Tag: Open Knowledge Sharing

The Italian landscape of Open Science reflects a structural complexity still in flux, shaped by local experimentation, institutional accelerations, and regulatory uncertainties. Twenty years after the 2003 Berlin Declaration and the subsequent 2004 Messina Declaration — which laid the foundation for an open science culture in Italy — the national university system is gradually aligning its research publication and evaluation models with the principles of Open Access. These early formal commitments to open science, initially focused on providing free access to research outputs, have since evolved into a broader conceptual shift encompassing the entire scientific production cycle.

A crucial milestone in this transition is represented by the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which has had a significant impact both internationally and within Italy since 2012. Addressed to all stakeholders in the research system—funding agencies, publishers, institutions, and researchers—the declaration calls for a radical change in how scientific quality is assessed, moving beyond the exclusive use of bibliometric indicators, and promoting broader, more transparent and inclusive criteria that acknowledge the diversity of contributions to knowledge.

Within this framework, and alongside the “Green Open Access” route, the “Diamond Open Access” model has gained traction across Europe and internationally. Today, it represents a preferred path for many universities and research centers, including those in Italy. The Diamond Open Access Action Plan, launched in March 2022 by a consortium including Science Europe, OPERAS, and cOAlition S, outlines a non-commercial publishing ecosystem that is free for both authors and readers, supported by scholarly communities and grounded in the principles of bibliodiversity, equity, and sustainability. It is estimated that there are between 17,000 and 29,000 active Diamond journals worldwide, which account for approximately 45% of all open-access publications. However, this model remains fragile, hindered by infrastructural, managerial, and financial challenges that require systemic and coordinated support.

In Italy, the adoption of these principles progresses at varying speeds, often driven by local initiatives led by universities and networks of academic libraries. The result is a fragmented landscape where the transformative potential of Open Science must contend with administrative constraints, evolving funding models, and the need for a clearer regulatory framework. It is within this dynamic context that the transformation underway at Luiss is situated: a university committed — also through the European CATALISI project — to making Open Science a strategic pillar of its research policies.

With the specific features of a private university structured into five departments — Law, Political Science, Economics and Finance, Business and Management, and AI, Data and Decision Sciences —Luiss is strongly oriented toward innovation and international engagement. In this context, the university has embarked on a gradual integration of Open Science principles into its research strategy. The Diamond Open Access model offers a particularly promising perspective in this process: its financial sustainability — ensured by public or institutional funding — makes it a potentially compatible solution for both Luiss and Luiss University Press. This model can support open access, multilingual, and bibliodiverse academic publishing initiatives. Luiss’s support for this model unfolds along three main lines: concrete support for faculty throughout the publication process; continuous cultural awareness-raising; and the operational facilitation of publishing, which includes participation in transformative agreements as well as structured use of institutional repositories.

Transformative agreements — negotiated at the national level by CARE-CRUI, the Coordination Group for Access to Electronic Resources within the Conference of Italian University Rectors — intend to convert traditional journal subscription models into agreements that include Open Access publishing fees. These agreements, signed on behalf of all Luiss-affiliated faculty members, including non-tenured academics, cover publication with some of the world’s leading publishers, such as Elsevier, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Springer Nature. Luiss’s participation in these agreements reflects a pragmatic and incremental approach: on the one hand, the University supports the structural experimentation required by the Diamond model; on the other, it ensures continuity in the accessibility and dissemination of its research output through well-established publishing channels, while awaiting the emergence of new systemic solutions.

Luiss’s early interest in an inclusive and responsible approach to science was evident in its initial adoption of institutional repositories aimed at collecting and enhancing the visibility of faculty research outputs. The university’s first bibliographic archive, U-GOV RICERCA — later replaced by IRIS, the Institutional Research Information System — marked a foundational step toward building a stable database for open access to research products. Adopted in 2014 and gradually extended to include PhD candidates and research fellows, IRIS now enables the systematic collection of Luiss’s scholarly output, in compliance with editorial policies and copyright regulations. It is also interoperable with major national and European databases, including those of the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) and OpenAIRE. This repository, compliant with international standards on metadata and open access, has over time become not only the official archive of the university’s scientific output but also the central tool for assessing the quality of research conducted by Luiss faculty and researchers. IRIS serves as the platform for the Internal Research Evaluation, VIR, an annual, transparent, and participatory procedure that allocates individual research funds based on the quality of uploaded publications. These are assessed using criteria aligned with the national Research Quality Assessment (VQR) and shared with other academic communities. Thus, IRIS functions not only as a repository of information but also as a strategic lever for promoting more transparent, traceable, and open research practices. It marks a shift from a purely archival logic to a true governance model for research data and metrics.

