Every year since 1977, International Museum Day is celebrated worldwide on 18 May. The purpose of this day is to sensitize the masses on the importance of museum, which actually is an institution that offers a large variety of knowledge on history, archaeology, cultural heritage, contemporary art, natural history, anthropology, ethnology, traditions, etc.

This year the museum community celebrated the 37th anniversary of this event under the theme: "Museum Collections Make Connections".

The Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Hospitality, AWKUM celebrated the International Museum Day on 18 May 2014. To conduct the event in its true spirit and a befitting manner, AWKUM Museum arranged free entry for the students and general public of Mardan. This year 18 May fell on Sunday which was a holiday, but this fact was totally set aside by the enthusiastic people of our area. The attendance was huge and unprecedented. It was a full day event comprising of audio visual, ethnological and archaeological objects display within the galleries. This was not all. To make it more interesting and absorbing, it was made interactive. Many students participated in activities like qawali, cultural rabab mangey, decoration of Museum, arranging different stalls, etc.

The Vice Chancellor, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali reiterated that those nations that have forgotten their past can not make their future bright. He was addressing the gathering on the occasion of the events and activities organized in honor of the International Museum Day at the Main Campus of AWKUM.

On this occasion, senior journalist Mr. Muhammad Musarrat Aasi also addressed the gathering.

Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali further said that currently there are a total of 22 museums in the country out of which 13 are at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is evidence of the fact that this region is of special importance. He added that Mardan was the center of Gandhara civilization in the past and now it will prove to be the center of knowledge and learning. Prof. Dr. Ali requested the gathering to donate antiques and any other such items that speak of our past to the University Museum.

On the occasion of International Museum Day, the Department of Management Sciences, Tourism & Hospitality and the Home Economics and Fine Arts Departments of University College for Women displayed various stalls that exhibited the regional dresses, regional food and regional jewellery. The students also performed on Folk songs.

Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali announced the purchase of all the antiques displayed on the stalls for the University Museum and announced 500,000/- rupees for the concerned purchasing committee.