of heritage and museums.

Candidacy

I am applying to join the ICOFOM Board as an Ordinary Member for the 2025–2028 term. My ambition is to help make ICOFOM an increasingly inclusive space, where perspectives from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds can be expressed and valued.
I am particularly interested in the Working Group on Conferences. I have already taken part in the organization and facilitation of academic and professional meetings on themes such as restitution, provenance research, and the sacred in museums.
I wish to put this experience to good use at ICOFOM, while developing new skills in the design and management of international events, intercultural coordination and the creation of professional networks.
Furthermore, I believe that Africa needs to have a say in global museological debates. My country, Benin, is currently experiencing unprecedented museum momentum, with the construction of several museums destined to become centers of research and reflection on heritage and museology. I hope to contribute to this momentum within ICOFOM, by strengthening the representation of the African continent and opening up new avenues of reflection based on our local experiences.
My objective is to actively participate in the organization of conferences that are not only moments of scientific dissemination but also real spaces for intercultural dialogues, co-construction, and museological innovation. I am committed to contributing with rigor, creativity, and openness to the activities of ICOFOM and to the collective enrichment of its debates.

 

Lisa Baillargeon
Ph.D., MBA, CPA, Adm.A., ICD.D./IAS.A.

Dr. Lisa Baillargeon is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), board director (ICD.D/IAS.A), and Full Professor of Accounting and Governance at the School of Management of the Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG-UQAM), where she currently serves as Department Chair. She holds a Ph.D. in Economic History (UQAM), and M.A. in Art History, and an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business (Toronto).
Her multidisciplinary expertise covers business and economic history, governance, ethics, performance management, and disclosure regulation. She is Co-Director of the Research Chair on Museums Governance and Cultural Law, which connects academic research with practical governance challenges in the cultural and heritage sectors.
Dr. Baillargeon brings extensive governance experience across public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors through her service on numerous boards and committees. Among others, she is President of the Audit Committee of the City of Montréal, Chair of the Board of Développement International Desjardins (DID), member of the Board of Group Desjardins, and Board Member of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MACM). She has also held senior academic leadership roles, including Vice-President Academic, Director of the UQAM Heritage Institute, and Associate-Dean of ESG UQAM, and served in international academic positions, including in Dubai.
Her bilingual (English/French) profile and international background reflect her commitment to advancing governance practices and ethical standards across contexts

I am seeking election as a regular member of the International Committee’s Board to share my expertise and reinforce the committee’s global diversity. Coming from Québec, the French-speaking part of North America, I bring cultural perspectives, along with professional networks, that enrich the committee’s diversity on a continental scale.
My academic and professional work has consistently centered on ethics, governance, performance management and accountability, particularly within museums and cultural institutions. As Co-Director of the Chair of Museums, Governance and Cultural Law, I lead interdisciplinary projects that examine governance models, financing models, ethical standards, ESG integration, and cultural policy frameworks. These experiences align closely with ICOM’s mission to reinforce best practices and ethical standards worldwide.
Beyond academia, my service on numerous boards, spanning the public sector (Audit Committee of the City of Montréal), financial institutions (Desjardins), and cultural organizations (Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Château Dufresne Museum, MUTEK), has provided me with extensive hands-on governance experience, audit, ethics, financial oversight, compliance, and risk management. This combination of perspectives, bridging academic research with practical governance, positions me to contribute in a meaningful and impactful way to the work of the International Committee.
I am strongly motivated to serve as a full Board member, dedicated to strengthening ICOFOM’s leadership in governance and ethics and to fostering dialogue across continents.
Thank you very much for considering my candidacy. I would be honored to contribute to the important work of ICOFOM as a Board member for the 2025–2028 term.
| Application submitted in English | Read all the texts in English, French or Spanish on our website

Claire Brizon

Biography
Since 2016, I have been in charge of the ethnography collection at the Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History in Lausanne (Switzerland). Between 2005 and 2016, I was a member of the design team for the Musée des Confluences in Lyon (France), responsible for everything related to the Oceanic collections. I hold two master’s degrees, one in archaeology (2003, University of Lyon II) and the other in museology (2005, University of Lyon III), as well as a doctorate in art history (2021, University of Bern), which led to the publication of a book entitled Collections coloniales. A l’origine des fonds anciens non européens dans les musées suisses (Seismo 2023).
My interests lie in the history of institutions and their ethnographic collections, provenance research, and the documentation and updating of collections through a participatory process that takes into account international principles (e.g., Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples-2007; Porto-Novo Charter, Xọgbonu, Ájáshé-2022).

