Japan-Netherlands Symposium International Training Program in Museums: Exploring Inclusive and Collaborative Engagement
| Dates | Saturday, October 4, 2025 10:00-16:40（9:30 Doors open） |
|---|---|
| Place | Minpaku Auditorium, National Museum of Ethnology |
| Format | Hybrid online and in-person event format (with simultaneous interpretation) |
| Capacity | Advance registration required / first-come, first-served 【In-person participation】350 people 【Online participation】500 people |
| Registration | Free admission (Exhibition viewing ticket required for those wishing to see the exhibition) |
| Languages | Japanese/English (simultaneous interpretation) |
| Organized by |
National Museum of Ethnology, Japan (MINPAKU) Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Co-organized by |
National Museum of Nature and Science (KAHAKU) Reinwardt Academy – Amsterdam University of the Arts The National Museum of World Cultures (NMVW) |
| Supported by |
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ICOM Japan Japanese Association of Museums (JAM) Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage (JCIC-Heritage) DutchCulture |
About the symposium
Museums serve a vital role in preserving culture—humanity’s shared treasure—while creating spaces for equitable dialogue among individuals from diverse backgrounds. These cultural conversations can serve as models for building a more equal and sustainable international society.
In an era marked by increasing natural disasters and conflicts, there is growing recognition across all sectors of the need to establish new frameworks for nations and global communities. Museums are particularly positioned to strengthen their role as catalysts for cross-cultural understanding and the cultivation of mutual respect. However, to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds can participate in meaningful dialogue within museums, it is essential to move beyond traditional one-way relationships toward inclusive and collaborative international partnerships.
This symposium focuses on international museum training programs conducted by the Netherlands and Japan, exploring new approaches to international museum collaboration that transcend the traditional hierarchy between “trainers” and “trainees.” Through this gathering, the symposium aims to foster deeper discussions on creating more reciprocal and equitable partnerships in our cultural heritage work.
Program:
MC: Maki Takashina (Assistant Professor, National Museum of Ethnology)
| 10：00-10：10 |
Opening remarks Yuji Seki (Director-General, National Museum of Ethnology) |
|---|---|
| 10：10-10：20 |
Opening remarks Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| 10：20-10：30 |
Introduction Shingo Hidaka (Professor, National Museum of Ethnology) |
Part 1: Keynotes
| 10：30-11：15 |
Keynote Speech I Yuji Seki (Director-General, National Museum of Ethnology) |
|---|---|
| 11：15-12：00 |
Keynote Speech II Wayne Modest and Marieke van Bommel (Content Director / General Director, The National Museum of World Cultures) |
| 12：00-13：00 | Lunch Break |
Part 2: Rethinking Museum Training Programs
| 13：00-13：25 |
Presentation I Chunni Jenny Chiu (Research Fellow, National Museum of Ethnology) |
|---|---|
| 13：25-13：50 |
Presentation II Remco Vermeulen (Coordinator of international cooperation, collection management Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) |
| 13：50-14：15 |
Presentation III Kaoru Suemori (Associate Professor, National Museum of Ethnology) |
| 14：15-14：40 |
Presentation IV Masashi Abe (Head of Conservation Design Section, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties) |
| 14：40-15：05 |
Presentation V Ruben Smit (Senior Lecturer, Global Knowledge-Sharing Programmes Manager, Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam University of the Arts) |
| 15：05-15：20 | Break |
| 15：20-15：40 |
Comments Yuji Kurihara (Vice Director, National Museum of Nature and Science) |
Part 3: The Potential of Museum Training
| 15：40-16：30 |
Panel Discussion Moderator: Shingo Hidaka (Professor, National Museum of Ethnology) With all speakers listed above. |
|---|---|
| 16：30-16：40 |
Closing remarks Yuji Kurihara (Vice Director, National Museum of Nature and Science) |
How to Register
Registration: Tuesday, August 12– Friday, September 26, 2025
Please send an email to bunkazai★minpaku.ac.jp with the following information (Please replace ★ with @ when sending):
1) Subject line: “Japan-Netherlands Symposium Registration”
2) Participation format: Please specify “In-person” or “Online”
3) Personal information: Full name and contact email address, your institutional affiliation
Email Reception Settings
We will send reply emails from “bunkazai★minpaku.ac.jp,” but due to security settings or spam filters, emails may not be delivered correctly. Since delivery failures are not notified to the sender, we cannot know if emails were not delivered unless participants contact us directly. Please ensure that emails from the following domain can be received by adjusting your spam filter or reception settings: @minpaku.ac.jp
Contact
Japan-Netherlands Symposium
“International Training Program in Museums: Exploring Inclusive and Collaborative Engagement” Secretariat
E-mail：bunkazai★minpaku.ac.jp (Please replace ★ with @ when sending.)