On April 30, the 1st National consensus on open science workshop of the Open4UA project took place on the Zoom platform. More than 300 scientists, educators, and public figures from all regions of Ukraine and abroad registered for the workshop. Everyone could also join the live broadcast of the seminar on Facebook.

First, Denys Kurbatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of open science for the development of the Ukrainian higher education and research system, as it is one of the most important trends in the EU and the world today. Research data is of particular importance, as effective work with it can help overcome global challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic. Ukraine is also on the way to implementing open science. In particular, the new methodology for certification of research and higher education institutions developed by the Ministry of Education and Science already contains elements of it. This innovation is progressive and has provoked a constructive discussion in the Ukrainian scientific community, which will allow joint develop ing of appropriate solutions and standards.

After that, Oleksandr Berezko, Open4UA project coordinator, briefly outlined the prospects for implementing open science in Ukraine and spoke about the results of the project consortium’s work. In particular, comprehensive recommendations for reforms on the implementation of open science and the evaluation of scientific activities in Ukraine were presented, which were developed with the help of researchers from Slovenia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and other countries. The presentation was followed by a question and answer session.

In the second part of the seminar, Hryhoriy Mozolevych, Director General of the Directorate for Science Development of the Ministry of Education and Science, presented a new methodology for certifying research and higher education institutions in terms of their research activities. This methodology has recently been proposed for public discussion. The Open4UA team participated in the development of the methodology and engaged foreign experts in this process. The presentation sparked a lively discussion among the workshop participants, which allowed for a better understanding of its nuances and potential impact on the science system in Ukraine.

This event is the first in a series of six online seminars organized by the Open4UA project, which will be held every six months and are intended to become a platform for forming an all-Ukrainian network of experts and open science enthusiasts and promoting progress in this area. The workshops are an important channel for disseminating project results and receiving feedback from the Ukrainian academic community and other stakeholders to jointly shape the vision of open science development in Ukraine.