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OpenAIRE AMKE General Assembly: Shaping the European Open Science Vision in Izmir, Turkiye

country highlights policies & funders open science skills

30 Oct 2024

The OpenAIRE AMKE General Assembly and Executive Board Meeting was held in Urla, Izmir, Türkiye, from September 23-26, 2024. Hosted by Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH), this was the first time the meeting took place in Türkiye, with representatives from OpenAIRE member institutions attending from various countries. Established as a legal entity in October 2018, OpenAIRE's membership has been steadily growing, and it now has 47 institutional members from 37 countries.

A Journey Beginning in Çeşme, Continuing in Urla

The meeting began with the OpenAIRE AMKE Board Meeting held at the Altin Yunus Hotel in Cesme on September 23-24, 2024. For two days, board members evaluated the current situation and focused on future strategies. Following this productive meeting, the OpenAIRE AMKE General Assembly was held in the Urla district of Izmir, hosted by IZTECH.

The hybrid OpenAIRE AMKE General Assembly's morning session began with an opening speech by Board Chair Inge Van Nieuwerbugh (Ghent University). This was followed by welcome addresses from IZTECH Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Baran and IZTECH Library Director Gültekin Gürdal, who is also a member of the OpenAIRE Board and Türkiye's NOAD. Subsequently, OpenAIRE CEO Natalia Manola (OpenAIRE AMKE) presented a comprehensive annual report outlining significant developments and achievements in 2023. Board member Pauli Assien (University of Helsinki) provided a detailed financial report for 2024 and shared future financial projections for 2025. One of the key agenda items was the election of two new board members to fill vacant positions, resulting in the election of Judit Fazekas-Paragh from the University of Debrecen (Hungary) and Joeri Both from Vrije University Amsterdam (Netherlands), who received the highest number of votes.

Key Topics and Decisions

A major topic of discussion at the General Assembly was the status of OpenAIRE NOADs and how this structure might evolve in the future. Board member Elli Papadopoulou (Athena Research Center) shared the results of a survey on this topic and facilitated a discussion. OpenAIRE CTO Paolo Manghi (OpenAIRE AMKE) provided updates on the continuously developed OpenAIRE Research Graph, which has acquired new features. Board member Eloy Rodrigues (University of Minho) presented a detailed overview of the European Respository Strategy and its action plan. The meeting also covered OpenAIRE strategies, working group activities, and training, which is one of OpenAIRE's strengths. Pedro Principe (University of Minho) provided detailed information on current training activities and future plans.

Türkiye, İzmir's Hospitality

Hosted by the warm IZTECH Open Science team, participants had the opportunity to explore the beautiful districts of Cesme and Urla in Izmir and savor the flavors of the renowned Turkish cuisine. Following the meeting, a city tour of Izmir, guided by members of the IZTECH Open Science team, showcased the city's historical and cultural riches.

This significant event, successfully hosted by IZTECH, strengthened knowledge sharing and synergy among OpenAIRE members, enabling the co-creation of OpenAIRE strategies.