Through my professional experience, I have acquired a good knowledge of the museum environment and its challenges, particularly as part of the design team for the Musée des Confluences. At the same time, my experience teaching at university, particularly as co-director of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Provenance Research at the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), has given me a reflective approach to my professional practice. I also have extensive experience in the non-profit sector and volunteering. Since 2020, I have been vice-president of the Swiss Association for Provenance Research, and my term will end in early 2026. Through all the positions I have held, I have become accustomed to working with people from diverse backgrounds, including museums, academia, the arts, associations, indigenous communities, and more.

In this context, I am standing for election to the ICOFOM committee as an ordinary member without any specific role. I will contribute my professional experience, particularly in the field of participatory museology (most recently the exhibition Autobiography of a Métis Saddle, co-curated with Prof. Sherry Farrell-Racette and Dr. Laura Peers, Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History, October 11, 2024-April 13, 2025) and provenance research, as well as on issues of collaboration between universities and museums. I will also bring to the office my network built up over 20 years of experience in museums, universities, and associations. From a practical standpoint, I will contribute my experience in designing and coordinating exhibition projects, publishing, and promotion at the European and international levels (most recently the publication of Collections nord-américaines. Regards croisés. Perspectives on North American Collections, DGC, 2024). Finally, I am fluent in French (my mother tongue) and I also understand and speak English.

I am particularly interested in the working group for conferences.

 

Master Juan Carlos Fernández-Catalán

Museologist, Cultural Manager, PhD candidate in Aesthetics, Values, and Culture at the University of the Basque Country, Spain. Holder of a Diploma in Aesthetics and Artistic Representation in Western Culture. PhD candidate in Art History and Historical-Artistic Heritage at the University of Extremadura, Spain. International Trainer in Museum Collections Documentation for CIDOC.
Master’s in Professional Pedagogy from the Higher Pedagogical Institute, Havana, Cuba.
Bachelor’s in Restoration of Cultural Heritage and Museology from Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito, Ecuador.

He is currently the Secretary of the Ecuadorian Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM Ecuador, 2024–2027), an Individual Member of ICOM since 1988, a Board Member of the International Committee for Museology for Latin America and the Caribbean (ICOFOM LAC, 2023–2026), and a Guest Lecturer at Universidad Politécnica Salesiana. He also serves as International Advisor (for Ecuador) on Cultural Heritage Conservation Projects for the Prince Claus Fund (The Netherlands) and as Technical Museological Advisor at the Latin American Naïve Art Museum (MANLA).

Professionally, he worked at Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial as Academic Coordinator and Director of the Restoration and Museology Program, as Full Professor of Museology and Art, and as Coordinator of Culture and Heritage.
He has served as an official at the Museums of the House of Ecuadorian Culture and as Director of the National Museum of Colonial Art.
He has published several works nationally and internationally.

He has conducted study and observation tours to major and renowned museums and cultural centers around the world, in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and Oceania.

⸻

Recent Professional and Organizational Activities

His active participation as a museum event organizer (OPC) has led him to coordinate major events, including:
• International Meeting: Museums for Education and Research
• International Cooperation Strategies for Museums and Cultural Institutions
• Professional Training Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean: “Sustainability and Social Inclusion in Museums”
• International Seminar: Museums, Art, and Museological Management (launch of the Chairs in Museology and Art Studies)
• Andean Summit of Museums of the Americas: “Funding and Sustainability of Museums and Communities”
• International Museum Meeting: “Musealization of Heritage—Theory and Praxis”
• Course: “Perspectives and Trends in New Museology”
• Mini-Seminar: “Intangible Cultural Heritage—Preserving Traditions”
• International Webinar: “Museums—Collection Management and Administration”
• Workshop Seminar: Design of Cultural and Creative Projects
• Workshop Seminar: Museum Planning—Theory and Practice
• Museum Fair for International Museum Day
• Conference: “Identities, Memories, and Representations of Ecuador’s Coastal Region: Perspectives from Anthropology, Archaeology, and History”
• Conference: “Cultural and Creative Tourism—Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Well-being”
• Contemporary Art Congress

