About LERU
LERU was founded in 2002 as an association of research-intensive universities sharing the values of high-quality teaching in an environment of internationally competitive research. Counting 24 members, the network brings together representatives to work on LERU policy development and mutual learning in several areas and on topics such as Open Science. LERU is a keen supporter of Open Science and its benefits for science and society and is an active player in the development of Open Science both at the university and EU policy level.
LERU Ad Hoc Group on Open Science and Ad Hoc Group: “Open Science Ambassadors”
The Ad Hoc Group on Open Science has been set up in 2019 with the task of implementing the LERU Open Science Roadmap. The activities resulted in the formulation of the report ‘Implementing Open Science’. The Ad Hoc Group on Open Science stood down at the end of 2020 and handed over the baton to the LERU Ad Hoc Group “Open Science Ambassadors”. The focus of the implementation process thereby moved to the local institutions, with the 22 Open Science Ambassadors sharing good practices and preparing combined actions to stimulate the progress of Open Science.
LERU Open Science Ambassadors’ focus group on public engagement
To do this, the Open Science Ambassadors formed four focus groups. The focus group on Public Engagement under the lead of Open Science Ambassador Prof. Dr. Joos Vandewalle (KU Leuven) is bringing together experts and practitioners on Public Engagement of the LERU universities. Since its inception in early 2022, one of the main objectives of the focus group has been to share best practice in engaging the public at a local level, with approaches covering a broad spectrum from science festivals to research funding and citizen science.
The current members of the focus group on public engagement are (in alphabetical order):
• Sarah Barnes (Head of Public Engagement, University College London)
• Victoria Brotto (Research engineer on Participatory Research at Labo citoyen [OPUS], University of Strasbourg)
• Emeline Dufrennoy (Responsible for the Department OPUS, University of Strasbourg)
• Michael Foley (Civic Engagement and Social Innovation Manager, Trinity College Dublin)
• Dr. Lauren Gould (Assistant Professor in Conflict Studies, Utrecht University)
• Olivia Höhener (Managing Director of Citizen Science, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich)
• Prof. Dr. Romain Julliard (Professor of Ecology, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne University)
• Niccola Hutchinson-Pascal (Head of the Co-Production Collective, University College London)
• Prof. Dr. Josep Perelló (Full Professor of Condensed Matter Physics, Universitat de Barcelona)
• Dr. Lucinda Spokes (Head of Public Engagement, University of Cambridge)
• Dr. Saskia Stevens (Associate Professor at the Department of Ancient History and Classical Civilization, Utrecht University)
• Prof. Dr. Joos Vandewalle (Professor at Electrical Engineering Dept [ESAT-Stadius], KU Leuven)
- Chief editor: Dr. Sarah Cullen (Trinity Research Office, Trinity College Dublin)
- Photography credits: Dominikas