Tue 19 – Thu 21 May 2026
The Knowledge Equity and Open Scholarship Week 2026 (KE & OS Week) Programme brings together a diverse coalition of partners from North Africa, Europe and South Africa, including Mohamed Lamine Debaghine University – Sétif 2, University of Pretoria, University of Leeds, University of Salford, Université de Sousse, the UNESCO Chair on Open Education for Innovative, Intelligent and Inclusive Learning, Utrecht University, and the Knowledge Equity Network, to co-create a fully online event dedicated to advancing more inclusive, collaborative and equitable knowledge ecosystems.
How can we bridge the Opens?
The 2026 programme centres on a unifying theme: “How can we bridge the Opens?” Throughout the week, partners and participants will explore how open scholarship, equitable collaboration and community‑driven innovation can reshape research cultures, dismantle structural barriers, and expand who gets to produce, access and benefit from knowledge.
More information about the KE & OS Week and the co-creation experiment we are running, is available here.
Register now
Sign up to sessions for the KE & OS Week events by clicking on the images below.
Opening Keynote: Making the Case to Connect the Opens
Tue 19 May
09:45 – 11:00 BST & CET
10:45 – 12:00 SAST & CEST
Keynote Speakers:
Vanessa Proudman, Director, SPARC Europe
Paola Corti, Senior Open Education Expert, SPARC Europe
Chair: Josh Sendall, University of Leeds Library
Drawing on SPARC Europe’s recent positioning paper, The Case for Connecting the Opens, this session will explore how a more coordinated, values-driven approach can unlock synergies, reduce fragmentation, and build more equitable and impactful knowledge systems for all. (more information and register…)
Session 2: Bridging Digital Transformation and Open Infrastructure
Tue 19 May
13:00 – 14:00 BST & CET
14:00 – 15:00 SAST & CEST
Guest Speakers:
Naouel Abdellatif, Mohamed Lamine Debaghine University – Sétif 2
Omo Oaiya, WACREN
Hanlie Smuts, University of Pretoria
Chair: Isak van der Walt, University of Pretoria
Bringing together perspectives from policy, practice, and infrastructure development, this session will examine how open infrastructures can support more inclusive and resilient knowledge systems, while also asking what risks emerge when digital transformation is uneven, fragmented, or driven by commercial priorities. (more information and register…)
Session 3: How can we create a more equitable publishing ecology?
Wed 20 May
10:00 – 11:00 BST & CET
11:00 – 12:00 SAST & CEST
Guest Speakers:
Elizabeth le Roux, University of Pretoria
Susan Murray, Africa Journals Online
Khawulile Radebe, University of Pretoria
Sarah Thompson, University of York Library
Monica Westin, Cambridge University Press
Chair: Jeroen Bosman, Utrecht University
This session will explore how we can move towards a more inclusive and sustainable publishing ecology that reflects the diversity of global knowledge production. From Diamond Open Access and university press models to community-led journals and multilingual publishing, we will examine alternatives to dominant, commercial paradigms – while also critically reflecting on the role of Transformative Agreements in shaping the transition to open access. (more information and register…)
Session 4: Open Education Futures – Community, Co-creation, and Publishing
Wed 20 May
13:00 – 14:00 BST & CET
14:00 – 15:00 SAST & CEST
Guest speakers:
Lilia Cheniti Belcadhi, Université de Sousse & Chair UNESCO Open Education for Innovative, Intelligent and Inclusive Learning
Igor Lesko, OE Global
Monge Tlaka, OER Africa
Chair: Jane Saunders, University of Leeds Libraries
Bringing together perspectives from grassroots, community-led initiatives alongside institutional and policy frameworks, this session will examine how open education can be supported and scaled, to make it more inclusive, ensuring it remains grounded in local contexts and global collaboration. (more information and register…)
Session 5: Co-creation spotlight – how can we bridge the Opens?
Wed 20 May
15:00 – 16:00 BST & CET
16:00 – 17:00 SAST & CEST
Guest speakers:
Colleagues who have taken part in our co-creation experiment
Co-Chairs:
Rashmi Shetty, Utrecht University
Tanya Williamson, University of Salford
A spotlight on the unique contributions to the Knowledge Equity & Open Scholarship Week programme from diverse open scholarship practitioners from across Africa, Europe, India, Central America and USA who participated in the co-creation experiment. (more information and register…)
Session 6: How can we shape equitable Open Access for longform scholarship?
Thu 21 May
10:00 – 11:00 BST & CET
11:00 – 12:00 SAST & CEST
Guest speakers:
Alicia Wise, Information Power
Tom Grady, Copim
Yeo Pin Pin, Singapore Management University
Lindiwe Soyizwapi, University of Pretoria
Chair: Dominic Broadhurst, University of Salford
Longform publications remain central to how knowledge is developed, especially in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Yet Open Access for these outputs continues to lag behind journals. Why is this and what would it take to change it? (more information and register…)
Session 7: Co-creation in action – reflecting on the experiment
Thu 21 May
13:00 – 14:00 BST & CET
14:00 – 15:00 SAST & CEST
Guest speaker:
Chrissi Nerantzi, University of Leeds
Co-Chairs:
Tanya Williamson, University of Salford
Rashmi Shetty, Utrecht University
This closing session explores co-creation as a practical and participatory approach to tackling the question at the heart of the week: How can we bridge the Opens? Participating in the week’s experimental co-creation initiative, practitioners from across regions, roles, and disciplines have worked together in small, diverse groups to exchange perspectives and develop shared contributions. (more information and register…)