IV International Kazakhstan Museum Congress –"Kazakhstan – France 2026" Museology Forum

Program and format of the event:
           The structure of the event includes two main parts aimed at in-depth discussion of key sectoral issues.

May 19 – IV International Kazakhstan Museum Congress. Discussions will focus on the digitalization of museum collections, the management of the “E-museum” web portal and the integration of museums across the Turkic world.

The Congress program includes the following scientific and practical activities:

I Panel Session: Republican seminar-training ““E-Museum” Web Portal: Issues of   Maintaining the State Catalogue and Digitization of Museum Collections”. The seminar-training aims to introduce key principles of museum funds accounting and state catalogue management through the “E-museum” web portal, as well as to exchange experience in modern methods of museum object digitalization.

II Panel Session: Round table “Museums of the Turkic World: Shared Heritage, Integration and Joint Projects”.

Participants: Renowned experts, museum directors and scholars from the United States (Smithsonian Institution), Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, along with museum professionals and cultural workers from all regions of Kazakhstan.

May 20-21 – “Kazakhstan – France 2026” Museology Forum. The forum will feature panel sessions and B2B meetings addressing cultural diplomacy, artifact conservation, new technologies and intangible cultural heritage.

The program includes plenary sessions, breakout sessions, workshops and B2B meetings.

“Kazakhstan – France 2026” Museology Forum consists of four panel sessions:

I Panel Session: Cultural Diplomacy and Museum Projects; 

II Panel Session: Managing Cultural Heritage: Conservation and Modernization

III Panel Session: Digital Museum: Innovative Solutions and Practices; 

IV Panel Session: Intangible Cultural Heritage: Felt Art.

Participants: Representatives of Musée du Quai Branly, ICONEM, BnF, France Muséums, and Paris Musées, as well as museum directors, scholars and leading experts from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Museum professionals and cultural workers from across Kazakhstan are also invited.

Purpose of the event: To strengthen international cooperation in the museum sector and to create a professional dialogue platform for discussing strategies of innovation and digital development.

Key objectives:

• Development of museums’ research potential; 

• Exchange of experience in digital technologies such as 3D visualization and virtual exhibitions; 

• Promotion of cultural diplomacy and international partnerships, including strengthening cultural ties between Kazakhstan and France. 

Venue: National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 54 Tauelsizdik Avenue,

Grand Conference Hall
 Dates: May 19-21, 2026

ABOUT THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and draws inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.

ALIPH FOUNDATION | Executive Director – Valery Freland

ALIPH is an international foundation engaged in the practical preservation of cultural heritage in conflict zones or regions affected by natural disasters. Within the framework of its strategic partnership with UNESCO, the foundation implements measures to restore endangered sites and supports their inclusion on the World Heritage List.

PARIS MUSÉES | Clémence Prudot d’Avigny, Head of Cultural Expertise Projects 

«Paris Musées» is one of the largest museum networks in Europe, dedicated to promoting and preserving the collections of the museums of the City of Paris, comprising more than one million works of art. The network includes 14 Parisian museums.

FRANCE MUSEUMS | Albert Naïm

Business Development Manager for the Middle East and Asia 

France Museums is a cultural consulting and project development agency providing support services to museums and cultural heritage institutions undergoing transformation. Drawing on extensive expertise in museum and cultural operations, the agency offers a full range of services – from concept and strategy development to implementation.

CENTRE DES MONUMENTS NATIONAUX (CMN) | Delphine Bouet

Head of Educational Projects and Cultural Engineering 

For more than a century, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux has united the largest network of historical sites and monuments in France, from prehistoric times to the present day. Through digital technologies, CMN offers visitors innovative experiences, including virtual reality, geolocation devices, immersive tours, night performances and interactive tablets.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION CENTER FOR HERITAGE – MARSEILLE (CICRP) | Dominique Vingtain, Director

Dominique Vingtain is a specialist in cultural heritage preservation and holds a PhD in History of Architecture. She currently heads the CICRP center in Marseille, which specializes in preventive conservation and restoration of cultural heritage.

ICONEM | Léonie Cruanes, Project Development Manage 

Iconem is an innovative company specializing in the preservation and promotion of World Heritage sites. Combining drone-based data collection with proprietary artificial intelligence processing methods, the company creates highly detailed images and 3D models of endangered heritage sites.

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY – JACQUES CHIRAC | Fred Chih Chia Chung, Deputy Director for Cultural Development 

The Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac is both a museum and a scientific and educational center – an open platform for the world, presenting artistic, cultural and scientific projects that can be interpreted from multiple perspectives. Fred Chih Chia Chung serves as Deputy Director for Cultural Development and oversees traveling exhibitions and international cooperation.

EXPERTISE FRANCE | Anne Liegey, International Technical Expert in Heritage, Cultural and Creative Industries 

Anne Liegey is a sculpture conservator-restorer specializing in desalination and consolidation of porous materials. She works within the framework of international projects of the Expertise France agency, which implements projects aimed at the sustainable improvement of public policy in developing and emerging countries. For the past ten years, Expertise France has played a key role in international technical cooperation.

HW ARCHITECTURE СӘУЛЕТ БЮРОСЫ | Hala Warde, Architect

Hala Warde was born in Lebanon in 1965 and graduated from the Special School of Architecture in Paris. In 2008, she founded HW Architecture. Her projects include the One New Change complex in London, opened in 2010, as well as the Louvre Abu Dhabi project, which she led from its inception in 2006 until its completion in 2017.

ÉCOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE (ENS, PARIS) | Alexandre Kazerouni, PhD, Professor and Political Scientist 

Alexandre Kazerouni is a researcher and lecturer specializing in the political sociology of the contemporary Muslim world. ENS is a prestigious higher education institution within Paris-Saclay University, dedicated to research and advanced academic training.

PARIS-MALAQUAIS NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE | Frederic Moreau, Head of International Cooperation Department 

Frederic Moreau is a recognized expert in international cultural activities and higher artistic education. He currently heads the International Relations Department of the Paris-Malaquais National School of Architecture, part of PSL University, where he coordinates the institution’s international strategy.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF FRANCE |

Laurent Héricher - Head of the Oriental Manuscripts Department

Alice Chevrier - Head of the International Cooperation Department

Laurent Héricher is Chief Curator, Head of the Oriental Manuscripts Department and Curator of Hebrew manuscripts in the Oriental Collections Division of the Manuscripts Department at the National Library of France.

Alice Chevrier’s activities are aligned with the National Library of France’s mission in international cooperation and development. She coordinates projects and exchanges with partner institutions across Asia.

DUALEST CONSULTING COMPANY | Guillaume Dubois

Acting Director 

Dualest has supported French enterprises throughout Eurasia for 30 years and has developed strategic partnerships in the fields of culture and museum affairs. The company also applies French expertise in museum reconstruction and digitization projects in Central Asia.

Together with Dualest, representatives of the following organizations will also participate in the Forum: Memorist, Agence Nathalie Crinière, Image’indoor, Polymorphe Design and Bruynzeel Storage Systems.