Celebrating 10 years of the DOAJ Ambassador Programme – DOAJ Blog

"Ten years ago, in 2016, we launched the DOAJ Ambassador Programme with 15 Ambassadors who were recruited to improve open access publishing in the Global South. Today, we have 14 Ambassadors, representing 9 regions and operating from 12 countries, some of whom are also DOAJ team members, and some who have been  Ambassadors since the very beginning! One of the programme’s greatest successes has been its ability to connect journals and people across regions, languages and publishing contexts. 

The DOAJ Ambassador programme was made possible due to a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and time dedicated by DOAJ team members to build the foundations of the Ambassador programme. After the grant concluded in 2017, the Ambassador programme took a new shape as an integrated part of DOAJ instead of a project supported by a grant. Some Ambassadors became volunteers or team members, and the programme developed organically until 2024, when the Ambassador programme was reviewed and redefined with new processes and foundations."