Launch of EOS

[Stevan Harnad <amsciforum@gmail.com>]

** Apologies for Cross-Posting **

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bernard Rentier  brentier -- ulg.ac.be
Date: Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 6:24 PM
Subject: Launch of EOS
To: AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM -- listserver.sigmaxi.org

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, Universite du Quebec a
Montreal (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: http://www.openscholarship.org

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