sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png

Science as a Shared Journey: Engaging Communities, Building Trust, and Advancing Open Science for the SDGs

UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENT

The right to participate in and benefit from science remains fundamental to human progress and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Open Science is collaborative and inclusive, allows new social actors to engage in scientific processes, contributes to the democratization of knowledge, upholds scientific integrity and addresses systemic inequalities and enclosures of knowledge. Open Science, with its focus on participatory methods and citizen science initiatives, is integral to supporting SDG localization. Through examples like community-led environmental monitoring and crowd-sourced health data collection, citizen science, an integral component of Open Science, has demonstrated the power of inclusive knowledge creation. Science cannot function as a public good if the public cannot engage with it.

Building momentum toward the 4th Open Science and Open Scholarship Conference, this side event will convene diverse stakeholders – researchers, librarians, publishers and citizen science initiatives – to discuss the mechanisms through which public contributions and permanent access to scientific discoveries and innovations can strengthen public trust in scientific and knowledge organizations. This dialogue aims to produce actionable recommendations for scientific institutions to meaningfully engage diverse publics in knowledge creation and validation processes. These actionable recommendations will be brought forward both in the United Nations High-level Political Forum in July 2025 and in the roundtable discussion during the 4th Open Science and Open Scholarship Conference in October 2025, creating pathways for institutional change.

This virtual event will take place on 07 May 2025 from 8.30 – 9.45a.m. ET (New York Time).

REGISTER

Implementing for Impact: Measuring Open Science for the SDGs

Watch the RECORDING

Open science and open scholarship are the enabling environment through which all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may be accomplished. However, there are a variety of approaches to the adoption and evaluation of open science and open scholarship; approaches that reflect a global imbalance in research and development and, in some cases, further grow and concretize such divides. UNESCO’s Open Science Outlook 1 warns that the “cultural shift to open science will only be possible with adequate monitoring of its impacts, including its possible unintended consequences for science and/or society.”

It is within this context that the United Nations’ Dag Hammarskjöld Library convenes an official side event to the High-Level Political Forum. The UN Open Science Conference, convened biennially by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and its partners, has repeatedly heard calls for academic institutions to move their focus away from metrics and instead return to their role as agents of social change, with research agendas driven by “global relevance rather than journal visibility.” How do policies, established to globally advance open science and the SDGs, impact local evaluation frameworks for research institutions? How do they impact individual researchers and their work? Do they help or hinder achievement of the SDGs?

Speakers include:

Dr. Suchiradipta Bhattacharjee, International Water Management Institute

Dr. Yensi Flores-Bueso, Global Young Academy

Dr. Elizabeth (Lizzie) Gadd, Loughborough University, Coalition on Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA)

Dr. Geeta Swamy, Duke University, Higher Education Leadership Initiative for Open Scholarship (HELIOS)

Dr. Giannis Tsakonas, University of Patras, LIBER Europe

Moderator: Mx. Meg Wacha, Dag Hammarskjöld Library

This virtual panel will took place on 17 July 2024, from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. (EDT - New York Time).

hlpf.png

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png

Digital threats to the achievement of the SDGs: Libraries as the target

A side event at the 9th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Watch the RECORDING

There is a long history of attacks on cultural heritage institutions, from public censorship campaigns to physical libraries and museums being targeted in conflicts, leading to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Such attacks have evolved as library services and collections have moved into the digital realm. This requires an increased focus on cybersecurity, where libraries bear a double burden; the security of the institution and staff, as well as the security of the patrons and the public.This panel will convene experts from the UN System and the library community to discuss both why libraries are targeted and what is being done to protect them.

This virtual event took place on 09 May 2024 from 8.30 – 9.45a.m. ET (New York Time).

Panelists:

Edmund Balnaves, International Federation of Library Associations & Institutions (IFLA) Presentation
Gwen Evans, ELSEVIER Presentation
Magnus Igbinovia, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS) Presentation
Tima Soni, UN International Computing Centre (UNICC)

Moderator:
Thanos Giannakopoulos, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library

It is organized as a side event to the 9th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum).

