Dr. Jonathan Sweet |
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| Position | Senior Lecturer | |
| jonathan.sweet@deakin.edu.au | ||
| Area | School of Humanities and Social Sciences | |
| Phone | +61 3 925 17056 | |
| Campus | Burwood | |
| Location | Burwood (Room D/1.05) | |
| Role and profile |
Dr Sweet is a senior lecturer in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies and is the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Coordinator for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is an art and design historian and museologist who has worked in collections management and interpretation in a wide range of organisations. In his current role he is a researcher, teacher and writer, and a consultant on heritage and museum issues in Australia and abroad. |
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| Teaching responsibilities |
Higher Degree by Research (MA and PhD) Masters of Cultural Heritage Graduate Diploma of Cultural Heritage / Museum Studies Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage / Museum Studies |
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| Research interests |
Museum and heritage site interpretation, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Sweet researches the relationships between heritage interpetation and cultural development in the Asia-Pacific region. Of special interest is the contribution that heritage interpretation can make to building mutual understanding, regional stability and economic prosperity. He has undertaken extensive research in the field in Australia, China, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, the Pacific and Tunisia. This builds on his role as a Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council project entitled, Cultural Heritage Site Significance, Management and Interpretation in China and Australia: A Comparative Analysis in a Cross-Cultural Framework. Contemporary museum and heritage theory and practice Dr Sweet researches capacity building in museums and cultural heritage organisations. He has contributed research based solutions to collecting organisations in Australia and abroad. These include local organisations with specialist and diverse collecting interests, and the international agency UNESCO, for whom he has been a specialist advisor in the development of a regional museums capacity building strategy. In line with this, he was the Chief Investigator of the 'Lampang Temples Project', 2009-11. This included research into cross-culural pedagogy in South-East Asia, through a case study focused on capacity building for Buddhist monks in northern Thailand. The history of museums and museology. Dr Sweet researches the history of museums and museology. He has written extensively on colonial exhibition design and representation. Most recently he has focused on the relationships between colonial museums in the British world, and the development of post-colonial museums in the Asia-Pacific region. Cross-cultural museology. Dr Sweet has a strong interest in the cross-cultural, cosmopolitan and transnational characteristics of museums and museology. Of particular interest are the roles that significant individuals and professional museological networks have played in facilitating change. In line with this interest, in 2008 he served on the academic advisory board of the 'International Committee of the History of Art 32nd Congress' and organised the 'Museums across cultures' stream of the conference. |
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| Service to the University, discipline or community |
Dr Sweet is an HDR co-ordinator in the Faculty of Arts and Education. Dr Sweet maintains a close relationship with professional museum and heritage practice and is a contributor to the current discourse through a number of formal positions: Honorary Associate at Museum Victoria. Member of the Australian National Committee of ICOM (International Council of Museums). In 2010-11 he was the Chair of Blue Shield Australia, and continues to serve on that committee. |
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| Awards | In 2010 Dr Sweet shared the 'ICOM Award for International Relations' in recognition of the significance of the 'Lampang Temples Project'. | |
| Qualifications | BA (Hons) LaTrobe, GDip Mus Studies, Deakin, M.Arts Royal College of Art, PhD Deakin. | |
| Research link | View Deakin associated research data | |
| Publications | Dr Sweet's publications have included research papers on the representation of Australia at International Exhibitions and the influence of Swedish craft and design in Australia. He has contributed to exhibition books published by museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Museum of Australia and the Geelong Art Gallery. He has also contributed to books addressing museological and historical topics and is published in the prestigeous journal 'South East Asia Research', University of London. Most recent publications include: | |
