SPARC Europe has released a new position paper, The Case for Connecting the Opens, advocating for a unified approach that integrates Open Access, Open Science, Open Education, and related open approaches across higher education institutions. The initiative calls for coordination among universities, libraries, faculty, and IT services to maximize the collective benefits of openness.
The position paper, based on interviews with university leaders across Europe conducted between late 2024 and early 2025, highlights how connecting open initiatives can build inclusive, value-driven communities that promote sharing, interdisciplinarity, and ethical scholarship. SPARC Europe argues that a coordinated open strategy is essential to creating a more equitable and impactful higher education ecosystem.
The paper outlines the potential for aligning institutional policies and processes to bridge gaps between open approaches that often operate in isolation. By fostering collaboration across sectors, SPARC Europe envisions an integrated framework that supports democratic access to knowledge, enhances research transparency, and strengthens innovation across disciplines.
This publication marks the first in a planned series of outputs on connecting open initiatives. SPARC Europe invites stakeholders across academia to contribute to shaping a sustainable and connected open future.
Click here to read the original press release.
