Research lobbies lock horns with science publishers over open access 25 May 2021 | News
Universities and research institutes urge science publishers to stop imposing embargoes on manuscripts funded by agencies that make open access a condition of public grants
Rik Van de Walle, president of CESAER. Photo: Ghent University
Nearly 900 universities, research organisations, and funding agencies want science publishers to be more transparent and abide by open access rules, after scientists complained their submissions are rejected if they apply a public copyright licence to accepted manuscripts.
In a joint statement published today, research-performing and research-funding organisations represented by the European University Association, Science Europe and CESAER, call on all publishers to stop requiring researchers to sign over their rights and to end the use of restrictions and embargoes.
EU members ‘must step up’ for European Universities
The Council of the European Union, comprising ministers of EU member states, has called on European governments and higher education systems to support the European Universities Initiative (EUI) and make it a central to building a European Education Area by 2025.
The ministers have urged more cooperation between education authorities, higher education institutions and stakeholders to remove obstacles to European level cooperation.
In this context, they suggest exploring the need for and feasibility of joint European degrees within the alliance of ‘European Universities’.
The call came in conclusions, “The European Universities Initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education”, adopted on 17 May at a Council education ministers’ meeting moderated by Manuel Heitor, minister of science, technology and higher education of Por
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The pandemic university is not the hybrid model we need
In
Universities without Walls, a recent report from the European University Association, a vision for universities in 2030 is laid out as “open, enforcing the vision of universities without walls”. Universities are described as cooperative and networking institutions which take the form of communities with open boundaries that build bridges between countries, cultures and sectors.
Furthermore, the report states that “the nature and structure of universities will be hybrid. They will be open as physical and virtual spaces and will work to cultivate both of these when engaging with society”.
But what does it actually mean to be hybrid? And how can we grasp the notion of hybridity beyond mere technical systems, solutions and set-ups to see the ways in which it transforms both future universities and universities’ futures?
Launch of Horizon Europe work programmes postponed again 06 May 2021 | News
Researchers grow frustrated at looming funding gap, with European Commission putting back publication of detailed calls to the end of May. Some commentators suggest the delay is down to row over excluding UK, Israel and Switzerland from space and quantum R&D
EU commissioner for research and innovation Mariya Gabriel. Photo: European Parliament
The European Commission has yet again delayed the adoption date of Horizon Europe work programmes, leaving researchers and MEPs to worry about a potential funding gap.
Last month, the European Parliament gave its final stamp of approval to the Horizon Europe legislation, opening the way for the Commission to go ahead and implement the programme, which was scheduled to kick off in January.