Rundmail von Dr. Ulrich Herb (des öfteren bei unseren Symposien als Vortragender zu Gast gewesen):
Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen,
wir freuen uns, die Open Divide Lecture Series (2025–2026) anzukündigen – eine einjährige Vortragsreihe, die sich mit den Herausforderungen, Widersprüchen und Entwicklungen im Bereich Open Access und wissenschaftliches Publizieren auseinandersetzt. Aufbauend auf den kritischen Analysen des 2018 erschienenen Bandes „Open Divide: Critical Studies on Open Access“ (https://opendivide.hypotheses.org/open-divide-2018) bringen wir führende internationale Expertinnen und Experten zusammen, um zentrale Fragen zur Zukunft des Open Access zu diskutieren.
Im Rahmen der Reihe werden grundlegende Fragen beleuchtet, darunter:
- Wer profitiert tatsächlich von Open Access?
- Fördert Open Access Inklusion oder verstärkt es bestehende Ungleichheiten?
- Was sind die tatsächlichen Kosten von Open Access?
- Wie beeinflussen Kommerzialisierung, Governance und globale Machtstrukturen Open Access?
- Welche Rolle spielen alternative Modelle wie Schattenbibliotheken und gemeinschaftsbasiertes Publizieren?
Jeder Vortrag bietet kritische Einblicke und wird von einer offenen Diskussion begleitet. Die Vorträge werden aufgezeichnet, und nach Abschluss der Reihe planen wir, die Beiträge in einer neuen Ausgabe von Open Divide zu veröffentlichen. Der Sammelband wird im Diamond Open Access im Verlag Melusina der Universität Luxemburg erscheinen.
ZEITPLAN VORTRÄGE, BEGINN JEWEILS 17 UHR CET = Central European Time bzw, mitteleuropäische Zeit) bzw. CEST=Central European Summer Time bzw. mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit)
- 23. April 2025 – Rebecca Bryant: Libraries Supporting Open Research: International Perspectives
- 28. Mai 2025 – Thomas Parisot & Yann Mahé: Open Science and the Information Industry: French Debates and Insights
- 25. Juni 2025 – Lisa Janicke Hinchcliffe: The Sustainability and Stability of Open and Closed Access Publishing
- 23. Juli 2025 – Michael Laakso: Long-Term Preservation of Open Access Publications: Facts, Current Practices, and Future Outlook
- 27. August 2025 – Wolfgang Benedikt Schmal: Competition as a Driver of Progress in Academic Publishing
- 24. September 2025 – Arend Küster: Size Matters: Why Scale is the Key Ingredient for OA Publishers
- 22. Oktober 2025 – Wilhelm Peekhaus: Open Access and the Continued Exploitation and Alienation of Academic Labour
- 26. November 2025 – Sam Moore: Publishing Beyond the Market: Open Access, Care, and the Commons
- 17. Dezember 2025 – Zakayo Kjellström: Beyond Institutional Boundaries: Shadow Libraries as Commons and the Future of Knowledge Preservation
- 28. Januar 2026 – Joachim Schöpfel, Hélène Prost & Behrooz Rasuli: The Global South’s Role in Shaping the Open Science Paradigm
- 25. Februar 2026 – Kevin Elliot: The Promise and Perils of Transparency and Openness
- 25. März 2026 – TBA
Format: Online-Vortragsreihe (kostenlose Teilnahme)
Weitere Informationen & Anmeldung:
https://opendivide.hypotheses.org/open-divide-2025-2026-speakers-and-topics
DETAILPROGRAMM AUF ENGLISCH INKL. LINKS ZU DEN REGISTRIERUNGEN ZU EINZELNEN VORTRÄGEN !! AUCH EINE REGISTRIERUNG FÜR DAS GESAMTPROGRAMM IST MÖGLICH.
Open Divide 2025/2026 — Speakers and Topics
In 2018, Open Divide: Critical Studies on Open Access examined the transformation of scholarly communication, questioning dominant narratives and highlighting unresolved controversies. Now, seven years later we, Joachim Schöpfel (Université de Lille, France), Ulrich Herb (Saarland University, Germany), and Niels-Oliver Walkowski (University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg) launch a twelve-month lecture series as a foundation for a new edition of Open Divide. The three of us are equally responsible for the content of the series and will take turns moderating the individual events.
This lecture series tackles these pressing issues, exploring the role of libraries, sustainability, and long-term preservation. It critically examines competition, commercialization, and governance in academic publishing while addressing equity and the broader impact of open science policies. Alternative models, such as shadow libraries, commons-based publishing, and the Global South’s contributions, offer fresh perspectives on the future of Open Access.