⸻

Professional Contributions and Collaborations

He plays a key role in fostering interrelations among museums nationally and internationally, having worked in the following institutions:
Anthropology and Contemporary Art Museum (MAAC), Todos Santos Heritage Complex, San Agustín Convent, Colonial Museum of Bogotá, Inti Ñan Museum, Diocesan Museum of Our Lady of the Nativity, Ecuadorian Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Religious Art (El Quinche Sanctuary), UTE Art Center, Riobamba City History Museum, Aurelio Espinosa Polit Ecuadorian Library-Museum, La Compañía de Jesús Church Museum, National Museum of Colonial Art, Pedro Pablo Traversari Musical Instruments Museum, Museum of Modern Art, and the Ethnographic Collection of the House of Ecuadorian Culture.

⸻

Motivation for Ordinary Membership in ICOFOM

I am applying for Ordinary Membership of ICOFOM and would like to collaborate with the Working Group on Conferences.

As reflected in my CV, I am deeply connected with museum professionals at both national and international levels. This exchange of experiences directly contributes to the new degree program in Museology and Cultural Management we are implementing at the Instituto Tecnológico Universitario Espíritu Santo in Guayaquil, Ecuador — a city that has never before had a specialized museology program.

Furthermore, in my current position as Technical Museological Advisor at the Latin American Naïve Art Museum (MANLA) in Quito, Ecuador, we are developing courses and seminars for the wider community.

I also serve as Coordinator and Organizer of various museological events nationally and internationally. As an OPC, I would contribute to the strategic planning of ICOFOM symposia, congresses, and events, as well as help establish partnerships with public and private institutions to ensure their success.

In alignment with ICOM’s annual themes, we continually innovate our activities and diversify topics to share new knowledge with both ICOM members and non-members. Our aim is to keep the museum community up to date through events for International Museum Day, as well as through Congresses, Seminars, Workshops, and the Museum Fair, which we organize every year as ICOM Ecuador in Ecuador’s three main cities: Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca.

This year’s edition will have special significance due to the distinguished speakers we are inviting from the ICOM General Conference in Dubai 2025, who will be our main guests.

 

Olivia Guiragossian

Biography

PhD in Museums Studies and currently Assistant Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Avignon in Information and Communication Sciences, my research focuses mainly on the contours and essence of the notion of museum, the perception of the museum phenomenon as a whole, and the dynamics that affect them on a global scale.
In addition to my teaching activities, I have had the opportunity to carry out several research projects with French and European organizations, as well as within ICOM, particularly in relation to consultations on the museum definition adopted in 2022 in Prague, and on the decolonization in museums.

As an active member of ICOFOM since 2017, I have helped organize several symposiums and conferences (“Defining the Museum of the 21st Century” (Paris, 2017), “Places of Reflection” (Paris, 2018), “The Future of Tradition in Museology ” (Kyoto, 2019)). My desire to contribute to the dynamism of museology is also marked by an interest in developments within ICOM itself. Recently, I was also able to contribute to the organization of the International Conference on Museum Storage (Paris, 2024), the founding act of the recent creation of the ICOM Storage International Committee.

I realize the extent of the challenges that museology, and ICOFOM, are facing today. The relationship created with the members of this committee, the intellectual emulation they generate and the dynamism they show, have been very beneficial to me personally and professionally. I would like to invest myself more in the activities that will be developed in future years and I hope to be able to bring a complementary perspective to develop ICOFOM’s reflections about the future.

Languages spoken: French, English and Spanish.

