Tainan, Taiwan, September 11, 2013

“University museum is the invention center for new ideas,” Dr. Ohno Terufumi who is the director of the Kyoto University Museum said at a recent workshop held by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan.

“And with this function, maybe we don’t have to worry about the survival of the university when speaking of the competition between universities these days, we should think about how we can lead the innovation to the world together,” Dr. Ohno added.

A workshop on local and university museums practice and management was hosted by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, September 10, with nearly 50 participants from Japan, Korea and Taiwan gathering together to share ideas and experiences regarding the field.

The workshop provided a platform for staff of museums from local and educational institutes to learn about knowledge and experiences of running a museum in university, according to NCKU Museum Director Ching-Hwei Chue.

NCKU Vice President Dr. Hong-Sen Yan on behalf of President Hwung-Hweng Hwung welcomed the guests from Japan’s Kyoto University Museum and Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University, and Korea’s Kyung Hee University Central Museum.

“We can share experiences and ideas because we have objects and the collection in the museum to stimulate new ideas and so on,” added Dr. Ohno who considered museum as the strength for a research-based university.

“I think museum is very important for university and because of the museum people within the university and outside the university come together to share.”

Dr. Ohno, a Paleontology expert, is endeavoring to connect the Kyoto University Museum with citizens through developing life-long learning materials and happy to be NCKU giving a speech on “University Museums and Their Future Perspectives: an Evolutionary Consideration.”

In his speech, he accounted for the fundamental mission for a university museum is to facilitate people seek after answers of where do we come from, what are we and where are we going, as Paul Gauguin’s painting titled.

“This is because museums have intelligent staffs and, moreover, tremendous amount of specimens serving as hint in seeking after answers for Gauguin’s questions.”

Following by Dr. Ohno’s speech, Dr. Kim Chong Kyu from Kyung Hee University Central Museum, Korea, gave a speech on “Korea University Museum as Cultural Leaders of Local Communities,” Dr. Masaaki Kon and Tsuneo Yasuda from Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University, Japan, to talk about the exhibits at Kanagawa University.