Bringing together those who drive Open Science

Open Science is a concept that promotes the sharing of knowledge between the scientific community and society. It reshapes the research process and paves the way for a new approach to science. So, where does the University of Coimbra (UC) stand in this field?

“The creation of the UC Open Science webpage gives public visibility to the commitment of the University of Coimbra to Open Science and to its programmatic engagement to position itself at the forefront of a movement across scientific institutions, policymakers, economic agents and all forms of active citizenship.”, reads the website.

On 20 October, the University of Coimbra will host the event Open Science Communities at UC 2025, taking place at the Department of Physics. According to Delfim Leão, the UC Vice-Rector for Culture, Communication and Open Science, “We already have a very robust community engaged with the principles of open science”, and this event will highlight “a number of projects and the communities involved which have been gaining increasing prominence”.

Delfim Leão mentions some of these projects, such as Re.Data for research data management and Estudo Geral, an institutional repository that must be valued and expanded. He also highlights Joanina Digital and the Mondaecus platform, which supports collaborative translation, as projects that "demonstrate our ability to keep up with international developments, generate critical mass and develop our own tools."

The initiative is part of the International Open Access Week, held this year from 20 to 26 October 2025 under the theme “Who Owns the Knowledge?” The Vice-Rector explains that this week “marks an important movement within academia that continues to evolve,” focusing on “open, unrestricted access to publications.”

More information and registration for Open Science Communities at UC 2025 are available here.