The Open Science 2025 training took place on October 29, 2025, in the Sunshine city of Harare, Zimbabwe. The UA Open Science (OS) Workshops are annual events funded under the AfricaConnect4 project, co-funded by the European Union. The workshops provide university librarians with the key skills and information for setting up institutional repositories and key open science practices for scholarly publishing to make their universities research output available to and discoverable by a global audience. They are collocated with the UbuntuNet-Connect Conferences.
In 2025, the Open Science Training was specifically designed to enhance the librarians’ expertise in managing research repositories and promoting Open Science principles within their institutions. The workshop provided a platform for participants to exchange and gain experience in various key areas such as metadata curation, Open Science practices, and research data management. The day-long workshop was laden with hands-on exercises on how to make institutional repositories Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
The 20 participants came from ten countries namely; Somalia, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Eswatini, and Botswana. This multicultural and diversified background of the participants shows how the UA Open Science programme has been able to create a cohesive, innovative and vibrant community of librarians.
The training provided the participating librarians with information and opportunities to discuss selected tools and knowledge to enhance research repositories and promote Open Science. The knowledge gained and practical experience obtained during the training will enable them to contribute effectively to their institutions’ research output management and dissemination strategies, improving the transparency, accessibility, and reach of scholarly work.
The Workshop was facilitated by Dr Johanna Havemann, a renowned trainer and consultant in Open Science Communication and digital Science Project Management. Her professional journey encompasses experience with NGOs, a science startup, and international institutions, including the UN Environment Programme. As the founder and CEO of Access 2 Perspectives since 2012, Jo Havemann is dedicated to enhancing science communication and management. She aims to equip researchers with the necessary skills and enthusiasm for a successful and fulfilling career.