Enhancing University Heritage-Based Research. Proceedings of the XV Universeum Network Meeting, Hamburg, 12-14 June 2014.

The "European Academic Heritage Network UNIVERSEUM" discussed in its 15th annual meeting academic heritage in its broadest sense, tangible and intangible, namely the preservation, study, access and promotion of university collections, museums, archives, libraries, botanical gardens, astronomical observatories, and university buildings of historical, artistic and scientific significance. The theme of the conference was "Enhancing University Heritage-Based Research." Cultural heritage is widely studied, from collection studies to historical and social studies of science, research in the natural sciences, didactic research, museum studies, and conservation and restoration analysis. Research is one of universities' core missions. How can university heritage based-research be regarded with respect to this mission? What kind of research is being done and how is it presented to the general public? How can we make university heritage more relevant in research development and outreach? How does research contribute to transform the places where universities' everyday activities are taking place into heritage? How can it turn artefacts, specimens, books, manuscripts and documents produced or gathered by universities into heritage? To what extent can university heritage as a whole be recognized as a multidisciplinary large-scale tool for research activities? Experiences, case-studies and in-depth papers help us identify the nature and specificity of these issues and concerns.