ICME is pleased to announce its Call for Papers for the ICOM General Conference 2025, which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Building on the momentum of our 2024 conference in Mexico City, this final installment in the Museums and Change series focuses on:
Technology, Sovereignty, and Agency in Museums, with a view to future generations.

ICME invites proposals that critically engage with one or more of the following themes:

• Youth: Exploring youth-led initiatives, activism, and the shifting expectations of younger generations in shaping museum practice.
• Technology: Addressing the impact of AI, digital tools, and social media on museum work, collections, and ethics.
• Museum Agency in Sociopolitical Shifts: Responding to global challenges such as migration, climate crisis, and cultural heritage conflicts.
• Shared Custodianship and Cultural Sovereignty: Reimagining relationships between museums and source communities through collaboration and ethical practice.

Conference Dates and Sessions:
ICME will hold joint sessions with ICOM ARAB on November 12, 13, and 15, 2025, including a special collaboration with SOMUS on November 15.

Session Highlights:

• Museum Practice in the Age of AI
• Transformations in Museum Practice Through Intergenerational Change
• Shared Custodianship and Collaborative Practices
• Museums Responding to Migration, Climate Crisis, and Cultural Sovereignty

We invite contributions in the form of papers, panels, posters, or roundtables. Presentations may be delivered in person or virtually.

Submit your proposal via the official ICOM General Conference platform by June 22, 2025:
https://dubai2025.icom.museum/call-for-papers

Also send a copy to: icom.icme@gmail.com

All submissions must be in English and include:

• Title and format (paper/panel/workshop)
• Author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s)
• Email and ICOM membership number (if applicable)
• ICME membership status
• Technical needs
• 150-word bio per presenter

Deadline for submissions: June 22, 2025 (midnight CET)
Notification of acceptance: July 1, 2025

We look forward to receiving your proposals and to engaging with colleagues from around the world in shaping the future of ethnographic and world cultures museums.

CALL FOR PAPERS (PDF)