Taiwan Review
Date: November 1, 2015
By GLENN SMITH  

The explosive growth in the number of museums in Taiwan presents opportunities and

The island’s first museum, the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei City, was founded in 1908. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)

challenges for the next generation of museologists.

The tremendous rise in the number of museums in Taiwan over the past few decades has been a boon not just for tourists and those interested in the country’s history and heritage, but also for graduates with degrees in arts management, cultural policy, relic conservation and, most particularly, museology—the study of museums. Students in these disciplines enjoy better employment prospects than those in many other liberal arts fields, says Chen Chia-li (陳佳利), director of the Graduate Institute of Museum Studies at Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA). “My husband, who is a musicologist at another university, is amazed at our ability to place students in jobs,” she stresses.

The transformation of the island’s museum landscape has presented students with a greater diversity of roles to choose from as well as a greater number of positions to apply for. “We want our students to find a job they’re truly interested in,” Chen says, “so we don’t necessarily encourage them to go to the big museums. Some work in private institutions, which often provide good learning environments because there’s less bureaucracy.”     [FULL  STORY]