Visualising Transnational Museology
Project History
Few people are aware that the University of St Andrews (USTAN) and The University of the West Indies (The UWI) have a long history of association. Principal and Vice Chancellor Sir James Colquhoun Irvine (1877-1952) (a professor of chemistry specialising in sugar), was Chair of the Asquith Commission appointed in 1943 to enquire into higher education in the British West Indies. The ‘Irvine Report’ as it was known was presented to Parliament in June, 1945 and led to the creation of a new University College in Jamaica with their first Principal appointed in 1946 (see Taylor, 1951).
While some links were maintained through the years, in 2015, Dr Heather Cateau and a delegacy from the Principal’s Office, The UWI, St Augustine visited the University of St Andrews hosted by our Principal’s Office. On this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was struck
between our institutions, marking our intention to collaborate on research and teaching priorities. A visit to the Museum and Gallery Studies student exhibition at the St Andrews Museum, led by our students, was instrumental in sharing our approach to museum studies
practical training in the Museum and Gallery Studies programme (established in 1998).
Courtesy of the Museum of the University of St Andrews
Bringing together these existing strong relations with Nicôle Meehan’s expertise in new technologies, the Visualising Transnational Museology project is engaging students in Scotland and in Trinidad in the design of new curricula for teaching transnationally, sharing bibliographic
resources to de-centre museology and create equity when we launch a new module with the Department of Social Anthropology (Dr Huon Wardle) on Caribbean Cultures and Curation in 2023-24, co-designed and co-taught between our institutions. This initiative works together
with the School of Art History Strategy (2021-2026) to research global encounters and exchanges, as well as the university strategies of ‘global’ and ’diverse’ St Andrews. We are also working with our university Development Offices to raise philanthropic support for transformative student exchange and placements.
Taylor, T. W. J (1951/1952), “The University College of the West Indies”, Caribbean Quarterly Vol. 2, No. 1: 4-15