Leading experts from academia, libraries, and publishing will share their insights, offering diverse and critical perspectives on these pressing issues—explore the speakers and their topics below. We are honored to have such distinguished experts contributing to this lecture series and sincerely thank them for sharing their invaluable insights—our deepest appreciation for their participation.
Please take a look at the program, where you will find a registration link for each lecture. Alternatively, you can register for the entire series or select individual lectures via this page:
https://unilu.webex.com/webappng/sites/unilu/webinar/webinarSeries/register/c3ae672f863747a2b18feb45bcd7582a.
2025
April 23, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r21e4a4713e93f01d98a9e4bc873f14c4
Rebecca Bryant, Senior Program Officer at OCLC/ Online Computer Library Center, USA.
Topic: Libraries Supporting Open Research: International Perspectives.
Rebecca Bryant explores the strategic significance of open research and the role of libraries in supporting it, based on insights from the OCLC Research Library Partnership.
May 28, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r4f3808f008263a2e26fd460fe68c6f93
Thomas Parisot (Directeur Général Adjoint Cairn.info, France) & Yann Mahé (Managing Director at MyScienceWork, France).
Topic: Open Science and the Information Industry: French Debates and Insights.
An analysis of the French debate on open science, the challenges and opportunities for the information industry, and the impact of open-access policies.
June 25, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/rfbb0ee6b8d7a1157196cd61d253a9316
Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, Professor & Coordinator for Research Professional Development, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.
Topic: The Sustainability and Stability of Open and Closed Access Publishing.
An exploration of the long-term sustainability of open and closed access publishing, considering financial models and scholarly infrastructure.
July 23, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/recaacc502afadf55c9f8bc4f44e5602c
Mikael Laakso, Associate Professor in Information Studies, Tampere University, Finland.
Topic: Long-Term Preservation of Open Access Publications: Facts, Current Practices, and Future Outlook.
This talk addresses the long-term preservation of open-access publications, discussing current challenges and best practices.
August 27, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r055b74f1cd3d785edddf72e8c61d56e5
Wolfgang Benedikt Schmal, Competition Economist, Technical University Ilmenau, Germany.
Topic: Competition as a Driver of Progress in Academic Publishing.
An argument for increasing competition in academic publishing as an alternative to regulatory interventions.
September 24, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/rbf8c77dba4ffd018b30c5c5bc08511d1
Arend Küster, Director of CSIRO Publishing, Australia.
Topic: Size Matters: Why Scale is the Key Ingredient for OA Publishers.
This talk explores how Open Access challenges small publishers to scale, optimize workflows, and adopt AI to stay competitive.
October 22, 2025, 5 pm CEST
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/rd35837e1bd6b2526a3f19c369a8101b1
Wilhelm Peekhaus, Associate Professor in Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
Topic: Open Access and the Continued Exploitation and Alienation of Academic Labour.
A Marxist perspective on the structures of academic publishing and potential paths for transformation.
November 26, 2025, 5 pm CET
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/rf646bc66d043c4c0a873c066c4741910
Sam Moore, University of Cambridge, UK.
Topic: Publishing Beyond the Market: Open Access, Care, and the Commons
.
A critical examination of market-driven open access models and alternative, community-centered approaches to scholarly publishing.
December 17, 2025, 5 pm CET
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r08cc897f355e4874f6cc5ce7298043ce
Zakayo Kjellström, Umeå University, Sweden.
Topic: Beyond Institutional Boundaries: Shadow Libraries as Commons and the Future of Knowledge Preservation
An exploration of how shadow libraries enable alternative forms of knowledge preservation and dissemination.
2026
January 28, 2026, 5 pm CET
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r1a8cc50eb710c6e85afeff82832ad1a1
Joachim Schöpfel (Lille University, France), Hélène Prost (INIST – Institut de l’Information Scientifique et Technique, Centre national de la recherche scientifique CNRS, France) & Behrooz Rasuli (Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, Iran).
Topic: The Global South’s Role in Shaping the Open Science Paradigm
.
An analysis of the Global South’s role in the open science movement and the impact of open repositories and publishing platforms.
February 25, 2026, 5pm CET
Registration:
https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r9a762ba7cf870f0de2a2ead23d7a0d43
Kevin Elliott, Red Cedar Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Michigan State University, USA.
Topic: The Promise and Perils of Transparency and Openness.
This lecture examines the concept of transparency in science, exploring its benefits for innovation, reproducibility, and public trust while addressing its ambiguities, criticisms, and potential paths toward responsible implementation.
March 25, 2026, 5 PM CET
TBA.
Topic: TBA
(Details not yet available).