(20 Jan 2025) The ALMASI project, a groundbreaking three-year initiative aimed at enhancing non-profit open access publishing in Africa, Latin America, and Europe, officially launched in Madrid, Spain. The project, involving 15 partners and funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, seeks to establish a sustainable and inclusive scholarly communication ecosystem.
The kick-off meeting and public launch took place on January 13–14, 2025, hosted by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) at the Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología. Representatives from EIFL, including Iryna Kuchma, EIFL Open Access Programme Manager, and Milica Ševkušić, EIFL Open Access Programme Project Coordinator, participated in the event.
ALMASI, which stands for Aligning and Mutualizing Nonprofit Open Access Publishing Services Internationally, aims to provide a high-quality, non-profit, and sustainable scholarly communication ecosystem that meets the needs of diverse academic communities across regions. By focusing on Diamond Open Access—a model that eliminates fees for readers and authors—the project strives to make academic publishing more equitable and accessible.
Key objectives include:
• Aligning and co-designing quality standards, training resources, and policy frameworks.
• Addressing the unique needs of Africa, Latin America, and Europe, including linguistic and disciplinary diversity.
• Promoting innovative and reliable publishing services managed by the scholarly community.
By understanding the current landscape of non-profit open access publishing and fostering regional collaboration, ALMASI aims to empower researchers, institutions, and policymakers to take ownership of scholarly communication. The initiative seeks to support the development of open access publishing systems that are both sustainable and community-driven.
Running until 2028, the ALMASI project will deliver transformative outcomes that enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of academic publishing worldwide. More information about ALMASI’s goals, activities, and partners will be shared as the project progresses.
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