Indian Institute Of Science Hosts Springer Nature India Research Tour

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru welcomed the Springer Nature India Research Tour team as part of its ninth research summit. The event, held on Monday, 9 October 2023, focused on the significance of open science and transformative agreements in increasing research accessibility.

Springer Nature Group CEO Frank Vrancken Peeters emphasised the importance of collaboration between the research community, publishers and policymakers to strengthen India's research landscape and promote the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He acknowledged India's status as one of the world's fastest-growing research markets and stressed the need for a collective effort to enhance global research accessibility.

The Springer Nature India Research Tour, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Education, aims to cover 15 institutes across 10 states in India over 20 days. The tour kicked off on 27 September and recently made its ninth stop at IISc Bengaluru.

One of the key topics discussed during the event was transformative agreements, which combine subscription access and open access (OA) publishing into a single contract. This allows researchers at participating institutions to publish using the "gold" open access model while also gaining access to subscription journals.

Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc Bengaluru, highlighted the importance of research in addressing global challenges, including those posed by the pandemic and climate change. He expressed confidence in initiatives like the India Research Tour, which provide exposure and opportunities to young researchers.

The primary objective of the India Research Tour is to strengthen the Indian research landscape, nurture young talents and promote knowledge dissemination in an inclusive manner. The tour's core principles revolve around democratizing research and facilitating discussions on ensuring universal access while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).