Reflections on the 140th GIST Seminar

OpenAIRE recently participated in the 140th GIST Seminar, hosted by the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, with additional engagements in Kyoto. The visit, co-organised by Kyoto University Library, provided an opportunity to present the OpenAIRE Graph and explore future collaboration around Open Science policies and research intelligence.  

From Open Data to Open Research Intelligence

At GRIPS, Dr. Andrea Mannocci from the OpenAIRE Graph team delivered the lecture OpenAIRE Graph: Supporting Research Intelligence through Open Data, addressing a key challenge in today's research landscape: while research itself is largely publicly funded, the intelligence built on top of it remains too often closed and controlled by proprietary systems.

The OpenAIRE Graph was presented as a response to this gap, an open, community-governed scholarly knowledge graph designed to support transparent and accountable research intelligence. Built on Open Science principles, it aggregates and links a wide range of research outputs, including publications, datasets, and software, enabling a more complete and connected view of research activity.

The session also highlighted how the Graph moves beyond publication-centric approaches, supporting richer analyses of research contributions and their relationships. Through its open APIs, datasets, and analytical services, it enables researchers, institutions, and policymakers to explore research dynamics, monitor Open Science practices, and support evidence-based decision-making. 

Advancing Open Science and Research Intelligence

A central theme of the seminar was the importance of open and community-governed infrastructures in shaping the future of research intelligence. As highlighted during the presentation, reliance on closed systems can limit transparency, restrict access to data, and reduce the ability of the research community to understand and challenge how knowledge is evaluated.

By contrast, open infrastructures such as the OpenAIRE Graph support greater transparency and digital sovereignty, helping ensure that research intelligence remains aligned with public values. This is particularly relevant as institutions and policymakers worldwide seek more responsible, inclusive, and context-aware approaches to research assessment. 

Engaging with the Japanese Open Science Community

• Increasing awareness and uptake of OpenAIRE data and services in Japan 
  
• Exploring interoperability with national and institutional scholarly infrastructures 
  
• Identifying opportunities for joint research on Open Science policies and research assessment

These conversations reflected a strong interest in open, interoperable infrastructures and a shared recognition of the importance of high-quality, connected research information. 

Strengthening global collaboration through open infrastructures

The visit marked an important step in strengthening OpenAIRE's international engagement beyond Europe. By introducing the OpenAIRE Graph to new audiences and fostering connections with Japanese institutions, it highlighted the growing global interest in open, interoperable approaches to research intelligence.

At the same time, these exchanges laid the groundwork for future collaboration between OpenAIRE and Japanese stakeholders, including potential joint research initiatives, technical integration efforts, and continued knowledge sharing around Open Science practices.

As Open Science continues to gain momentum worldwide, building bridges between infrastructures and communities will be essential. The 140th GIST Seminar demonstrated how such collaborations can support a more open, transparent, and connected research ecosystem, while ensuring that research intelligence remains aligned with public values.