Promoting transparency, collaboration, and knowledge without borders
From 20 to 24 October 2025, the Across β European Cross-Border University celebrated its first Open Science Week, a transnational series of events organized simultaneously across all member universities.
Through lectures, workshops, and citizen science initiatives, researchers, students, and partner institutions came together to discuss the principles of open science, research integrity, and knowledge sharing β across borders and disciplines.
πΏ University of Craiova (Romania): rooted in territory, open to the world
At the University of Craiova, the Open Science Week focused on the intersection between environmental sciences and open knowledge.
Workshops on forestry, biodiversity, environmental protection, and agriculture featured contributions from masterβs and PhD students, as well as representatives of key institutions such as Romsilva and Romanian Waters.
A second session on biomass valorization gathered researchers and company representatives to explore sustainable innovation.
The university also welcomed the winners of the Across Hackathon from the University of Girona, strengthening ties between academia and industry through study visits to partner companies.
π UniversitΓ© de Perpignan Via Domitia (France): open access and data sharing
At the UniversitΓ© de Perpignan, researchers from across the Alliance gathered for a rich, multilingual event dedicated to open access, research data, and collaborative publishing.
Speakers including Marc Conesa, Wolfgang Lambrecht, Barbara Class, and AurΓ©lie ClΓ©dat shared insights into open data management, peer-to-peer publishing, and Franco-German cooperation in science.
The event was broadcast live to all partner institutions, with coordination by the UniversitΓ degli Studi di Udine and simultaneous English translation, showcasing a genuine spirit of cross-border collaboration.
π¬ UniversitΓ degli Studi di Udine (Italy): coordination and research integrity
The University of Udine played a central role, coordinating and streaming all events of the week.
Local initiatives included βResearch Without Bordersβ, a science outreach event led by PhD students, and a lecture on research integrity and reproducibility by Giulia Calignano (Italian Reproducibility Network).
International contributions included interventions from experts such as Caroline Zapke, Vladimir Risojevic, Françoise Marmouyet, Maciej Zylicz, and Johannes Gierschner, who reflected on the global challenges of open and responsible science.
π‘ Politechnika BiaΕostocka (Poland): open science and excellence
At Bialystok University of Technology, Prof. Maciej Ε»ylicz, molecular biologist and President of the Foundation for Polish Science, delivered a keynote lecture: βDoes Open Science Stimulate Scientific Excellence?β.
The discussion, chaired by Prof. Krzysztof Kurzydlowski, highlighted the need to balance openness, credibility, and intellectual property protection, while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and research freedom across Europe.
π± University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia): citizen science and the environment
At the University of Nova Gorica, Open Science Week engaged secondary school students from both sides of the ItalianβSlovenian border in a citizen science project mapping invasive plant species using the Pl@ntNet app.
Mentored by Prof. Ario de Marco, the students presented their results and visited the Laboratory for Environmental and Life Sciences, illustrating how open science can foster environmental awareness and community participation.
π Knowledge without borders
The Across Open Science Week 2025 embodied the values of the European Universities Initiative: cooperation, openness, and innovation.
By bringing together universities, researchers, students, and citizens, the Across Alliance continues to break boundaries through knowledge, promoting a culture of transparency, trust, and shared scientific excellence.
