UC joins the International Open Access Week with online initiatives

The University of Coimbra joins the celebrations of the International Open Access Week (which takes place between 19 and 25 October), launching the program “Open Science UC: Equity and Inclusion”, composed of two online initiatives that aim to contribute to the debate on the topic of making scientific knowledge available for free access to all (academic community and civil society) and the most recent UNESCO recommendation on the subject.

Wednesday, 21, at 4 pm, the Vice-Rector of UC for Research and the 3rd Cycle, Cláudia Cavadas, and the Vice-Rector of UC for Culture and Open Science, Delfim Leão, join in debate “UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science - in defense of a 'common good'”. And on Friday, the 23rd, at 3 pm, Ana Luísa Silva, from the UC General Library, leads the session “AlmaMater: cultural heritage of the UC and Ciência Aberta”. Both initiatives are transmitted through the Zoom platform, requiring registration through the link https://surveys.uc.pt/index.php/458449.

Cláudia Cavadas and Delfim Leão underline the importance of these initiatives of the “Open Science UC: Equity and Inclusion” program, which reinforce the University of Coimbra's commitment to the cause of open access to scientific knowledge. “A few days ago, the first version of 'UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science' was made public, a document in which the UC participated directly, through the representative it has on the 'Open Science Advisory Committee'. Over the next few months, a period of public consultation follows. Aware of the academic and social responsibility that it has in this process, the UC proposes, for the International Open Access Week, a reflection on the UNESCO recommendation, combined with a practical demonstration of what 'Taking Action' implies to put this recommendation into practice. This objective is even more relevant, since Open Science contributes to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda ”, explain the Vice-Rectors.

The International Open Access Week 2020, with the theme “Open with Purpose: Acting to Build Structural Equity and Inclusion”, is an event led internationally by the Alliance for Publications and Academic Resources (SPARC) and promoted in Portugal by Open Access Scientific Repositories of Portugal (RCAAP).

More information is also available at https://www.uc.pt/iii.