Collections are far more than just collections of objects. They serve as resources for research, teaching, knowledge transfer and social dialogue. But what happens when disciplines change or disappear and collections "remain"? What criteria decide whether collections are taken over, continued or rebuilt?
Under the motto "Is collecting contemporary?", experts from science, culture and politics will address fundamental questions of collection practice at universities at the 16th Annual Conference for Scientific University Collections. In addition, the conference will provide insights into the joint digital collection platform of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), which provides bundled access to more than 125 teaching and research collections of the four partner institutions.
The Annual Conference for University Collections 2025 in Berlin will be jointly organised by the partners of the BUA Network of Excellence and the Gesellschaft für Universit?tssammlungen e.V. (GfU) from 9 to 11 October 2025. It will take place at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin, Charité - Universit?tsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universit?t Berlin and Technische Universit?t Berlin.