International Museum Day is celebrated on May 18th every year. On this occasion, a scientific conference on the theme “Museum Research: Museums Uniting a Divided World” was organized, which was attended by more than 250 researchers from 44 national, state, and regional museums, as well as scholars from universities and research institutions.

Next month, under the patronage of the President of Mongolia, the Chinggis Khaan National Museum, will host the “Great Eurasian Exchange: Future Opportunities and Cooperation” International Museum Directors' Conference in Ulaanbaatar, where leaders of Eurasian museums will gather under one roof for the first time.

This year’s theme proposed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), “Museums Uniting a Divided World,” is particularly meaningful as it aligns with how Chinggis Khaan established the Mongolian Peace (PAX MONGOLICA), fostering the Great Eurasian Exchange and emphasizing the idea that humanity shares one world and one common destiny.

The conference was jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth, the Institute of Arts and Culture Studies of Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, the National Museum of Mongolia, the Mongolian National Committee of ICOM, the Chinggis Khaan National Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, and the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts. The conference featured presentations in four main areas, analyzed the development of the sector, and identified future goals. The concept of Mongolian museums and social responsibility, reservation and protection of cultural heritage and the national inventory, sustainable development, education, and public participation, digitalization, innovation, and new technologies

Opening the conference, Mongolia’s Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth, J. Aldarjavkhlan, emphasized that tourism is one of Mongolia’s leading sectors. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on linking museums with tourism, promoting museums in the digital space, fully digitizing museums, and increasing revenue by reducing dependence on the state budget.

International Museum Day was first announced in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), affiliated with UNESCO, in order to raise public awareness of the role of museums in social development, and Mongolia has been celebrating this day since 2003.