UMAC (University Museums and Collections) is the International Committee of ICOM (International Council of Museums), the global organisation of museum professions working in higher education. Its annual competition is judged by an international group of experienced museum professionals.
The prize seeks to reward recent outstanding contributions “through all areas of museum and collections theory and practice”, particularly those with interdisciplinary approaches and a potential for wide application.
OBL was established at the Chau Chak Wing Museum, a free public museum, soon after it opened in 2000. The program encourages students to explore problems, concepts, events and ideas of the past, present and future by engaging with museum objects.
More than 16,000 students from all faculties – including fine arts, anatomy and business students – took part in the program last year. Museum objects used in the program are wide-ranging and have included an ancient mortar excavated from Pella, Jordan (Pharmacy students), 19th century photographs from France (French Studies) and a 150-year old helmet made from a pufferfish (Commerce).
