Bosnia-Herzegovina

A significant step in this process was the implementation of the NI4OS-Europe project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, coordinated nationally by the University of Banja Luka (UNIBL). The University of Banja Luka actively promotes Open Science and its principles through its participation in the ACROSS European University Alliance. Through this alliance, UNIBL works with European partner universities to advance openness, accessibility, transparency and collaboration in research and higher education. Open Science is an important area of cooperation within ACROSS, with activities designed to raise awareness, exchange good practices and support the adoption of Open Science principles among researchers, academic staff and students. The alliance’s joint initiatives, including the ACROSS Open Science Week, provide opportunities for learning, discussion and the dissemination of knowledge about Open Access, Open Data, Open Educational Resources, open-source software, open peer review and citizen science.
The initiative aims to:

• Raising awareness and promoting Open Science;
• Improve access to open research infrastructures and services;
• Support the researchers and higher education institutions in adopting Open Science practices, including Open Access and responsible research-data management;
• Strengthen national and international research collaboration; and
• Facilitating international collaboration with Open Science structures and researchers.

The University of Banja Luka plays a key role in connecting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s research community with European Open Science infrastructures and initiatives. UNIBL is a member of OpenAIRE and serves as the officially designated OpenAIRE National Open Access Desk (NOAD) for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through this role, the University supports research-performing organisations, researchers and other relevant stakeholders across the country in areas including Open Access, research-data management, FAIR data principles, OpenAIRE services and engagement with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). This national-level function provides an established channel for disseminating information, supporting capacity building and connecting the country’s research community with European developments in Open Science.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has also engaged with EOSC-related developments through its participation in European Open Science initiatives. The University of Banja Luka became an EOSC Association Observer in 2020, representing an important step towards strengthening the country’s links with the emerging European research and data infrastructure landscape. Continued engagement through OpenAIRE, EOSC-related activities and institutional partnerships provide opportunities to improve the interoperability of research services, promote FAIR research data and increase the visibility and accessibility of research outputs from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Overall, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Open Science landscape is characterised by emerging institutional cooperation, an established national OpenAIRE support structure and growing engagement with European Open Science initiatives. Building on these foundations, the next priorities are to strengthen coordination at the national level, develop appropriate policy and implementation frameworks, increase institutional capacity and ensure the long-term sustainability of Open Science services and infrastructure. These efforts will be important for enabling broader participation in EOSC and advancing the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s research community into the European Research Area.

National Structure:

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not currently have a formally designated national EOSC mandated organisation or a comprehensive national EOSC coordination structure. Instead, engagement with Open Science and EOSC is supported through existing institutional, collaborative and research-data infrastructure initiatives. The main organisations and structures contributing to this landscape are described below.

The University of Banja Luka has been a regular member of OpenAIRE since January 2020 and serves as the OpenAIRE National Open Access Desk (NOAD) for Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this role, UNIBL supports the promotion and implementation of Open Science principles, Open Access, research data management, FAIR data practices and the use of OpenAIRE services. It also facilitates communication between the national research community and the wider European Open Science ecosystem.

In 2020, UNIBL became an observer of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) Association, becoming the first institution from Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in this capacity. This engagement provides an institutional link to EOSC developments and supports awareness raising, knowledge exchange and the gradual integration of the country’s research community into the European Open Science landscape.

UNIBL also promotes Open Science through the ACROSS European University Alliance, particularly through joint activities, the exchange of good practices and initiatives aimed at raising awareness of Open Science principles among researchers, students and academic staff.

Main objectives and responsibilities:

• Promote Open Science, Open Access and FAIR research data principles;
• Support researchers and research institutions in adopting Open Science practices;
• Facilitate access to European Open Science services and resources;
• Strengthen cooperation with OpenAIRE, EOSC and European research networks; and
• Promote Open Science through the ACROSS Alliance and other institutional partnerships.

General email: info@unibl.org

NAUKA / NOSCI

A collaborative Open Science structure was developed under the NOSCI project and launched in 2022 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. This structure follows a hybrid cooperation approach and aims to bring together relevant stakeholders to promote Open Science and facilitate access to research infrastructures and services.

Its objectives include raising awareness of Open Science, supporting the research and education community, encouraging the sharing of resources and expertise, and strengthening connections with international Open Science networks and researchers. Cooperation is intended to support joint activities, projects and agreements that contribute to the development of Open Science in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This initiative represents a collaborative contribution to the national Open Science landscape; it should not be interpreted as a formally designated national EOSC mandated organisation.

DASS-BiH

The Data Archive for Social Sciences in Bosnia and Herzegovina (DASS-BiH) is a national service operated as an organisational unit of the Centre for Development Evaluation and Social Science Research (CREDI). Its role is to support the long-term preservation, curation and dissemination of social science research data.

DASS-BiH provides a research-data resource for researchers, teachers, students and other interested users. Its activities support the discoverability and reuse of research data and contribute to good research-data management practices and the broader objectives of Open Science.

DASS-BiH is a specialised research-data service rather than a national EOSC coordination body. Nevertheless, its activities contribute to the development of the research-data infrastructure needed for more open, accessible and reusable research outputs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. General contact: dass@credi.ba

Overall coordination and future priorities:

The current national landscape is characterised by institutional engagement and complementary initiatives rather than a single formally mandated EOSC coordination body. The University of Banja Luka provides an established connection to OpenAIRE and EOSC, while the broader university cooperation framework, ACROSS activities and DASS-BiH contribute to awareness raising, collaboration and research-data management.

Further development would benefit from stronger coordination among universities, research organisations, relevant public authorities and existing Open Science services. Priorities include clarifying national coordination responsibilities, strengthening institutional capacity, promoting interoperable research infrastructures and developing a coordinated approach to engagement with EOSC.

For general enquiries concerning OpenAIRE and EOSC engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the University of Banja Luka is the primary institutional contact through its role as the country’s OpenAIRE NOAD.