OPUS Final Mutual Learning Session in Cyprus

• April 10, 2025

The University of Cyprus (UCY), in partnership with YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network) and OPUS Consortium partners, is proudly hosting the final Mutual Learning session as part of the OPUS project. This collaborative gathering marks an important step forward in the shared mission to modernise researcher assessment and embed Open Science at the heart of academic and research institutions across Europe.

The OPUS project has united five forward-thinking organisations: three research-performing (NOVA University of Lisbon, University of Cyprus, and University of Rijeka) and two research-funding (UEFISCDI Romania and the Research Council of Lithuania). Together, they tested and refined the Researcher Assessment Framework (RAF), a model designed to foster fairness, inclusivity, and openness in research evaluation.

At the core of the Mutual Learning session lies the exchange of insights from pilot implementations, collaborative reflections, and co-creation of future pathways for scaling and sustaining RAF’s interventions.

Programme Today
The day opens with a keynote on UCY’s journey in Open Science, delivered by Vasiliki (Sylvia) V. Koukounidou, Coordinator of the Digitisation and Archives Office, followed by detailed updates from all five pilot institutions.

The agenda also includes a plenary session about critical questions around implementation and sustainability. This discussion empowers participants to share successes, voice challenges, and shape the roadmap for long-term adoption. Questions up for discussion include potential improvements to the RAF, learnings from the pilot phase, and strategies for institutionalising Open Science practices.

The afternoon resumes with a keynote by Professor Zacharias Maniades, ERA Chair in Science and Innovation Policy at UCY’s SInnoPSis Group, who will explore the nexus of Open Science and researcher evaluation. Other highlights include an update on gender and trust workshops from Raquel Vega (YERUN), and plans for the upcoming Final Summit in Paris, organised by UNESCO and ICoRSA, which will be presented by Juliana Chávez (UNESCO). At the end, there is a concluding session on co-monitoring and the alignment of cross-work package activities, led by Gareth O’Neill and Emma Day (TGB and Vitae).

The OPUS Mutual Learning exercises have quickly become a cornerstone for mutual exchange, driving institutional change and fostering an evidence-based, values-driven approach to research assessment. This Cyprus session reaffirms the project’s commitment to creating a more open, equitable, and impactful research ecosystem across Europe.