NSTIC, MTHE Hold Workshop on Implementing National Open Science Policy & Scholarly Publishing.

The National Science, Technology, and Innovation Council (NSTIC), in partnership with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), has convened a workshop at the Tunde Cole Building, Fourah Bay College, to discuss the implementation of Sierra Leone’s National Open Science Policy as well as strengthen approaches to scholarly publishing.

In her address, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, described the policy as a major step for the country, saying it creates a national framework for open access, responsible data sharing, research integrity and digital infrastructure that expands public access to scientific knowledge. She said that Open Science is essential for national competitiveness and transparent governance, and not merely optional. She noted that implementation would require stronger institutions, modern digital systems, better-equipped universities and improved training for researchers. She added that the policy aims to make African research, especially from smaller systems, more visible globally. The Minister reaffirmed MTHE’s commitment to work with partners to build the systems needed to fully adopt Open Science.

MTHE’s Director of Science Education, Fatmata Kaiwa, traced the rise of Open Science to global discussions in 2019 and its acceleration during the COVID-19 pandemic. She acknowledged concerns about data ownership and investment but noted that open collaboration is becoming the global standard. She highlighted the growing shift toward multidisciplinary research and said the workshop would help participants address practical issues around data use and sharing.

NSTIC’s Chairman, Prof. Jonas Redwood-Sawyer, stressed that research and publishing remain central to academic progression and encouraged participants to champion research within their institutions. He called for stronger collaboration between NSTIC and the Sierra Leone Research and Education Network (SLREN) to support national Open Science efforts.

Dr. Alex Blanshard presented the National Open Science Policy, explaining that it was developed by an expert taskforce and aims to improve research efficiency, innovation, public trust and a culture of openness. He said that the policy is grounded in UNESCO’s values and focuses on four priorities: enabling policy environment for open science, open science infrastructures and services, human resources and capacity building for open science, and incentives for open science practice at all levels.

SLREN’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Thomas Songu, outlined the digital infrastructure needed for Open Science, pointing to existing connectivity initiatives, repositories and e-learning platforms, while noting challenges such as limited funding and infrastructure gaps. He highlighted opportunities in regional partnerships, international grants and open-source tools.

Prof. Kehinde S. Oluwadiya, Editor of the Sierra Leone Journal of Medicine, reviewed the state of scholarly publishing in Sierra Leone, describing the system as underdeveloped but full of potential. He mentioned that Open Access is key to visibility and collaboration, and urged institutions to strengthen training, support early-career researchers and adopt affordable publishing platforms like Open Journal Systems.

The workshop concluded with an agreement to establish a national taskforce on scholarly publishing for the higher education and research community.

Correspondent-Richard Williams

Ministry of Technical and Higher Education

Email:rw327542611@gmail.com

Tel: +23203086143