Pedagogy 2025
Abstract
As the cultural heritage sector undergoes rapid digital transformation, universities face the challenge of adjusting their programs to equip graduates with both technical competencies and professional adaptability. This paper examines how Leiden University addressed this challenge by embedding integrative learning practices into the curricula of its master’s programmes, Arts and Culture and Book and Digital Media. Students received assignments from esteemed professional partners, including Europeana, ZKM, and Waag Futurelab, after which they actively engaged in interdisciplinary teamwork with peers from technical universities such as TU Delft and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The intensity of collaboration varied, ranging from developing short, targeted engagements to co-created, long-term projects. Drawing on course reflections, partner feedback, and student assessments, we examine the benefits and challenges of this approach to developing digital literacies, enhancing employability, and increasing student motivation. We conclude by outlining best practices for sustainable collaboration between universities and cultural institutions, and argue that integrative learning, in various forms and intensities, offers a flexible and effective framework for bridging the gap between academic curricula and professional labor markets in the digital heritage field.
Liselore Tissen is a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University and Delft University of Technology. She coordinates communication, education, research, heritage collaborations, and ethics at the Social Sciences and Humanities Open Cloud (SHHOC-NL, KNAW). Her research combines theory and practice to explore the ethical and practical impacts of emerging technologies on art historical research, conservation, museums, society, and education.
Karin de Wild is Assistant Professor in Contemporary Museum and Collection Studies (LUCAS). Her research revolves around curating digital arts and cultures, and recently arts and ecology. Recent publications include Museums on the Web (Routledge, 2025) and Museums and Digital Confidence (Routledge, 2025). She holds a Comenius Senior grant (2024–2026), enabling her to explore how integrated and radical pedagogies can challenge curatorial discourse, teaching and practices. Before joining Leiden University, she was a digital fellow at the University of Leicester (School of Museum Studies, UK). For her research and curatorial projects, she collaborated with a wide range of museums, including SFMoMA (US), Tate Modern (UK), the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), and the National Museum of World Cultures (NL).
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Wednesday 19th November, 2025