Reflections on a 6 city, 3 week tour of Australia and all things Research Data there.

For the first time ever, since its establishment in 2013, the RDA Secretariat met for 3 days in Pisa, Italy to discuss operational plans for the next 10 months.

"Tout ce qui a été financé par la collectivité doit être accessible à la collectivité. La science est un bien commun. " Frédérique Vidal, ministre de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l'Innovation. 

“Anything funded by the community must be accessible to the community. Science is a common good” stated Frédérique Vidal, French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation in her address at the journées nationales de la Science Ouverte (JNSO2018).

Over one week spent in Gaborone, with data professionals from across the globe, from 66 countries to be exact felt like that for me. It was an experience beyond any expectation I had. As I said in my speech during the opening plenary session, what was a dream over 2 years ago, became an unbelievable reality from 5-8 November 2018. International Data Week 2018 was amazing.

Two days immersed in beautiful Helsinki, a wonderful city at any time of the year, but particularly attractive when the sun is shining down upon you. Two days immersed in research data discussions, as welcoming and heart warming as the sun itself.