Science ministry to host global science museum forum in Daejeon

The science ministry said Thursday it will hold the 16th International Symposium of Science Museums with the National Science Museum in Daejeon on Oct. 22 and 23, gathering experts from seven countries to discuss how digital technology is changing the way visitors experience science.

This year's event, under the theme "Beyond Digital, Expanding Space: The Future of Science Museums and Science Content," will focus on how museums can use technology to widen their physical and experiential reach.

Eleven specialists from seven countries will speak across sessions on science museums and new media, the expansion of spatial experience, and the role of museums in the age of artificial intelligence. The keynote speakers are Janey MacRae-Tym, chief digital officer of the U.K.'s Science Museum Group, and Jeong Jae-seung, a professor in KAIST's department of brain and cognitive sciences.

Among the topic-session speakers are Gerfried Stocker, co-chief executive and artistic director of Austria's Ars Electronica, Ganigar Chen, deputy director of Thailand's National Science Museum, and Park Doo-san, director of the Nexon Museum. A special session will take up the discussion begun in last year's Daejeon declaration on the value and role of science museums in the AI era.

An academic conference for museum practitioners and researchers will feature 92 papers across five areas, including exhibitions, education and policy and operations, with 33 awards to be given for outstanding work, among them a prize from the deputy prime minister and science minister.

"As digital technology and AI develop rapidly, the way people encounter and understand science is changing, but the core value of a science museum lies in how it uses technology to give people new experiences and opportunities to learn," museum director Lee Eun-young said. She said she hopes the symposium will let experts from home and abroad share their experience and jointly explore the values museums should protect and the roles they should take on in the digital age.