The Council of Australasian University Librarians (CAUL), Universities Australia and Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara, are leading in efforts to take a unified position in negotiations with Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis.
Professor Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor of Deakin University and Chair of the sector’s new oversight committee, said: “These are crucial negotiations for the future of research in our regions. Our universities are committed to making research openly accessible to maximise its impact for the communities we serve. The negotiations offer an important opportunity to establish new models that align more closely with the needs of our sectors and the public who fund and benefit from our work.”
The initiative will be overseen by a senior academic advisory group, comprising university leaders and librarians from both countries. It says that any new agreements will reflect the changing needs of researchers and institutions alike.
Luke Sheehy, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, said: “Universities are stepping up to find smarter, more sustainable ways to support open access. By negotiating together, we’re giving ourselves the best shot at securing a fairer deal for our researchers – and better value for public investment,” he said.
“Much of the research done by universities in Australia and New Zealand is funded by taxpayers. We have obligations to make sure that the knowledge we generate is widely and freely available and not hidden behind paywalls,” added Dr Bronwen Kelly, Deputy Chief Executive of Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara. “Where making the knowledge we generate widely available is best done by working through global publishers, we have obligations to make sure that we do this in a way that ensures the best value for taxpayers.”
Negotiations will continue throughout 2025, with new agreements beginning from January 2026.
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