In brief

Architect Daniel Libeskind has been appointed to design the peace building and conflict resolution centre on the site of the former Maze prison in Northern Ireland. Terence Brannigan has been appointed chairman of the Maze Development Board and will oversee the £300m redevelopment of the 350-acre site. The prison housed paramilitary prisoners between 1971 and 2000.


The Science Museum’s public history department opened last month. The department is the museum’s coordinating home for academic research and will run research projects, liaise with university departments and other museums, and organise public events, conferences and workshops.


The Balfour Museum in Winchester has closed and is in the process of dispersing its collections. The museum contains a collection of objects associated with the Red Cross including medals, medical equipment and photographs. Items from the collection are available for transfer or long-term loan.


Scottish culture secretary Fiona Hyslop has said that  the Scottish government is exploring a proposal for an Academy of Cultural Diplomacy. She said the government would work with the British Council and the University of Edinburgh to explore the feasibility of the idea. Hyslop added that it could provide a source of international research and expertise to businesses and the government.