Seventy-five museum professionals from 30 countries have gathered in Kigali for a week-long programme examining how museums and memorial sites can use history and heritage to shape the future.
TheMuseumsLab 2026 opened in Rwanda on Monday and will run through Sept. 26, bringing together museum specialists to exchange knowledge and experience in heritage preservation, museum management and cultural work.
The programme was organised by Germany’s Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) in partnership with African countries, with support from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Amb. Prof. Robert Masozera, chair of the board of the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy, said hosting the programme gives Rwanda an opportunity to learn from professionals working in museums around the world.
“People coming together for such an international programme is a good opportunity for Rwanda, especially for our institutions responsible for preserving heritage and culture, and for learning from them,” Masozera said.
He said the programme was designed to promote the exchange of knowledge and skills, including with participants who manage major museums internationally.
The first day included a visit to the Rwanda Art Museum in Kanombe, where participants viewed exhibitions and were briefed on the history and messages behind works depicting Rwanda’s past and development.
Genius Tevera, a lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University, said the visit helped him understand Rwanda’s history and its outlook.
“While touring the Rwanda Art Museum, one of the works that impressed me most was a map of Rwanda. I was told it was made by an artist who predicted that Rwanda would develop rapidly and become technologically advanced. I think that prediction has come true,” Tevera said.
Prof. Dr. Facil Tesfay, who chairs TheMuseumsLab’s International Education and Research Committee, said participants would use the programme to consider how historical knowledge and heritage could contribute to building the future.
“We hope they rethink important aspects of their daily work in ways that can help build a better future,” Tesfay said.
During their week in Rwanda, participants are scheduled to visit museums, meet artists, particularly visual artists, and exchange knowledge on the country’s culture and history.
This year’s programme is held under the theme, “Building Futures from Memory: Museums and Memorial Sites as Agents.”
TheMuseumsLab began in Germany in 2021 and has since been hosted in several African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia.