Policy makes Practice: Open Science and Public Funding for the Public Good

Watch the recording

Governments are increasingly establishing national and international policies on Open Science. This panel invited representatives from across the globe to report on the state of open science policies in their region and identify shared challenges, opportunities and sites for future coordination and collaboration.

The Panelists are:

Dr. Moumita Koley, International Science Council Presentation
Ms. Naniki Maphakwane, Botswana Open University Presentation
Dr. Ana Persic, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Presentation
Dr. Laura Rovelli, Latin American Forum for Research Assessment (FOLEC-CLACSO) Presentation
Mx. Meg Wacha, United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library

Moderator: Mr. Thanos Giannakopoulos, United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library

The virtual event took place on 12 July 2023 from 8.00 – 9.30a.m. ET (New York Time). It was organized as a side event to the High-Level Political Forum 2023.

hlpf.png

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png

Towards Equitable Scholarly Publishing for SDGs and Beyond

A side event at the 8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Watch the recording

Science is a crucial tool for advancing progress on the 2030 Agenda and achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is recognized in the 2030 Agenda which calls for the establishment of a technology facilitation mechanism to advance science, technology, and innovation for the SDGs, including through knowledge-sharing in open access, online platforms.

UNESCO has identified that 70% of all humans live in countries with weak science systems; the knowledge needed to transform innovation systems around the world cannot be accessed. As highlighted in the UN Open Science Conference, Open Science can be a major contributor in closing this gap and expanding global knowledge. Open Science has the potential to be not just an accelerator of knowledge and innovation, but recovery, resilience, and inclusive sustainable development.

�鶹��ý Dag Hammarskjöld Library and UNESCO hosted a virtual panel addressing mechanisms towards an equitable scholarly publishing ecosystems for the SDGs and beyond. In this session, attendees heard concrete recommendations from experts for generating greater access to scientific knowledge in service of the SDGs and the need for a Global Science Commons.

The discussion was presented as a side-event during one of the most important 2-day global forums the United Nations delivers annually, the 8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The event took place on 2 May 2023 from 10:00a.m. - 11:30a.m. ET (New York Time).

Panelists:

Dr. Virginia Barbour, Director, Open Access Australasia
Dr. Chris Bourg, Director of Libraries, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Dr. Tshiamo Motshegwa, Director, African Open Science Platform (AOSP)
Dr. Ana Persic, Program Specialist, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Mr. Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief Librarian, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library

Moderator: Mx. Meg Wacha, Scholarly Communications Officer, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library

Concept Note

Background

With the advent of the pandemic, the component of openness in the scientific process has achieved criticality. Since 2019, when the Dag Hammarskjöld Library held the first Open Science Conference in the United Nations headquarters in New York, the global open movement has been significantly enriched with new national and international policies and frameworks as well as daring and visionary initiatives, both private and public. Research and funding institutions, libraries, publishers switched content to open access, in some cases overnight, to ensure unhindered access for researchers and the public, solidifying a tacit understanding of Open Science principles. The roundtable discussion among 19 eminent personalities in Open Science that preceded the Library’s 2019 Conference had resulted in a document of principles elaborating on the necessary elements needed for the creation of a Global Open Science Commons for the SDGs
In the 2nd OPEN SCIENCE CONFERENCE, From Tackling the Pandemic to Addressing Climate Change, policy makers, main IGO actors, librarians, publishers and research practitioners will engage into a public dialogue focusing on what Open Science has learned from COVID-19 and how this can be applied into actions addressing the global climate crisis, at the interface of science, technology, policy and research.
This three-day Conference organized by the Department of Global Communications, Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division of Sustainable Development Goals will bring the global discussion on open science and climate action to the United Nations and highlight national and IGO policies and Open Science initiatives from around the world. In cooperation with the global Open Science and Open Scholarship community, the Conference will also engage with early career leaders advancing openness in research and education at a time of lockdowns, and invite them into conversation with established leaders and policy makers in this key area for the UN 2030 Agenda.

