A look back at Fast Forward Open Science

On October 22, 2025, as part of International Open Access Week, the Circle U. Alliance, coordinated by Université Paris Cité, hosted the online event Fast Forward Open Science. This half-day of discussions brought together researchers, librarians, data experts, and institutional representatives around a shared goal: accelerating the transition to open science through the exchange of practices, resources, and concrete shared visions.

“Open Science is the practice of science in such a way that others can collaborate and contribute, […] where research processes are freely available, under conditions that enable reuse.”
— Definition from the FOSTER project (Facilitate Open Science Training for European Research)

Nearly 100 participants from the nine Circle U. member universities, as well as from external institutions, took part in the Fast Forward Open Science event, reflecting a strong interest in open science. This diversity of backgrounds highlighted the variety of approaches to open science across European universities. Discussions focused on the four main pillars of open science.
Watch the replay of each round table:

Open Access Publishing

Research Data Management

Open source codes and software

Open educational resources

An advocacy for rethinking Research Assessment Criteria

The event concluded with a shared realization: it is now crucial to fundamentally rethink research assessment methods, following the example of the COARA initiative (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment). The excessive and exclusive use of bibliometric indicators tends to limit the recognition of diverse contributions and can hinder scientific quality and creativity.

Circle U.’s Continued Commitment

The event also reaffirmed Circle U.’s strong commitment to open science.
Its dedicated working group will continue to disseminate best practices and update existing practical guides in light of the insights shared during the event. These efforts will help to broaden access to shared resources and promote a coherent and collaborative implementation of open science across the European academic landscape.