<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
        {font-family:Wingdings;
        panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
        {font-family:"Cambria Math";
        panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
        {font-family:Calibri;
        panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
        {font-family:"Century Gothic";
        panose-1:2 11 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
        {margin:0cm;
        margin-bottom:.0001pt;
        font-size:11.0pt;
        font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
        mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
        {mso-style-priority:99;
        color:#0563C1;
        text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
        {mso-style-priority:99;
        color:#954F72;
        text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
        {mso-style-priority:34;
        margin-top:0cm;
        margin-right:0cm;
        margin-bottom:0cm;
        margin-left:36.0pt;
        margin-bottom:.0001pt;
        font-size:11.0pt;
        font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
        mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
span.EmailStyle18
        {mso-style-type:personal-compose;
        font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;
        color:#1F4E79;}
span.EmailStyle19
        {mso-style-type:personal;
        font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;
        color:#1F4E79;}
.MsoChpDefault
        {mso-style-type:export-only;
        font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
        {size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
        margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
        {page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
        {mso-list-id:841775024;
        mso-list-type:hybrid;
        mso-list-template-ids:-1925778994 1533305188 470351875 470351877 470351873 470351875 470351877 470351873 470351875 470351877;}
@list l0:level1
        {mso-level-start-at:0;
        mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:-;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;
        mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
        mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level2
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:o;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:\F0A7;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:\F0B7;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:o;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:\F0A7;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:\F0B7;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:o;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
        {mso-level-number-format:bullet;
        mso-level-text:\F0A7;
        mso-level-tab-stop:none;
        mso-level-number-position:left;
        text-indent:-18.0pt;
        font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
        {margin-bottom:0cm;}
ul
        {margin-bottom:0cm;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-ZA" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><a href="http://internationaldataweek.org/"><span style="color:#044A91">International Data Week 2018</span></a> brought together more than 800 participants
 from 64 countries and 6 continents, with top numbers from Botswana, South Africa and the United States.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">The
<a href="http://africanopenscience.org.za/"><span style="color:#044A91">African Open Science Platform</span></a> (AOSP) was part of the organising committee, and also managed to fully/partially sponsor 30 delegates from Africa in some way. We were further very
 proud to sponsor the colourful African beaded lanyards the 600 paid-up registrants received when the conference started, and hope you will use it in innovative ways to always remember this conference! One of our delegates tweeted on Twitter: “I have been to
 many, many conferences, and this “lanyard” is the best! So pretty!” Thank you for your appreciation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">Thank you to our host – the University of Botswana – and main organisers (CODATA, RDA, WDS, and University of Botswana), and all delegates, for an excellent
 event. From the outset IDW2018 was aligned with the mandate of AOSP – which is to create awareness and advocate for high quality research data to be curated in a FAIR way. At the same time AOSP managed to establish many new networks globally, and became aware
 of even more Open Data initiatives on the continent. IDW2018 truly fulfilled our expectations in terms of the purpose of what an international conference should be about, among many others:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Sharing and testing innovative ideas;</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Exchanging existing and new information among experts and upcoming researchers, passing on expertise;</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Extending “international” to also include Africa, connecting North and South;
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Making governments part of the conversation;</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Having keynotes sharing the new frontiers of science with all;</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Engaging in dialogue and challenging ideas/thinking;</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Connecting scientists from Africa with one another, but also with people from outside Africa, to collaborate in taking the curation
 of research data forward, and</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">      
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597;background:white">Giving many excellent researchers the opportunity to express and share great experiences and initiatives – giving all a much
 needed voice through this very important platform.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">The proposed draft
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z56eC6sH-J30Jwq8U25vqgqs1hjUpJkCgOAixmozgJk/edit">
<span style="color:#044A91">International Data Week Gaborone Statement</span></a> – one of the many outcomes of the conference – is in the process of being finalised. Major outcomes for AOSP included – among many others – the opportunity to further add to the
