To celebrate the International Open Access Week (IOAW), YERUN dedicated the October Newsletter to highlight the impactful actions and projects of our member universities, all dedicated to promoting Open Science. Through innovative approaches, they are driving forward a vision of research that is open, accessible, and capable of fostering stronger collaboration across borders.
UiT – The Arctic University of Norway leads the way with an impressive 91.4% of its publications freely accessible. Their strong emphasis on open research began in 2016 and continues to gain international recognition, with initiatives like the Munin Conference on Scientific Publishing drawing attention to the value of open access.
In another example of advancing Open Science, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń has fostered an inspiring culture of open research. The university has honored two of its research teams as “Open Science Ambassadors” as part of the YUFERING project, an initiative designed to promote Open Science principles. Focused on international collaboration and citation impact, these ambassadors embody a commitment to accessible research, aligning with the YUFE consortium’s wider goals.
Similarly, the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is refining its commitment to Open Science with its updated policy on open access, open data, and open education. During this year’s IOAW, UEF celebrates these initiatives by awarding researchers for open-access work and engaging the community through games and citizen science blog posts, embedding open-access practices across campus culture..
At the University of Potsdam, Dr. Peter Kostädt, the CIO, has envisioned a future where all research outputs funded by the public are accessible to everyone. Emphasising accessibility, reproducibility, and societal impact, Kostädt’s vision highlights the need for interconnected digital infrastructures to advance Open Science globally.
The University of Konstanz brings Open Science to life through innovative formats, such as its inaugural Open Science Slam. Here, researchers creatively shared their work in ways that were accessible and engaging, allowing a broader audience to experience the excitement of scientific discovery. Organised by the Communication, Information, Media Centre (KIM), the event underscores Konstanz’s commitment to Open Science at local and international levels.
Another member, the University of Essex, has introduced an Author Rights Retention Policy, ensuring that all newly published articles authored at Essex are accessible for public reading and reuse. With a new Open Access Fund launched last year, Essex has increased its open-access publications significantly, including 50 journal articles, six monographs, and five chapters. This progress reflects University of Essex’s dedication to a research ecosystem where dissemination and reuse are the priyority.
Maastricht University (UM) has also been advancing with its Sustainable UM2030 initiative. Following the FAIR principles, UM is dedicated to Open Access, Open Data, and creating Open Educational Resources to enable knowledge sharing and societal impact. The National Open Science Festival, hosted by UM this year, showcased these initiatives and provided a collaborative platform for stakeholders to explore Open Science’s transformative potential.
In Ireland, the University of Limerick (UL) maintains an unwavering commitment to Open Access, which is evident in its strategic goals and partnerships with initiatives like CoARA and DORA. UL’s Glucksman Library champions Open Journal and Book publishing while leading transformative Open Access agreements, which have earned UL researchers the YERUN Open Science Award for three consecutive years.
The University of Klagenfurt (AAU) is enhancing its promotion of Open Science through initiatives like its participation in the Austrian Academic Library Consortium, which provides Gold and Diamond Open Access. Plans to centralise billing for Open Access by 2025 and launch a MOOC on predatory publishing reinforce AAU’s commitment to making high-quality research openly accessible..
Meanwhile, Ulm University is celebrating IOAW with a series of events focused on preparing early-career researchers for Open Access platforms. Talks on current DEAL agreements and workshops on ORCID and AI in publishing are all part of Ulm’s effort to empower researchers with the skills they need in today’s evolving research landscape.
In the UK, Brunel University of London launched its Open Research Champion scheme, appointing advocates for Open Research within their departments and organising tailored training sessions. Additionally, the university’s recent Open Research Awards have recognised individuals whose work, such as developing reusable cancer databases, showcases the societal impact of Open Science.
Supporting data transparency, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid has introduced a self-deposit feature on e-cienciaDatos, the research data repository managed by the Madroño Consortium. This new tool enables researchers to independently upload datasets, providing a basic description and metadata. Once submitted, each dataset receives a DOI, and before publication, the Library undertakes a curation process to ensure compliance with the FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
The University of Bremen, alongside the SuUB library, is committed to open access through initiatives such as Green and Gold Open Access, ensuring that research publications are freely accessible to scholars around the world, especially in the Global South. Bremen offers robust support for secondary publications, facilitating legal and technical aspects of open access, with its MEDIA repository preserving research long-term.
Last but not least, NOVA University Lisbon, a partner in the OPUS project, has played a leading role in shaping the future of Open Science within the YERUN network. Through OPUS, NOVA organised workshops on essential Open Science topics, such as data management and rights retention. These events, attended by researchers across the EU, highlight the value of mutual learning and collaboration in building a more open and inclusive research environment.
As we applaud these initiatives, YERUN reaffirms its commitment to advancing Open Science through collective efforts that push the boundaries of what’s possible, ensuring research remains a force for positive global change. Through active involvement in the EU-funded OPUS project, YERUN is working with partners to reshape research assessment and support Open Science practices. The network also celebrates outstanding contributions with the YERUN Open Science Awards, recognising researchers whose work exemplifies transparency, accessibility, and impact. Together, these efforts solidify our vision for a future where Open Science is both a standard and a driver of innovation.
