[BOAI] Launch of EOS

[Peter Suber]

[Forwarding from Bernard Rentier via the AmSci OA Forum.  --Peter Suber.]


After a missed launch a few weeks ago, an 
organisation that will be of interest to all 
rectors and vice-rectors-for-research is now ready to take off.

Enabling Open Scholarship (EOS) LAUNCHES NEW 
ORGANISATION FOR INSTITUTIONAL DIRECTORS WORLDWIDE

Liege, Belgium
23 September 2009
——————————————————

ENABLING OPEN SCHOLARSHIP (EOS), a new 
organisation for senior management in 
universities and research institutions, has been launched today.

The context in which EOS has been established is 
that of increasing interest from governments, 
funders and the research community itself in 
opening up the way research is carried out and 
communicated. This interest is complemented by 
new research practices and processes that can 
work effectively only in an open, collaborative environment.

As we rapidly approach 100 formal, mandatory, 
policies on Open Access from universities, 
research institutes and research funders a group 
of senior directors of universities and research 
institutes have come together to launch a new 
forum for the promotion of the principles and practices of open scholarship.

The aim of Enabling Open Scholarship (EOS) is to 
further the opening up of scholarship and 
research that we are now seeing as a natural part 
of ‘big science’ and through the growing interest 
from the research community in open access, open 
education, open science and open innovation. 
These, and other, 'open' approaches to 
scholarship are changing the way research and 
learning are done and will be performed in the future.

Enabling Open Scholarship (EOS) provides the 
higher education and research sectors around the 
world with information on developments and with 
advice and guidance on implementing policies and 
processes that encourage the opening up of 
scholarship. It also provides a forum for 
discussion and debate amongst its members and 
will be taking that discussion into the wider community.

EOS membership is for senior institutional 
managers who have an interest in — and wish to 
help develop thinking on — strategies for 
promoting open scholarship to the academy as a whole and to society at large.

The EOS website is a resource open to all. It 
provides background information, data and 
guidance material on open scholarship-related 
issues. In a limited access area, members can 
find announcements, news and discussions.

EOS offers an outreach service to universities 
and research institutes — whether members or not 
— that need help, advice, guidance or information 
on open scholarship issues. We do this through 
our website and also by providing information on 
an individual basis to institutions that need it.

The EOS board is composed of people who have 
personally designed or instigated the kinds of 
changes in their own institutions that herald the 
benefits of the open scholarly communication 
system of the future. Now this expertise is available for others to tap into.

The current EOS board comprises:
• Bernard RENTIER (Chairman), Rector of the University of Liege, Belgium
• Tom COCHRANE, Deputy Vice Chancellor, 
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
• William DAR, Director General of the 
International Crops Research Institute for the 
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, India
• Stevan HARNAD, Canada Research Chair, 
Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Quebec
• Keith JEFFERY, Director of IT and International 
Strategy at the Science & Technology Facilities Council, Swindon, UK
• Sijbolt NOORDA, President of VSNU, the 
Association of Dutch Research Universities
• Stuart SHIEBER, James O. Welch, Jr. and 
Virginia B. Welch Professor of Computer Science 
in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at
Harvard University and Director of Harvard’s Office of Scholarly Communication
• Ian SIMPSON, Deputy Principal for Research and 
Knowledge Transfer, and Professor of 
Environmental Science, University of Stirling, UK
• Peter SUBER, Berkman Center for Internet & 
Society, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
• John WILLINSKY, Khosla Family Professor of 
Education at Stanford University and director of 
the Public Knowledge Project at the University of
British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, USA
• Alma SWAN (Convenor/Coordinateur), Director of 
Key Perspectives Ltd, Truro, UK

The world of research is changing and 
universities and other research-based 
institutions must drive the change, not sit back 
and let it happen. Having embarked upon 
implementing changes in thinking and practice at 
my own university, I want to encourage others in 
my position to join the discussion and help lead 
the way to a better future,” said Professor 
Bernard Rentier. “We will be reaching out to 
universities and research institutes across the 
world to invite them to play an active role in 
building better systems of scholarship for the 
future. EOS will provide the forum and the voice 
for the research community on open scholarship 
issues and represents a very valuable resource 
for those who want to join in this endeavour”.

The benefits of open access and open scholarship 
have been clearly demonstrated for individuals, 
institutions and the public,” said Professor 
Keith Jeffery. “EOS will be there to provide 
information and guidance from those who have 
already had experience of making the changes needed.”

Dr William Dar said, "Open scholarship benefits 
the whole world's science, not just that of the 
western world. It enables the free flow of 
research information between north and south, 
east and west, helping research to progress much 
more effectively. EOS will be very valuable in 
advancing this process and improving the way 
science is carried out across the globe".

For more information visit the Enabling Open Scholarship website at:
www.openscholarship.org

or contact the convenor:
Dr Alma Swan
+44 1392 879702
info at openscholarship.org
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