MLab - Four Letters, One Journey by Reem Swilem

How can three months reshape the way we see knowledge, community, and our role within them? And perhaps the biggest question of all: how can one experience turn a place into a source of purpose, inspiration, and belonging? My experience as a kulturweit volunteer at TheMuseumsLab by Reem Swilem

kulturweit-Incoming

With kulturweit-Incoming, people from African countries and the Middle East spend three months working in cultural and educational institutions in Germany. This is the third year that TheMuseumsLab hosted a kulturweit fellow. kulturweit-Incoming is a programme of the German UNESCO Commission, funded by the Federal Foreign Office.

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My three-month hospitation at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin as part of TheMuseumsLab program was an unforgettable experience that shaped me both professionally and personally.

I come from a country where museums are a natural and ordinary part of life, so much so that I never really asked myself why museums matter or what they could truly mean to a community. It was only in Berlin through TheMuseumsLab that this question became real for me.

From the very beginning, I was fascinated by the inspiring atmosphere of the museum, a place where research, education, and culture come together in such a unique way. I had the opportunity to be part of the TheMuseumsLab team, which is passionately dedicated to fostering exchange between African and European museums. This international collaboration showed me how important it is to bring different perspectives together in order to make museums more open and inclusive spaces.

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During my time there, I gained insights into various projects dealing with topics such as diversity, sustainability, and knowledge exchange. What impressed me most was the strong emphasis on dialogue and collective learning not only among the participants but also with the museum’s curators and researchers.

I learned a lot, not only on a professional level but also on a personal one. The hospitation opened new horizons for me and deepened my passion for museums and intercultural collaboration even more.

I am deeply grateful for the support of my team, especially for the openness and kindness with which I was welcomed. These months will always remain in my memory , filled with valuable experiences, inspiring conversations, and a profound sense of belonging.

Thank you to TheMuseumsLab and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin for this journey of learning, growth, and meaningful encounters that I will never forget.

If I could sum up my entire experience at TheMuseumsLab it would be “MLAB — Four Letters, One Journey!”

M : Meaningful Moments

Every day at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin brought new discoveries not only about natural history, but about people, stories, and shared ideas. These moments reminded me why museums matter: they connect us to something bigger than ourselves.

L : Learning Together

TheMuseumsLab was a living classroom without walls. We learned with each other, not just from each other through open discussions, shared curiosity, and the courage to unlearn and rethink.

A : Art of Collaboration

Working with passionate people from different cultures taught me that creativity thrives in diversity. Together, we built bridges between disciplines and continents — turning our differences into sources of innovation.

B : Belonging

Beyond professional growth, MLAB gave me a sense of home. I felt seen, valued, and connected, part of a global community that believes in museums as spaces of dialogue, learning, and change.