Specific role

As a member of the Board of ICOFOM, if the opportunity arises, I would like to join the Working Group on Conferenes, putting my organizational and scientific skills to good use. I will be a driving force in the organization of scientific events, particularly in the preparation of annual meetings, the organization of international symposiums, and the establishment of workshops to further the work of ICOFOM and enrich museological thinking. I would also like to highlight ICOFOM’s work in future projects to be developed within ICOM and promote exchanges between ICOM committees.
These are proven skills that I hope will be useful for future projects. Finally, I will give my full support to the development of any other projects that may arise during this term.

| Application submitted in English | Read all the texts in English, French or Spanish on our website

Nicolas Navarro

Biography :
Nicolas Navarro is currently professor of museology and head of the Service of museology in the University of Liège (Belgium) since 2023. He is editor in chief of the journal Cahiers de muséologie and part of the editorial board of the journal Culture & Musées. Holder of a master’s degree in History of Art (2007) and in Museology (2009), he is PhD in
Museologie, médiation, patrimoine (Avignon University, Ecole du Louvre, Université du Québec à Montréal) since 2015. After two post-doctoral researches (University of Laval – Québec ; University of Lyon), he has been lecturer at University Lyon 2 in communication studies from 2018 and 2023, where he has mainly worked on the use of digital tools in the
world of museums and heritage. His research now focuses on the field of critical museology, particularly the social and political role of museums in a Western context.

Specific role for ICOFOM

I am running for the ICOFOM board for the 2025-2028 term for two main reasons.
The first reason is to promote museology through university education (for students and also for museum professionals) and, in particular, to internationalise this education, which is something I feel very strongly about. I believe that ICOFOM has an important role to play in reflecting on how museology can be taught and transmitted, and on the collaborations that can be established at an international level to promote the sharing of knowledge and best practices. I am trying to initiate this dynamic within the master’s programme at the University of Liège and I hope to be able to contribute to these discussions within ICOFOM and others academics and museum professionals.
The second reason is to support the promotion of research in museology through publications. This is why I would like to be particularly involved in the Working Group on Publications. I hope to be able to contribute with my experience as editor-in-chief and member of editorial committees of journals (Cahiers de muséologie, Culture & Musées) focusing on the production of scientific texts, and thus work to support authors and contribute to strategic thinking on publication.

 

Héctor Valverde Martínez

Héctor Valverde Martínez holds a degree in Communication and Cultural and Arts Management from the Universidad de la Comunicación, specializing in Museography from the Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía “Manuel del Castillo Negrete” (ENCRyM). He also holds a Master’s degree in Communication (with a research focus on Communication and New Technologies) from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
He has worked as Head of Digital Media at the Sistema Nacional de Fomento Musical of the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (Mexico), as well as Head of the Center for Museological Research, Documentation, and Information and as Head of Community Outreach and Promotion at the Coordinación Nacional de Museos y Exposiciones of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (Mexico); as Head of the Operations Department of the Tezozómoc Museum of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional; and as Head of the Operations Department of the Community Culture Pavilion of the Federal Ministry of Culture.
Since 2022, he has been a professor of Museography and Cultural Policies at Universidad de la Comunicación. He currently serves as a consultant on Museology, audience research and recognition for cultural entities, and project and cultural event management for the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia and the Federal Ministry of Culture (Mexico), artistic groups, and civil society organizations.
He has participated as a speaker in various academic forums on Cultural Heritage Management, Museums, Communication, New Technologies, Youth, and Inclusion in Mexico, as well as in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Publications
– Valverde, H. (2020). Digital devices as Interpretation tools in Museum settings. Critical Hermeneutics, 4 (1)
– Valverde, H. (2020). When digitization is not enough. A perspective from the museum field in the digital age. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 16:1, 42-52
– Díaz, Noxpango, Sabido & Valverde. (2019). Proyecto Emergente Morelos – Un espacio comunitario tras los sismos de 2017. Estudios sobre Conservación, Restauración y Museología, vol. 6, 41-62
– Sabido, A. & Valverde, H. (2019). Un archivo como medio para transformar las Prácticas museológicas. In Rodríguez & Fernández (eds.) Conectando los saberes de bibliotecas, archivos y museos (bam) en torno a la preservación de documentos analógicos y de origen digital. 173 – 192. UNAM
– Ávila, Manjarrez, Sabido & Valverde. (2018). Towards a poetic of the needs. Beyond operator’s role. ICOFOM Study Series vol. 46, 308-312

