The workshop brought together more than 90 participants from research and educational institutions across Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, reflecting the growing regional interest in developing and implementing Open Science policies.
Designed as a focused and practical session, the workshop combined strategic perspectives, international policy guidance, and hands-on insights into drafting, implementing, and supporting Open Science policies within institutional and regional contexts. Discussions emphasized the importance of aligning policies with the FAIR principles while strengthening transparency, collaboration, accessibility, and sustainable research practices.
The programme featured contributions from ASREN, SESAME, UNESCO, and experts working on Open Science policy and infrastructure. Sessions included an overview of Open Science within EUMEDplus, SESAME as an applied model for Open Science, the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, an overview of policy writing, and Open Science enablers including tools and Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs).
The workshop also highlighted SESAME's experience in putting Open Science principles into practice, including its adoption of DOIs in collaboration with DataCite and its ongoing work toward integrating ORCID. These developments demonstrate how research infrastructures can support greater visibility, traceability, accessibility, and impact of research outputs.
The workshop concluded by highlighting the growing demand for regional Open Science frameworks and the importance of continued cooperation, capacity building, and policy development to advance Open Science across the region. The collaboration between ASREN and SESAME provides a foundation for further regional efforts to establish and strengthen Open Science principles and practices.
Date: 16 February 2026 Format: Online Organized by: ASREN & SESAME Framework: EUMEDplus Project Participants: 90+ participants from Europe and the MENA region