To support this ongoing evolution towards a more open and informed management of research, the University had already adopted its first Open Access policy in 2016. Through a synergistic collaboration between the Research and Third Mission Office and the University Library, archiving practices have progressively become a concrete expression of a growing sensitivity to the principles of Open Science. In view of the upcoming 2026 VIR assessment, covering the evaluation period 2023–2025, a new self-declared and verifiable field will be introduced in the repository to track the availability of the publisher’s version of a publication in Open Access. This data will become an integral part of the reward allocation system, thus providing a concrete incentive for the adoption of open publishing practices.

As highlighted by Annalisa D’Agostino, Head of the Research and Third Mission Office, this decision responds to new requirements set by European funding frameworks, particularly Horizon Europe, which mandates public access to research results from applying to the call for grants. As noted by the University Library, the integration of the Open Access parameter into the VIR reflects a dual awareness: on the one hand, the need to comply with European guidelines; on the other, the desire to foster internal cultural change by recognizing and rewarding those who adopt more open and responsible dissemination strategies.

In addition to revising research evaluation metrics, Luiss complements its technical support with a structured and strategic approach to raising awareness within the academic community. Since 2025, the Research and Third Mission Office has enhanced its communication efforts through the launch of the Open Science Corner — a dedicated section within the Research and Third Mission Newsbook, Luiss’s research magazine — offering regular updates from the Open Science community, along with practical tools and resources for conducting research. This complements the periodic promotion of relevant calls for papers, events, and conferences in the field of Open Science. Since 2022, Third Mission initiatives have also increasingly integrated Open Science into faculty and management staff seminars and training opportunities. Among the most significant was the 2023 seminar “Open Science from A to Z”, where Elena Giglia, Head of the Open Science Project Unit at the University of Turin, provided a multi-session overview of the current research assessment landscape — still heavily influenced by impact factors and the commercialization of open access — and introduced more equitable and sustainable alternatives.

To further consolidate this approach, Luiss University Press, under the direction of Daniele Rosa, supports the Tesi d’eccellenza (“Theses of Excellence”) project, which showcases the best undergraduate theses by Luiss students through free and accessible publication since 2013. Luiss University Press has also introduced Teaching Cases since 2019, and Luiss Case Studies since 2023, which are fully downloadable and available in Open Access. These efforts contribute to the development of an editorial infrastructure fully aligned with the principles of Open Science.

Underscoring its systemic commitment, Luiss held a strategic meeting in late May between the Research and Third Mission Office, the Library, and Sebastiano Sali, Community Manager of OAPEN — the world’s largest virtual library for Open Access books. In response to OAPEN’s interest in understanding and strengthening the Open Access ecosystem in Italy, Luiss viewed this exchange as a starting point for an internal reflection aimed at updating its institutional Open Access policy. The goal is to align with European standards and provide Luiss University with a policy framework suited to the mature phase of its Open Science journey.

Learn more about Luiss success story under the CATALISI project in this link

The University of Gdańsk recently hosted two significant events as part of the CATALISI project: a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshop and a Twinning Exchange. Both initiatives focused on strengthening the societal engagement and “third mission” of higher education institutions, fostering collaboration, and sharing best practices in knowledge transfer and stakeholder involvement. 

Castelló de la Plana, Spain – Universitat Jaume I (UJI) is transforming research practices, fostering a culture of research integrity, ethics, and open science. 

This commitment was highlighted in a recent webinar featuring Ramón A. Feenstra and Laura Bernal Sánchez from UJI, who shared their university’s success story under the framework of the CATALISI project.

UJI’s initiatives are designed to strengthen research ethics and open science, aligning with the National Open Science Strategy (ENCA) and aiming to boost transparency, quality, and reproducibility in research. The webinar provided a look into the challenges faced and the solutions implemented by the university.