Statement of Interest for ICOFOM Board Membership (2025–2028)

As a museologist and cultural manager with over a decade of experience at the intersection of museums, digital technologies, and community engagement, I am honored to apply for the ICOFOM Board as an ordinary member for the period 2025-2028, with a focus on the Working Group on Conferences. My academic background—a Master’s in Communication (UNAM) with a focus on new technologies, and specialized training in museography (ENCRyM)—and my academic carreer as professor of Museography and Cultural Policies (Universidad de la Comunicación) as well as my career—spanning different roles at Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and the Federal Ministry of Culture —has been driven by a commitment to rethinking museological practices through critical theory, participatory methodologies, and innovative communication strategies to design projects that prioritize audience agency and decolonial approaches.
I firmly believe ICOFOM as a catalysts for paradigm shifts in the museum field, and I aspire to contribute my expertise in organizing national and international congresses to promote dialogues that center a wide spectrum of voices to the museology community—from youth museologists to the inclusion of underrepresented—through on-site and hybrid event management, and in that way, to help ICOFOM expand its reach strengthen ties with Latin American and other regional networks.
I seek this role not as an officeholder but as an active participant in advancing ICOFOM’s intellectual and practical endeavors. By contributing to the Conferences Working Group, I hope to help shape meaningful platforms for knowledge exchange, ensuring ICOFOM remains a vital force in museological thought. I would be honored to collaborate with colleagues worldwide in this capacity.

Dr Sarina Wakefield

Biography
Dr. Sarina Wakefield is Lecturer in Museum Studies and Dean of Internationalisation for the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at the University of Leicester. Her research and teaching focuses on transnational museology and heritage, particularly within the Gulf States, where she has worked for over twenty years on museum and heritage projects. She has published widely, including Transnational Narratives and Museum Franchising in Abu Dhabi (2021) and Museums of the Arabian Peninsula (2021), and is co-editor of the following forthcoming volumes: Routledge Handbook of Heritage and Creative Practice (In Press, expected Oct 2025), and Cultural Heritage Ecosystems in the WANA region (In Press, expected March 2026).
Dr. Wakefield is also the founder and convenor of the Museums in Arabia conference series, an international forum that has, for over a decade, brought together scholars and practitioners to advance dialogue on museums and heritage in the Gulf States. This work reflects her commitment to fostering international research networks and amplifying regional perspectives within global museological debates.
Alongside her academic contributions, she co-leads the Routledge book series Representation and Identity in the Middle East: Critical Studies on Art, Culture, Heritage and Museums. Through her leadership in internationalisation, she brings extensive experience in global partnerships, pedagogical innovation, and cross-cultural collaboration, positioning her as a strong advocate for expanding museological conversations across borders.

Role & Contribution Statement

For the 2025–28 mandate, I would like to contribute to ICOFOM as a Board Member, while playing an active role within the Conference Working Group. I see ICOFOM conferences as vital spaces for advancing theoretical debates in museology and for strengthening global dialogue across diverse cultural and disciplinary perspectives. I would be committed to helping shape conference programmes that are inclusive, innovative, and reflective of the breadth of contemporary museological research and practice. My expertise in transnational museology and heritage, particularly in the Gulf States and wider WANA region, aligns closely with ICOFOM’s mission to broaden the field beyond Western-centric frameworks.
I bring direct experience of conference organisation, having established and led the Museums in Arabia conference series, an international forum dedicated to the study of museums and heritage in the Arabian Peninsula. Over more than a decade, this series brought together scholars and practitioners from across the world, fostering collaborative research networks and raising the visibility of regional museologies in global debates. This experience will allow me to contribute meaningfully to ICOFOM’s Conference Working Group, particularly in developing themes, formats, and outreach strategies that encourage participation from diverse voices.
My skills in international partnership-building, editorial leadership, and pedagogical innovation equip me to contribute strategically to both board-level discussions and working group initiatives. Through these roles, I would support ICOFOM’s efforts to consolidate its position as the leading platform for critical museology, fostering inclusive conversations that connect scholars and practitioners across borders, languages, and traditions.