Concept Note

2021 Second open science conference concept note

2021 Second open science conference concept note

Logistics

UN Code of Conduct to prevent harassment including sexual harassment, at UN System Events

Conference Programme

21–23 July 2021 (All times are EDT time zone (New York time))

Recording available: Conference playlist

Wednesday, 21 July 2021

8:00–8:05 amWelcome
8:05–8:20 amOpening Remarks
- Ms. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Video: Opening Remarks - Maria Francesca Spatolisano
- Mr. Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief, Dag Hammarskjöld Library
8:20–9:25 amKeynote address by the Assistant Director General of UNESCO,
Dr. Shamila Nair-Bedouelle
Discussion moderator: Ms. Lily Gray, Liaison Officer and Programme Specialist, UNESCO
9:30–10:40 amPolicy Makers and Open Science I
- Mr. Kostas Glinos, Head of Unit for Open Science, DG RTD, European Commission. Presentation: Policy Makers and Open Science: European Commission perspective
- Mr. Jerry Sheehan, Assistant Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Dr. Yasuhiro Murayama, Research Executive Director, NICT Knowledge Hub, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan. Presentation: Open Science landscape in Japan
- Dr. Nyovani Madise, Director of Development Policy and Head of Malawi Office, AFIDEP, and member of the group of scientists drafting the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report. Presentation: Learning from the pandemic to accelerate action on climate change
- Discussion moderator: Heather Joseph, Executive Director, SPARC
10:45–11:55 amPolicy Makers and Open Science II
- Dr. Ginny Barbour, Director, Open Access Australasia. Presentation: Lessons from the pandemic: an Australasian perspective
- Dr. Monica Granados, Senior Policy Advisor, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Presentation: Open Science in the Canadian Federal Government
- Dr. Alyna Rybkina, Deputy Director for Development of the Geophysical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief, Laboratory of Innovation Projects, Vice-President, CODATA. Presentation: Building Foundation for a World of Open Data and Open Science
- Dr. Kamran Naim, Head of Open Science, CERN
- Discussion moderator: Ms. Susan Veldsman, Director, Scholarly Publishing Programme, Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
11:55–12:00 pmClosing of day one

Thursday, 22 July 2021

8:00–8:05 amIntroduction by Ms. Astra Bonini, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, DESA
8:05–9:00 amKeynote address by Professor Geoffrey Boulton, International Science Council. Presentation: Science, Open Science, Covid and Climate
9:00–10:10 amScience-Policy-Society Interface and Open Science
- Ms. Fernanda Beigel, Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Chair, UNESCO Open Science Committee. Presentation: The Road to Open Science
- Ms. Cary Funk, Director, Science and Society Research, Pew Research Center. Presentation: Trust and the Science-Policy-Society Interface
- Ms. Natalia Carfi, Interim Executive Director of the International Open Data Charter. Presentation: Open Data Charter
- Mr. Martin Wainstein, Founder & Lead Researcher, Yale Open Innovation Lab
- Discussion moderator: Yingqian (Lily) Chen, Correspondent, New York Bureau, Hong Kong Phoenix Satellite Television
10:15–11:30 amEquity in Open Scholarship
- Video message by Maui Hudson, Director, Associate Professor, Te Mata Punenga o Te Kotahi, Te Kotahi Research Institute, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, The University of Waikato, New Zealand and Dr. Stephanie Russo Carroll, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona and Chair, GIDA Global Indigenous Data Alliance. Video: Equity in Open Scholarship - Stephanie Carroll & Maui Hudson
- Dr. Antoinette Foster, Director of Community Transformation, Racial Equity and Inclusion Center. Presentation: Equity in Open Scholarship
- Dr. Reggie Raju, Director of Research and Learning Services, University of Cape Town Libraries. Presentation: From disaster to preservation and dissemination
- Ms. Natalia Norori, Data Wrangler and Systems Manager, OA.Works. Presentation: My journey through an inequitable system
- Discussion moderator: Mr. Nick Shockey, Director of Programs & Engagement, SPARC
11:35-11:40amClosing of day two

