The 2026 Annual Conference of the International Council of Museums’ International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICOM-ICME) will take place in Taiwan from October 18 to 24 with the theme “Recovery and Regeneration: Ethnographic Museums as Spaces of Healing, Continuity, and Transformation.” The conference has attracted nearly 200 submissions from more than 45 countries, marking an impressive international response. Over the course of a week, the program will take international participants to museums, academic institutions, and local communities across central, southern, and eastern Taiwan. By bringing Taiwan’s diverse cultural traditions and museum practices into global conversations, the conference will present Taiwanese perspectives on cultural preservation, community collaboration, and future development.
The Taiwanese delegation actively campaigned to host the conference during the 2025 ICOM General Conference in Dubai, securing the opportunity to bring this year’s annual meeting to Taiwan. ICME has long emphasized cultural diversity and the relationships between museums and communities. The histories, languages, and cultural practices of Taiwan’s diverse communities provide a rich and tangible context for engaging with these international concerns. Hosting the conference in Taiwan represents not only an opportunity to expand international professional exchange but also an important moment for Taiwan to strengthen its voice in global discussions through its own cultural experiences.
The strong response to the call for papers reflects the international museum community’s keen interest in the conference theme. In response to the high volume of submissions, the organizing team and the ICME Board carefully reviewed the program and expanded the number of presentation sessions over the three-day conference. In addition to conventional oral paper presentations, the program includes Ignite Talks, digital posters, and short videos, creating more opportunities to share research findings, professional experiences, and community perspectives. Although the number of available places remains limited, the organizers decided to expand both the program and the range of presentation formats in keeping with the conference’s commitment to respecting diverse voices. The ICME Board also approved funding to bring a presenter from Zambia to Taiwan, encouraging a young scholar to share their research and fostering professional exchange across national and generational boundaries.
Another distinctive feature of this year’s conference is the collaboration it has triggered across government agencies, industry, academia, and civil society in Taiwan. The organizers include ICOM-ICME, the National Museum of Prehistory—Taiwan, the Preparatory Office of the National Museum of Indigenous Peoples, the National Science and Technology Museum, and the Hakka Culture Development Center under the Hakka Affairs Council. Co-organizers include the Department of Arts and Creative Industries at National Dong Hwa University, the Graduate Institute of Conservation of Cultural Relics and Museology at Tainan National University of the Arts, and the Taiwan Museum Association ROC. Supporting organizations include the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center under the Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, the Taichung Fiber Art Museum, the Taichung Green Museumbrary, and the Hualien County Archaeological Museum.
The Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, Council of Indigenous Peoples, Hakka Affairs Council, and their affiliated institutions are working alongside partners at universities, public and private museums, and in civil society. By connecting policy resources, academic research, museum expertise, and local practice, these collaborations demonstrate the collective capacity of Taiwan’s cultural and museum sectors.
The conference program will begin on October 18 with pre-conference tours in Taichung, offering opportunities for participants to explore cultural practices through firsthand engagement with museums and cultural sites. From October 20 to 22, the main conference will be held at the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung, featuring keynote speeches, paper presentations, and professional exchange. The post-conference tours on October 23 and 24 will extend to Taitung and Hualien, with visits to Indigenous communities, the National Museum of Prehistory, National Dong Hwa University, and local cultural sites. These in-depth pre- and post-conference tours will enable international participants to engage directly with local contexts, meet community members and cultural practitioners, and gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s cultural diversity from multiple perspectives.
The conference features eight subthemes: “Recovering Community Voices”; “Regenerating Cultural Practices”; “Decolonizing Collections: Repatriation, Reconnection, and Care”; “Memory, Trauma, and Recovery”; “Regenerative Curatorship: Co-creation and Intergenerational Knowledge”; “Digital Recovery: Reclaiming and Reanimating Cultural Archives”; “Regeneration through Art and Design”; and “Empowering Youth: Regeneration as Imagination and Vision.” Through discussions on collection care, exhibition interpretation, digital technology, and the transmission of knowledge across generations, participants will explore how museums can critically reassess their roles and establish more reciprocal and sustainable relationships with communities.
The conference sessions will also be livestreamed, enabling people who cannot attend in person to participate all the same. Details of the livestream sessions and viewing links will be available on the official conference website and the National Museum of Prehistory’s Facebook page.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a global organization connecting museums and museum professionals. It promotes the research, preservation, and public communication of cultural and natural heritage, while advancing professional standards and ethical practices in the museum sector. ICME is one of ICOM’s international committees, focusing on ethnographic museums and collections and facilitating professional exchange on cultural diversity, collections, and relationships between museums and communities. Its current board comprises museum professionals from around the world, alongside scholars from Taiwan.
This year’s conference brings Taiwan’s research, museum practices, and local cultural experiences into a global discussion while creating opportunities for international professionals to engage directly with communities in Taiwan. Through sustained intercultural dialogue, Taiwan looks forward to working with international partners in exploring new possibilities for museums to contribute to cultural recovery, regeneration, and sustainable development.
Conference Information
2026 Annual Conference of the International Council of Museums’ International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICOM-ICME)
Theme: Recovery and Regeneration: Ethnographic Museums as Spaces of Healing, Continuity, and Transformation
Dates: October 18–24, 2026
October 18–19 | Pre-Conference tours
Taichung Fiber Art Museum, Taichung Green Museumbrary, Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, and Liudui Hakka Cultural Park.
October 20–22 | International Conference
National Science and Technology Museum: No. 720, Jiuru 1st Road, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
October 23–24 | Cultural Exchange in Eastern Taiwan
Visits to National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung, Yongkang Community, National Dong Hwa University in Hualien, Cyakang Community, Hualien County Archaeological Museum, and other local cultural sites.
Organizers: International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICOM-ICME), National Museum of Prehistory—Taiwan, Preparatory Office of the National Museum of Indigenous Peoples, National Science and Technology Museum, Hakka Culture Development Center, Hakka Affairs Council
Co-organizers: Department of Arts and Creative Industries at National Dong Hwa University, Graduate Institute of Conservation of Cultural Relics and Museology at Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan Museum Association ROC
Supporting Organizations: Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center of the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, Taichung Fiber Art Museum, Taichung Green Museumbrary, Hualien County Archaeological Museum
Conference Website:
https://2026icme.org.tw/tw/
Media Contacts
Exhibition and Education Department, National Museum of Prehistory, Taiwan
- ‧ Hsu Ching-shuang: +886-926-853-941
- ‧ Su Ching-chun: +886-978-811-255
- ‧ Chiu Chiung-yi: +886-919-139-789
國際博物館協會民族誌博物館專業委員會（ICOM-ICME）2026臺灣年會將於10月18日至24日在臺灣舉行，主題為「復原與再生：民族誌博物館作為療癒、延續與轉化的場域」
The 2026 Annual Conference of the International Council of Museums’ International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICOM-ICME) will take place in Taiwan from October 18 to 24 with the theme “Recovery and Regeneration: Ethnographic Museums as Spaces of Healing, Continuity, and Transformation.”
