On 4–6 June 2026, Kyiv hosted the National Forum on Open Science and Advancing Research Assessment as part of the project “Open Science for Ukrainian Higher Education System” (Open4UA).
The event was held at the H. I. Denysenko Scientific and Technical Library of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in a hybrid format. It brought together Ukrainian and European experts, representatives of public authorities, higher education institutions, research institutions, members of the Open4UA consortium and project partners, as well as all those interested in the development of open science in Ukraine.
The first day of the Forum focused on legislative alignment, reforming research assessment systems, developing open science policies, and integrating Ukraine’s research system into the European Research Area.
As part of the official opening, the Forum’s organisers and partners addressed the participants. Key presentations were delivered by Denys Kurbatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Oleksandra Husak, Director General of the Directorate for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; and Olga Polotska, Executive Director of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
In her presentation, Olga Polotska outlined the experience of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine in implementing the principles of open science, highlighted the Foundation’s key achievements in this area, and presented the results of the Open4UA project, with the NRFU responsible for implementing certain project tasks. Particular attention was paid to the accession of Ukrainian research institutions to the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), ensuring the transparency and integrity of competitive funding procedures, and the role of open science in enhancing the quality, reproducibility and societal relevance of research.
Throughout the first day, participants took part in professional discussions on the development of open science in Ukraine and Europe, reforming approaches to research assessment, the role of CoARA in these processes, and the further uptake of the results of the Open4UA project. The discussions brought together representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Scientific Committee of the National Council of Ukraine for the Development of Science and Technology, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukrainian universities, as well as European experts and members of the project’s Advisory Board.
The second day of the Forum focused on the practical results of implementing open science principles in Ukrainian higher education institutions, as well as the development of international cooperation. Participants learned about how Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, Mariupol State University and I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University have implemented the open science approaches and practices developed as part of the Open4UA project. The event also featured European projects and initiatives aimed at advancing open science, research reproducibility, academic integrity and the digital transformation of higher education.
A separate part of the Forum was the inaugural meeting of the Coordination Council on Open Science, established under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The purpose of the Coordination Council is to ensure coordinated action in implementing the principles of open science in Ukraine, developing national open science infrastructure, and integrating Ukraine into the European Research Area.
The Coordination Council includes representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and other central executive authorities; the Scientific Committee of the National Council of Ukraine for the Development of Science and Technology; the National Research Foundation of Ukraine; the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; the national sectoral academies of sciences; research institutions; higher education institutions; scientific and technical libraries; and civil society organisations.
During the inaugural meeting, members of the Coordination Council discussed the Council’s priority areas, including the development of open science policies, coordination among key stakeholders, the improvement of national research infrastructure, and support for the implementation of open science principles in research institutions and higher education institutions. The participants identified the Council’s priority tasks and outlined further steps towards developing its work plan.
The third day was dedicated to summarising the outcomes of the Forum and discussing further steps to implement the results of the Open4UA project. Participants summarised the key outcomes of the previous days, exchanged views on the prospects for the development of open science in Ukraine, and identified priority areas for further cooperation between Ukrainian and European partners.
As part of the Forum, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine also held a poster session showcasing the results of research and development conducted by Ukrainian researchers with the support of the NRFU. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about projects in the fields of security, technology, environmental sciences and other areas, demonstrating the practical contribution of science to addressing current challenges facing Ukraine. More details are available here.
The Forum provided a platform for expert discussions on the development of open science in Ukraine, reforming approaches to research assessment and expanding international cooperation. During the discussions, participants presented practical outcomes, exchanged experience in implementing relevant initiatives, and outlined a number of issues requiring further consideration within the framework of national open science policy.
Video recordings of the first and second days of the Forum are available on the official Open4UA Facebook page:
Day 1: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EoCoHi3v8/
Day 2: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DwmK4Cc9U/
More information about the Open4UA project is available here: https://lpnu.ua/open4ua
The event was held as part of the Open4UA project (“Open Science for Ukrainian Higher Education System”, 101129085, ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE-STRAND-3).