Friday, 23 July 2021

8:00–8:05 amIntroduction by Mr. Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief, Dag Hammarskjöld Library
8:05–9:00 amKeynote address by Dr. Jean-Claude Guédon, Professor of Comparative Literature (retired), University of Montréal. Presentation: Moving scientific publishing out of Oldenburg’s long shadow
9:05–10:15 amAcademia and Open Science Infrastructure
- Prof. Dr. Frank Miedema, Professor of Open Science, Vice Rector, Research and Chair of Open Science, Utrecht University. Presentation: Transition to Open Science
- Dr. Dominique Babini and Dr. Laura Rovelli, Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO). Presentation: Open access and open science: Lessons learned in Latin America
- Mr. Omo Oaiya, Chief Strategy Officer, West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN). Presentation: An African framework for sustainable open science
- Dr. Bianca Amaro, Coordinator of the Brazilian Open Sciences Program, Brazilian Institute of Information on Science and Technology. President, LA Referencia. Presentation: Academia and Open Science Infrastructure
- Discussion moderator: Dr. Juan Pablo Alperin, Assistant Professor, Publishing, Associate Director, Public Knowledge Project, Director, Scholarly Communications Lab, Simon Fraser University
10:20–11:30 amScholarly Communications Actors
- Dr. Vincent Larivière, Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of Montréal. Presentation: What can the pandemic teach us about open science practices?
- Ms. Claire Redhead, Executive Director, Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA). Presentation: Trends in open publishing
- Ms. Stefka Tzanova, Science Librarian and Academic Works Coordinator, Assistant Professor, City University of New York. Presentation: Open Science in Time of COVID–19: Lessons Learned in an Academic Library
- Ms. Iryna Kuchma, Open Access Programme Manager, Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL). Presentation: Three lessons learned on open science from the pandemic
- Discussion moderator: Mohammad Zuheir Bakleh, Chief Librarian, UN-ESCWA
11:30–12:00 pm Closing remarks by Mr. Maher Nasser, Outreach Division Director, Department of Global Communications

Conference Outcomes

Conference Outcome Document

UNOpenScience 2021 Outcome Document.pdf

UNOpenScience 2021 Outcome Document.pdf

Open Science for Climate Action

Open Science for Climate Action

Open Science for Climate Action

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png

Building Structural Equity and Inclusion in Open Scholarship practices

This side event during the 7th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals took place on 6th May, at 7:30am EDT.

Watch the recording

Concept and background

Concept Note - May 2022

Panelists include:

Anindita Bhadra, Associate Dean of International Relations and Outreach Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, India and Immediate Past Co-Chair, Global Young Academy
Luke Drury, Emeritus Professor, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ireland
Heather Joseph, Executive Director, Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)
Sudip Parikh, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Publisher, Science Journals, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Rakeshnie Ramoutar-Prieschl, Head: Research Capacity Development, University of Pretoria, South Africa

The session will be moderated by Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief Librarian, the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library.

Local category:

DHL Open Science Conference

United Nations - DHL Open Science Conference

Open Science

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png Science as a Shared Journey: Engaging Communities, Building Trust, and Advancing Open Science for the SDGs

Implementing for Impact: Measuring Open Science for the SDGs

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png Digital threats to the achievement of the SDGs: Libraries as the target

A side event at the 9th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Building Structural Equity and Inclusion in Open Scholarship practices

Concept and background

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png

Science as a Shared Journey: Engaging Communities, Building Trust, and Advancing Open Science for the SDGs

sti_forum_logo-rgb57.png

Digital threats to the achievement of the SDGs: Libraries as the target