 landscape study and the database of networks, and to create awareness on AOSP – also among delegates from outside Africa. The AOSP frameworks on policy, infrastructure, capacity building and incentives were further presented and tested for the first time during
 the AOSP Technical Advisory Board Meeting, and valuable feedback was received. A video will be compiled following interviews conducted with participants, responding to the question “What are the socio-economic benefits of Open Data and Open Science for Africa
 and the world?” The video will form part of the AOSP Advocacy Toolkit, used to create further awareness for the need for policy and more by African governments. Presentations, recordings and photos as well as keynotes are expected to be made available at
<a href="http://internationaldataweek.org/"><span style="color:#044A91">http://internationaldataweek.org/</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#173B5B"> soon</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">Dr Serageldin (keynote speaker and also a member of the AOSP Advisory Council)  – during his announcement of the conference theme – said: “Our societies
 need more than knowledge, they need wisdom. The knowledge produced by the Natural Sciences, requires the insights of the Social Sciences, and the wisdom of the Humanities.” We therefore need each other, Open Science and Open Data not only connecting African
 scientists, but also connecting disciplines and scientists from all over the world with one another, towards collaboration to accelerate science.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">AOSP is looking forward working with all in taking Open Data and Open Science forward along with key stakeholders globally. In the words of Pasteur, also
 quoted by Dr Serageldin: “Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and it is the torch which illuminates the world.” We cannot illuminate the world if data, information, and knowledge are not open and transparent, cannot be tested/verified,
 and are unavailable for others to build on existing data, information and knowledge. Finally, all to lead to wisdom, so that we have a better understanding of how we can make our world more sustainable for future generations, addressing priority disciplines
 on the African continent and elsewhere, such as food security, infectious diseases, clean water and climate change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">On behalf of AOSP, thank you for the opportunity we had to be part of this very important event, and to engage and meet with so many of you! We are looking
 forward staying in touch and towards future collaboration!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#2F5597">On behalf of the AOSP Project Team
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Ina Smith</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Project Manager:
<a href="http://africanopenscience.org.za/">African Open Science Platform</a> <br>
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)<br>
<a href="https://blog.doaj.org/2016/09/07/the-doaj-ambassadors-biographies/">DOAJ Ambassador, Southern Africa Region</a><br>
<a href="https://loy2016blog.wordpress.com/">LIASA Librarian of the Year 2016</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://orcid.org/"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#338CAF;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="16" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.gif@01D47F38.875C3450" alt="http://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16(1).gif"></span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"> 
<a href="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9710-3668">http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9710-3668
</a></span><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#0563C1;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Switchboard: +27 12 349 6600   
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Tel: +27 12 349 6641          
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Fax: +27 (0) 86 576 9512<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Email:
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><a href="mailto:ina@assaf.org.za">ina@assaf.org.za</a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><img border="0" width="184" height="75" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D47F38.875C3450" alt="assafemail"></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">1st Floor Block A, The Woods, 41 De Havilland Crescent, Persequor Park
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Meiring Naudé Road, Lynnwood 0020, Pretoria, South Africa.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge 0040, Pretoria, South Africa.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:10.5pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Website:
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.assaf.org.za/">www.assaf.org.za</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
ASSAf Disclaimer: The views and opinions included in this email belong to their author and do not necessarily mirror the views and opinions of the organisation. Our employees are obliged not to make any defamatory statements, infringe, or authorise infringement
 of any legal right. Therefore, the organisation will not accept any liability for such statements included in emails. In case of any damages or other liabilities arising, employees are fully responsible for the content of their emails.
</body>
</html>

<p></p>

-- <br />
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "African Open Science Platform" group.<br />
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to <a href="mailto:african-open-science-platform+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com">african-open-science-platform+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com</a>.<br />
To post to this group, send email to <a href="mailto:african-open-science-platform@googlegroups.com">african-open-science-platform@googlegroups.com</a>.<br />
To view this discussion on the web visit <a href="https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/african-open-science-platform/DB7PR04MB5290D26C5ADF5825023BADAB9BDF0%40DB7PR04MB5290.eurprd04.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer">https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/african-open-science-platform/DB7PR04MB5290D26C5ADF5825023BADAB9BDF0%40DB7PR04MB5290.eurprd04.prod.outlook.com</a>.<br />
For more options, visit <a href="https://groups.google.com/d/optout">https://groups.google.com/d/optout</a>.<br />