The 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has taken place in Dubai, UAE, under the theme "The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Societies", Azernews reports.

More than 3,000 museum professionals from around the world participated in the conference. This year, the ICOM conference was held for the first time in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region.

Asmar Babayeva, Chair of the ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee, Associate Professor at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts, PhD in Philosophy, international expert in creative industries, and member of the Board of Directors of Azerkhalcha OJSC, participated in the event.

Held every three years, this conference serves as a platform for the exchange of views among the international museum community and the expansion of cooperation between museums.

The conference program included more than ten keynote sessions, over 400 speakers, over 100 papers, panels, and workshops, as well as a number of cutting-edge interactive educational sessions.

At the conference, Asmar Babayeva presented the ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee's activities for 2023–2025 to an international museum audience, including past events, international conferences, and innovations in the country's museum life.

"Azerbaijan's participation in such a large-scale international platform confirms our country's active role in the development of the global museum community. We presented innovations in museum life, past events, and international conferences. A museum is a non-profit organization that researches, collects, preserves, interprets, and displays tangible and intangible heritage, continually serving society. Accessible and inclusive museums promote diversity and sustainable development by offering a variety of educational, entertaining, and educational experiences, operating ethically, professionally, and with community participation," Asmar Babayeva said.

Azerbaijan was also represented by members of the ICOM National Committee of Azerbaijan: Aybeniz Aliyeva, Head of the Fine Arts Sector of the Arts and Intangible Cultural Heritage Department at the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry; Alla Bayramova, Director of the Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture; Turan Hasanova, Assistant to the Chairperson of the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve; Amina Malikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum; Shirin Malikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum; Tural Ibrahimov, Director of the Surakhani Ship Museum; Vugar Isayev, Director of the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve as well as professional staff from various museums.

Each country representative participated in the work of their respective ICOM committees and presented their reports.

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