On 22nd and 23rd January 2025, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) hosted a two day Twinning & Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) Exchange as part of the CATALISI project. This gathering brought together partner institutions including University College Cork (UCC), University of Gdansk (UG), Kaunas University of Technology, Universitat Jaume I | Luiss Guido Carli University, and Amsterdam UMC alongside internal and external stakeholders who have been actively engaging with AUTH’s CATALISI journey. 

On December 9th and 10th, 2024, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania hosted to a dual event under the CATALISI framework: a Twinning Exchange and a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) Workshop. This gathering brought together representatives from various CATALISI Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including UJI, AUTH, UCC, UG, and LUISS, alongside internal and external stakeholders. 

This session highlighted the challenges and best practices in fostering public engagement and effective stakeholder collaboration, particularly through the lens of ‘Living Labs’ methodologies.

Ciara O’Halloran | University College Cork: Engaging for Societal Impact

Ciara O’Halloran, a Programme Officer from University College Cork (UCC), shared insights from UCC’s work with the “UNIC: European University Alliance”, and its “Centre for City Futures.” This centre focuses on participation, engagement, and collaboration to address societal challenges and find impactful solutions through engaged research and learning.

• The Quintuple Helix Model: Moving beyond the traditional triple (academia, government, industry) and quadruple (including public/civil society) helix, UCC embraces a quintuple helix, recognising the environment as a key actor in societal and ecological transitions.
• Shifting from Dissemination to Co-production: Kira emphasised the importance of moving from simply disseminating information to genuinely co-producing solutions with all actors, fostering mutual value and shared decision-making.
• The Power of Futures Thinking: UCC utilises “futures thinking” methods, inviting participants to imagine preferred futures (e.g., headlines for their city in 2050). This empowering approach, rooted in the idea that the future isn’t predetermined, encourages collaborative action towards desirable outcomes.
• Practical Engagement – The Cork City Council Example: UCC partnered with Cork City Council on their Local Economic Community Plan (LACP). They developed a toolkit to build more dialogue and co-creation into the consultation process and ran dedicated co-creation sessions, which have been recognised as best practice nationally.
• Overcoming Engagement Challenges: The most time-consuming yet crucial part of engagement is the initial “stakeholder mapping”. This requires significant time, leveraging existing networks (like those of the city council), and meeting people where they are, addressing barriers such as childcare or accessibility. It’s vital that engagement is relevant to participants, showing them a clear stake in the process.

Enoll’s Approach to Stakeholder Engagement

Miriam Chakron from Enoll (European Network of Living Labs) outlined their systematic approach to stakeholder engagement, crucial for co-creation and fostering innovation. She highlighted the importance of a flexible approach to engagement and a continuous learning process.

Key steps in Enoll’s methodology include:

• Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders: This involves creating a comprehensive list of all affected stakeholders, documenting their influence and interest, and digging deeper into their motivations and needs.
• Defining Goals and Responsibilities: Clearly outlining what you want to achieve together and who is responsible for engagement.
• Tailored Communication: Understanding motivations and adapting communication strategies to avoid jargon and make information accessible to diverse groups.
• Building Trust: Addressing potential obstacles such as stakeholder fatigue, ensuring transparency, and demonstrating how input will influence future decisions.
• Co-creating Solutions: Based on identified needs, actively involving stakeholders in developing solutions, often through workshops and local activities.
• Continuous Monitoring and Feedback: Regularly checking in with stakeholders and providing updates on progress to maintain engagement and ensure their contributions are valued.

The discussions highlighted that institutional transformation is a long-term process and that overcoming challenges requires learning, adaptability, and a shift in mentality within HEIs. The “small acts” of engagement, when multiplied, can lead to significant transformative change within communities and institutions.

A recent webinar, organized within the context of the CATALISI project, focused on actionable strategies for the transformational pathway of higher education institutions, specifically addressing open science practices and the reform of research assessment. 

