The journey of Universiti Malaya Open Science (UMOS)

Abstract

Fauzi Universiti Malaya (UM) has shown a strong commitment to advancing open science, especially in the field of research data management (RDM), through various initiatives and collaborations over the years. The journey of Universiti Malaya Open Science (UMOS) began in 2018, with UM joining national and regional Open Science consortia and forming a Taskforce to address RDM challenges within the university. In 2019, UM played a significant role in the development of the Malaysia Open Science Platform (MOSP) and engaged in international initiatives, including APEC Open Science activities. By 2020, UMOS strengthened its governance structures by forming committees and drafting UM’s RDM Policy, which was officially approved in 2021. UM continued to support open science through MOSP’s training programs and collaboration in projects such as the MOSP Pilot Project in 2022. In 2023, significant milestones included the launch of the UMOS Dataverse platform and the official UMOS launch, accompanied by roadshow activities to raise awareness across faculties and libraries. A key factor in UMOS’s success has been the active involvement of librarians as data stewards. Looking ahead, UM plans to host several workshops and forums, including the Open Science Forum 2 in 2024 and the ERASMUS+ Open Asia Project (2024–2026), reflecting its dedication to fostering an open science ecosystem that promotes data stewardship, transparency, and collaboration globally. Keywords: Open science; Universiti Malaya; Data stewards; Librarians