Republic of North Macedonia

Using the guidelines for the establishment of the Competence Centers for Open Science, developed in the framework of the Skills4EOSC project, in March 2025 the Center for Open Science was established at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. The center will provide nation-wide services such as training, data management support and tools, templates for policy development, and guidance and support for access and use of the OS Lab. The Competence Center is part of the Pan-European network of Competence Centers that provides key competencies to enable the practice of Open Science and EOSC.  

The Center was established to enhance the promotion of the University’s scientific and research activities, guided by the principles of open science. It supports transparency, accessibility, and collaboration in research to drive innovation and knowledge sharing. The Center promotes open science, implements the FAIR principles, and leads projects focused on open research practices. It works to strengthen the academic community’s capacity in this area, aligns University-wide open science initiatives, ensures compliance with European and global policies, and advocates for the open and inclusive sharing of research results. Additionally, it fosters international cooperation and encourages both top-down and grassroots approaches to open science. Key responsibilities of the Center include developing policies for open science and data management, coordinating technical support and infrastructure, facilitating open access to scientific outputs, and building networks with similar institutions. It also raises awareness, offers training, supports implementation, and collaborates with the School of Doctoral Studies. 

The head of the Center is Professor Sonja Filiposka, PhD, and the members of the board include reporesentatives from each scientific field, 1 person from the arts, the Vice-Rector for Science and the EOSC GA reporesentative of the mandated organisation.  

More information on the Center can be found at: https://osc.ukim.mk/  

NOSCI.mk

The National Open Science Initiative in the Cloud aims to build a partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science to contribute to the development and upgrading of national legislation and the incorporation of the principles of Open Science in it.

Individual researchers sign a declaration to join NOSCI.mk. The purpose of this Joint Declaration is to support and emphasise openness as a fundamental value for raising the quality of research and the autonomy of researchers. Principles and practices for promoting openness offer space for the development of science and researchers in an independent way. Independent research communities can thus be more closely linked to the rest of society and influence its development. This Declaration on Open Science Cloud Research is open to all stakeholders belonging to the research community in the country to promote openness at the national level. By accepting the Declaration of Open Science and Research, members of the research community of North Macedonia express their individual or institutional interest in promoting the goals of Open Science in their organisation and participating in the dissemination of those principles at the national level.

Institutional support is performed through singing MoUs on Open Science between UKIM and the interested organisations.

Mandated Organisation: University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering (FCSE-UKIM) 

The Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering (FCSE) at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM) is among the largest and most prestigious faculties in the field of computer science and technology in the region. With more than 5000 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and PhD programmes, FSCE offers a wide range of ICT engineering courses. Researchers at FCSE are leading in the country, measured by their multi-disciplinary research output. The computing centre of FCSE provides e-infrastructure services not only for its faculty, but also for the University and the wider research and education community in North Macedonia. Through membership in key e-infrastructures and initiatives in Europe, such as GEANT, EGI, PRACE, and the EOSC Association, the Faculty has developed a strong human and technical potential to provide necessary support to the national research and education community.