Reaching for the Stars - Exploring the Astrolabe

Dr. Ackermann studied History, Languages, Cultures of the Islamic World, and History of Science at Frankfurt/Main University before joining the British Museum as its first curator of European and Islamic scientific instruments in 1995. In 2012, she took a professorship in cultural leadership in Germany, where she was later appointed president. In March 2014 Silke returned to the UK to take up the directorship of the History of Science Museum (HSM) at Oxford University and a professorial fellowship at Linacre College, combining her passion for outreach, teaching and research. She is the first female director of an Oxford University Museum. 

The History of Science Museum, located in Oxford’s Old Ashmolean building, holds an extraordinary collection of scientific instruments and devices from diverse cultures and eras. Established in 1925, the Museum was founded by Robert Gunther and Lewis Evans, whose vision created a space to explore the intersection of science, history, and human experience.