Promoting the reuse of research data

Kiel/Hamburg, 25th November 2020:
Between 27 November and 4 December 2020 scientists, data experts, developers for infrastructures and decision makers in science policy meet at the “International FAIR Convergence Symposium”. Their common goal is to find solutions for reusable research data – transdisciplinary and international. The international symposium will be opened by Jean-Claude Burgelman (Vrije Universiteit Brussels), Peter Gluckman (University of Auckland) and Shamila Nair-Bedouelle (UNESCO). The virtual symposium with more than 700 international participants is organised by CODATA and the GO FAIR Initiative, whose German office is based at the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.

Globalisation presents society with bigger and bigger challenges. In an ever more closely integrated world, the resulting research questions can only be solved satisfactorily if scientists collaborate across borders and disciplines. An important part here is played by research data that already exist. However, they must be FAIR, i.e. findable, accessible, interoperable and reusuable, if they are to be used in networked research projects.

„International FAIR Convergence Symposiums“ aims to promote the FAIR usage of research data. It is necessary to federate the solutions already developed and the existing infrastructures in order to operate the new reality of data-driven science. Designs for education and training as well as for the initiation of cultural change in the science system are also high on the agenda of the symposium. This serves to enable the reuse of research data for one’s own and for others’ scientific disciplines and to promote new scientific knowledge across borders and disciplines.

Media representatives are cordially invited to report about the symposium.

• Programme
• Twitter hashtag: #FAIRconvergence
• Conference days: 27 Nov until 4 Dec 2020
• Accreditation: register as participant via Cvent registration platform (password: FAIRCONVERGE1)

The symposium is hosted by CODATA (Committee on Data) and the GO FAIR Initiative. Together with RDA (Research Data Alliance) and WDS (World Data Systems) they are the four major international data organisations who advocate the promotion of the global research data landscape.

About the GO FAIR Initiative:

GO FAIR GO FAIR follows a bottom-up open implementation strategy for the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) as part of a broader global Internet of FAIR Data & Services (IFDS). The initiative aims to avoid the creation of silos, inappropriate competition and fragmentation by fostering the “FAIRification” efforts of its members. France, Germany and the Netherlands operate an international coordination office at three sites – Paris, Hamburg and Leiden – to support the implementation and the development of the GO FAIR Initiative. Its strategic directors are Professor Laurent Crouzet (France), Professor Klaus Tochtermann (Germany) and Professor Barend Mons (The Netherlands). The initiative is funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of The Netherlands, Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF) and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI).

About CODATA:

CODATA is the Committee on Data of the International Science Council (ISC). CODATA exists to promote global collaboration to improve the availability and usability of data for all areas of research. CODATA supports the principle that data produced by research and to be used for research should be as open as possible and as closed as necessary. CODATA works also to advance the interoperability and the usability of such data: research data should be open or FAIR. CODATA helps realise ISC’s vision and mission of advancing science as a global public good by promoting the political, technological and cultural changes that are indispensable for the advancement of open science.