Connecting the Opens: The Leadership series - SPARC Europe

"European higher education has never been more open – and yet, its various open initiatives are often pursued in isolation, each falling short of its full potential. Across six instalments, SPARC Europe’s Connecting the Opens leadership series has presented a clear strategic proposition: Open Science, Open Education, Open Access and other Opens should not be managed as separate agendas. Connecting them can create synergies that strengthen impact, equity, and efficiency, resulting in a more robust and equitable higher education ecosystem.

The series stems from SPARC Europe’s Connecting the Opens programme, which sets out to broaden the open agenda by making the case for European public universities to connect open science, open education, and other opens. As part of this effort, in 2024 and 2025 we interviewed rectors, chancellors, library directors, deans, and other institutional leaders from across Europe who are driving the Open agenda forward, seeking to better understand how these various “Opens” can be connected in practice. We shared leadership thoughts through a position paper and a series of items."