At the 16th OpenAIRE General Assembly, held on 18–19 September 2025 at CERN, following the successful Open Science Fair, OpenAIRE’s members elected Joeri Both as the new Chair of the Executive Board and General Assembly. This decision marks an important step in OpenAIRE’s governance and strategic direction.

I am honored to be elected chair of OpenAIRE and look forward to continuing the great work OpenAIRE has done. As a science community, it is now more important than ever to hold our values of Open Science and work toward an inclusive and equitable system. I am confident that the OpenAIRE community can contribute greatly to this mission. - Joeri Both

Joeri Both serves as Vice Director of the University Library of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he leads research support, research intelligence, and Open Science services. With a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Amsterdam and more than a decade of experience in academic libraries, he combines scientific expertise with professional leadership. Under his guidance, the VU Library has evolved into a state-of-the-art centre for research data management, FAIR practices, and Open Science infrastructures.

For Joeri, Open Science is “just science done right” - a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and accountability in research. In his vision, Open Science is not only about access but about addressing systemic challenges: Improving recognition and reward systems, advancing sustainable publishing models, and ensuring that diverse research contributions receive the value they deserve. He highlights the importance of fostering Diamond Open Access and moving global research practices toward greater inclusivity and openness.

Joeri’s appointment as Chair marks a new phase for OpenAIRE. Having served on the Executive Board for the past year, he has shown strong commitment through his work on membership and engagement with members. His dedication to collaboration and his vision of research as a service to humanity will continue to guide OpenAIRE in strengthening open science, amplifying the role of universities and libraries, ensuring a strong voice in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), building international cooperation, and supporting researchers and institutions in embedding sustainable Open Science practices.

With fresh perspectives grounded in continuity, OpenAIRE enters its next chapter ready to build on the strong foundations laid so far, embracing new challenges, connecting communities, and shaping the future of Open Science in Europe and beyond.