cOAlition S has appointed Curt Rice as its new Director, coinciding with the coalition’s adoption of its 2026–2030 Strategy. The appointment marks a step toward advancing models of open scholarship in the evolving landscape of scholarly communication.
Rice has more than three decades of experience in Norwegian and international higher education. He previously served as rector of Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), and as Executive Director of Fulbright Norway. He has been an active participant in international discussions on open science, research policy, and the role of knowledge institutions in society.
Mari Sundli Tveit, Chair of the cOAlition S Leaders Group, noted that Rice brings the combination of qualities needed as the coalition moves from framework development to strategy implementation. She emphasized his experience in managing complex research institutions and his long-standing commitment to open science, expressing confidence that he will build on existing foundations and advance the coalition’s 2026–2030 Strategy.
Rice stated that his career has been driven by a commitment to strengthening research and higher education, guided by the belief that strong research systems benefit society. He explained that academic publishing serves the global research enterprise by enabling the effective exchange of knowledge, and he expressed his intention to work with funders and partners to advance a system that is more open, equitable, and responsive to researchers and society.
He will assume his role in the coming weeks as cOAlition S begins implementing its strategy, which aims to support a scholarly communication system characterized by openness, transparency, equity, and trustworthiness in the sharing of scientific knowledge.
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