Presentation to the University Museums Group at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

1. What impact will
University museums in 2020?
have

2. THEY SAID I HAD TO BE
PROVOCATIVE
(awfully sorry)

3. University Museums as Trophies
(in a global education market)

4. The fortunes of University Museums are indivisible
from the fortunes of Universities

6. “The traditional
university model is the
analogue of the print
newspaper…15 years
max, you’ve got the
transformation.”
University Vice-Chancellor

8. “The transmission of knowledge need
no longer be tethered to a college
campus. The technical affordances of
cloud-based computing, digital
textbooks, mobile connectivity, high-
quality streaming video, and “just-in-
time” information gathering have
pushed vast amounts of knowledge to
the “placeless” Web.”
Pew Internet Research

9. But I think we can be optimistic

10. DEMOCRATISATION OF KNOWLEDGE
MARKET COMPETITION
5 KEY
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES DRIVERS FOR
CHANGE IN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
UNIVERSITIES
INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
Source: Ernst & Young ‘University of the Future’

11. DEMOCRATISATION OF KNOWLEDGE
MARKET COMPETITION
5 KEY
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES DRIVERS FOR
CHANGE IN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
UNIVERSITIES
INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
Source: Ernst & Young ‘University of the Future’

12. DEMOCRATISATION OF KNOWLEDGE
MARKET COMPETITION
5 KEY
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES DRIVERS FOR
CHANGE IN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
UNIVERSITIES
INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
Source: Ernst & Young ‘University of the Future’

13. DEMOCRATISATION OF KNOWLEDGE
MARKET COMPETITION
5 KEY
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES DRIVERS FOR
CHANGE IN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
UNIVERSITIES
INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
Source: Ernst & Young ‘University of the Future’

14. DEMOCRATISATION OF KNOWLEDGE
MARKET COMPETITION
5 KEY
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES DRIVERS FOR
CHANGE IN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
UNIVERSITIES
INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
Source: Ernst & Young ‘University of the Future’

15. DEMOCRATISATION OF KNOWLEDGE
MARKET COMPETITION
5 KEY
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES DRIVERS FOR
CHANGE IN
GLOBAL MOBILITY
UNIVERSITIES
INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
Source: Ernst & Young ‘University of the Future’

16. Universities have to adapt to survive…
The impact of University Museums will depend on how,
and to what extent, they support this adaptation

17. 3 possible response
STRATEGIES…
FOCUS ON THE
STREAMLINED RADICAL
NICHE & THE
STATUS QUO INNOVATION
ELITE

18. SUPPORTING DIMINISHED RESEARCH ACTIVITY
A MORE FOCUSSED TEACHING AGENDA
UNIVERSITY
REDUCTION IN ‘BACK OFFICE’ MUSEUMS & THE
STATUS QUO
ENHANCING THE UNIVERSITY’S BRAND UNIVERSITY
ENHANCING THE STUDENT/CAMPUS EXPERIENCE

19. ‘TROPHY’ INSTITUTIONS
ENHANCING GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
UNIVERSITY
VERY RESTRICTED RESEARCH ROLE
MUSEUMS & THE
ELITE UNIVERSITY
A PRESTIGE VENUE
COLLECTIONS SUPPORT DIFFERENTIATION/NICHE

20. “There will be 15-20 independent,
‘TROPHY’ INSTITUTIONS
global brands … the rest will be playing
for the silver medal.”
ENHANCING GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
UNIVERSITY
VERY RESTRICTED RESEARCH ROLE
MUSEUMS & THE
ELITE UNIVERSITY
A PRESTIGE VENUE
COLLECTIONS SUPPORT DIFFERENTIATION/NICHE

21. ‘TROPHY’ INSTITUTIONS
ENHANCING GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
UNIVERSITY
VERY RESTRICTED RESEARCH ROLE
MUSEUMS & THE
ELITE UNIVERSITY
A PRESTIGE VENUE
COLLECTIONS SUPPORT DIFFERENTIATION/NICHE

22. A FUNCTION, NOT A PLACE
‘CURATING’ KNOWLEDGE FOR STUDENTS
UNIVERSITY
MUSEUMS & THE
ADDING DEPTH/INTEGRITY TO ONLINE
RADICALLY
INNOVATIVE
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
UNIVERSITY
MOVING AWAY FROM OBJECT-BASED CULTURE

23. THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR UNIVERSITY IS A
SYMBIOSIS
(you may not have the luxury of choice)

24. What impact will
University museums in 2020?
have

25. THANKYOU!
Nick Poole, CEO
Collections Trust
www.collectionslink.org.uk
@NickPoole1