Open Science Policy of the University: Current Implementation and Future Prospects

Today, I had the great honor of presenting the results of our Open Science Policy implementation at the meeting of the Academic Council of BSPU:
Presentation: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17734923

Berdyansk State Pedagogical University is a participant of Open4UA, a project aimed at transforming and reforming open science within Ukraine’s higher education system.

We actively support key European initiatives and international standards: #CoARA, #DORA, the recent Stockholm Declaration, the European Charter for Researchers, and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Last year, the university approved its Open Science Policy, which consists of three foundational documents:
– Strategy (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15007508),
– Roadmap (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15007421),
– Strategic Plan for 2025 (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15011043).

The 2025 plan was structured into 20 highly ambitious tasks, each comprising a set of actions — from infrastructure development to research data management.

This year, within Open4UA, we conducted a mapping of the university’s implementation of open science through institutional self-assessment. The mapping revealed a sufficiently mature level of institutional openness: we have established policies, a functional data management system, well-developed open platforms, and active scientific communication.

At the same time, I aimed to be as transparent as possible in my report. I deliberately emphasized the challenges. We still have gaps that require systematic work: infrastructure, practical implementation of policies, secure storage of sensitive data, support for staff and PhD students, and the development of open education.

Yet above all, my core priority is building a culture of openness. Without culture, no regulation or document will work. Culture must be nurtured every day.

When I speak about culture, I refer to a broader understanding of open science. It is not only about open access or open data. It is, first and foremost, about communication with communities, society, stakeholders, and public authorities. It is about those for whom and together with whom we create knowledge. Knowledge must not only be produced — it must also be explained in clear language and made accessible to all who need it.

Science must be open, honest, and responsible. We must continuously ask ourselves a simple question: why are we producing knowledge, and what impact does it have for the public good?

Furthermore, we adhere not only to the FAIR principles but also to the CARE principles, as responsibility, ethical safety, and the principle of “do no harm” are fundamental for us. In this regard, the university sets a global framework that, in my view, should become a national priority.

Guided by this logic, we continue to advance open science at BSPU — with a firm belief that openness and responsibility make universities stronger and society more resilient.

I am deeply proud of our academic community at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, which, even under the challenging conditions of displacement, proves every single day that a “university without walls” is not a metaphor but a real model of resilience, openness, and service to society.

Yana Sychikova, Vice-Rector for Research