Vision and Practice: An Exchange with London Science Museum Group (SMG)

2016年10月25日

Ms. Helen Jones, head of Strategy and International of London Science Museum Group, visited QLM on October 21st .After the visit, Ms. Jones had a lively conversation with QLM deputy director Ms. Sheng Yi. Both parties exchanged their museum’s vision and practice. 

London Science Museum Group is an alliance of four different museums in the United Kingdom, among which Science Museum in London is the flagship; the other three are Museum of Science and Industry, National Railway Museum and National Media Museum. The four museums are governed in one group and share resources in different perspectives. 

A new notion Helen mentioned in the meeting is SMG’s most recent guiding principle of learning strategy: the research and practice of “science capital”. The concept was developed from Pierre Bourdieu’s well-established concept of social capital and cultural capital, and was further progressed from arts into science sector. SMG is including the concept into all museum practice with the big ambition to increase science literacy and capital in society. 

Ms. Jones also introduced SMG’s strategy of international and how they developed through the years their international exhibitions and other collaborations. London Science Museum intends to build itself as one of the most influential science museums in the world; international collaboration is right on the way. The most recent blockbuster exhibition “Cosmonauts: The Birth of Space Age” has aroused quite a sensation in London and marks a grand gesture of Science Museum’s ambition to promote international collaboration. London Science Museum is planning an exhibition on China’s science, its past, present and future. Although it’s still on very primitive stage, it will consider including the story of Qian Xuesen and Jiao Tong University in the contents.