Laura Mentini from APRE introduced the CATALISI project, highlighting its goal of assisting universities in their institutional transformation within research and innovation governance. The project operates through four facilitators providing acceleration services and seven higher education institutions implementing and testing these changes. Key transformation topics include research careers and talent support (addressing lifelong learning, gender equality, and research assessment), research modus operandi (mainstreaming open science and public engagement), and financial sustainability. The webinar falls under one of the seven acceleration services: reinforcing human capital, capacity building, and outreach.

Dr. Elena Giglia, Head of the Open Science Unit at the University of Turin, presented on the crucial initiative of reforming research assessment in alignment with open science principles. She began by highlighting the problematic aspects of the current evaluation system, dominated by journal impact factors and the commercial exploitation of open access through high article processing charges (APCs). A short video illustrated the absurdity of the high costs associated with publishing open access in prestigious journals, questioning the true openness and accessibility of such a system.

Dr. Elena Giglia introduced COARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment), an initiative launched in 2022 with over 700 signatories, including major research funders, universities, and other organizations. COARA’s main commitment is to move away from the inappropriate use of journal impact factors and rankings in research assessment. The presentation emphasized that the current research assessment criteria often lead to negative consequences, including a hyper-focus on publications in high-impact factor journals, potentially at the expense of research quality, integrity, and trust. 

Key principles and commitments of COARA include:

• Recognizing the diversity of research activities and outputs: Moving beyond solely evaluating publications to include software, code, datasets, methodologies, and other research contributions.
• Valuing quality over quantity: Emphasizing the rigor, reproducibility, and impact of research, not just the number of publications.
• Promoting open science practices: Recognizing and rewarding researchers for engaging in open access, open data, open peer review, and other open science activities.
• Fostering collaboration and engagement: Valuing teamwork, interdisciplinary research, and engagement with society.
• Ensuring transparency and fairness: Promoting transparent assessment criteria and processes, and addressing potential biases.

Dr. Giglia showcased examples of how different countries and institutions are already implementing changes in research assessment, such as the Netherlands banning the impact factor and Horizon Europe discouraging its mention in project proposals. She stressed that COARA is not just another declaration but an agreement with concrete commitments and a timeline for action plans.

You can watch the full video and have access to the materials in the Learning Hub

According to the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, “collaboration, participation, and inclusion” are part of the foundational principles of Open Science, the open approach to conducting, disseminating, and evaluating scientific research. A University that makes Open Research one of its core values must, in fact, experiment with participatory practices within its institutional processes. The Mobilization and Mutual Learning (MML) Event, organized in synergy with APRE and hosted by Luiss on October 17, 2024, witnessed this openness to experimentation and innovation of processes. With the idea of collaboration, members of the academic community, facilitators, and external stakeholders gathered with a common goal: raising awareness about the Third Mission and investigating related activities by exchanging of knowledge, skills, and best practices.

CATALISI operates, with the support of process facilitators, within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with the goal of their institutional transformation: specifically, the acceleration to be pursued over these three years in the fields of Research and Innovation will span multiple universities, strengthening collaboration and alliance between EU institutions. Aware of the importance of this synergistic journey, Luiss, as a partner of CATALISI, has chosen three thematic areas to focus on: supporting talent mobility, promoting Open Science and the digitalization of research, public impact, and attention to social challenges. Within the third thematic focus, Luiss dedicated the MML Event in October to the Third Mission—with a particular emphasis on research valorization and societal engagement—and chose to concentrate on identifying shared criteria to measure the effectiveness and impact of Third Mission activities in a European academic context.

On March 5th 2025, the CATALISI project successfully hosted the 2nd Community of Practice Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshop, titled “Preparing for the Future: Key Skills for Research Careers”. Organized and facilitated by APRE with the support of EY, the workshop achieved significant results in terms of engagement and knowledge-sharing. In fact, the online event brought together members of the CATALISI Community of Practice together with more than 80 participants from over 50 organizations around Europe, representing mainly academia but also the whole quadruple helix (industry, public sector, civil society).  

Starting from the assumption that the labour market landscape is continuing to evolve and that researchers need to enhance their transversal skillset to meet the labour market needs and to improve their competitiveness, the event has been the occasion to share knowledge on the transversal skills most critical and most required by the employers and to reflect on potential actions to help Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in rethinking their investments in education and training to better prepare researchers for future challenges and opportunities.