Sumi Kim

PhD Candidate in Museum Studies, University of Leicester, (Curator - National Museum of Korean Contemporary History 2014, Assistant curator - National Folk Museum of Korea 2013)

Course: MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies, Full Time, 2011/12

The AGMS MA programme was a connecting route between academic background and further career and PhD study. Personally, ‘the representation of Korean culture in overseas museums (different cultural contexts)’ has been a pivotal conception and question grounded in all of my studies and works. It started when I studied in the United States while majoring in History (concentrating on East Asian cultures), and has continued into the present PhD study in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester.

Manchester’s AGMS programme allowed me to extend my perception of my own experience both academically and professionally. Through the lectures, I learned key historical contexts, diverse themes and specific curatorial methods and issues of museum studies, and academic staff’s professional and warm guidance encouraged me to think more creatively and critically. During the term, I worked as a curatorial assistant at the Manchester Museum while on a work placement. Fieldtrips to museums in diverse cities were a stimulating time during which I explored how museological theory has been engaged in practical and contextual fields.

These experiences allowed me to conduct more in-depth analysis in the curatorial field, wherein I worked at national museums in Korea right after the completion of MA. The programme was a truly inspiring opportunity to broaden my thoughts and interpretations within the field.