ASEMUS Exchange of Museum Educators Grant

ASEMUS (Asia-Europe Museum Network) is a cross-cultural network of museums with Asian collections which promotes mutual understanding through collaborative activities and works towards facilitating the sharing and use of museum collections. One of the key challenges facing museums in Asia and Europe today is education.

The ASEMUS Educational Exchange and Outreach Programme for Museum Educators enhances professional development of museum educators in Asia and Europe and strengthens connections and cultural understanding between the two regions. The program has three goals:

• To develop a broader knowledge about and understanding of one another's cultures, collection and strategies in audience engagement
• To observe, in each other’s workplace, best practices in museum education between partner-museums
• Mutual capacity building in the development of educational activities together with promotion of social and intercultural dialogue

ASEMUS offers grants for the exchange of museum educators between Asian and European museums. Applications will be subjected to an international peer review panel which will select the participants.

• Museum educators can apply for a 2-week exchange and work on projects that are mutually beneficial, address critical issues and themes.
• A total of eight awards will be available for 2014 and 2015 in amounts between Euro 4000-5000.
• The total value of the grant for each partnership is to be shared between partner-museums and is intended to assist with mobility funding (e.g. international airfare, domestic transportation, taxi to/from airport, travel insurance, visa), accommodation and living expenses as well as educational exchange programme related-materials.

Note: Participating museums wishing to add to the funding available from their own resources and to extend the programme to additional participants are perfectly welcome to do so, the core obligation only is that an effective exchange of the appropriate minimum duration should take place with the required outcomes reported in full.

Criteria

• should be a museum educator with at least 3 years of work experience in a museum that is an official member of the ASEMUS network.
• hold ASEM nationality and ASEM passport. Details at www.aseminfoboard.org
• plan for the exchange to take place in a museum that is officially a member of the ASEMUS network (within ASEM countries).
• possess proficiency in English (and a language that both museums involved in the exchange). The working language of the programme is English. 
• be willing to provide content for a follow up digital publication. A 400-500 word statement of expectations of the exchange and a 700-800 word final report, with photographs, should be submitted in English 2 weeks after the end of the exchange programme. If needed the reports can be submitted in English and the chosen working language.

Application

• A jointly completed Application Form
• A letter of support from supervisor (in English)
• Two photographs: one passport photo; and one photograph of you in action in museum work. Please note that both should be provided in high resolution, for printing purpose.

Important dates and contacts

Deadline for submission for 2015 grants: 31 October 2014 Results will be out in December 2014 and the exchange should happen within 2015

Interested parties from member-museums in Europe and Asia, please address your enquiries and applications to Jenny Siung, Head of Education, Chester Beatty Library at jennys@cbl.ie and Karen Chin, Assistant Director Education, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore at Karen_chin@nhb.gov.sg respectively. We can also assist in connecting you to a suitable museum.

For more information on this grant, go to ASEMUS Museum Education Outreach and Public Programme page to view previous exchange programmes. We regret only shortlisted applications will be notified.