<div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px">Dear colleagues,<br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Earlier this month (May 4–6, 2026), the Technical University of Munich (TUM) hosted an inspiring, landmark gathering of global scholars, policymakers, infrastructure providers, and activists for the <b>FOR2026 Conference: The Future of Open Research: Reliable, Responsible, Equitable</b>. The event generated immense resonance across the international research landscape, prompting critical and collaborative debates on how to transform the open science movement into a truly inclusive global endeavour.</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Members of the Ethical Data Initiative (EDI) team were proud to be present and heavily engaged throughout this highly successful event. While the conference was officially convened within the framework of our close collaborators at the Philosophy of Open Science for Diverse Research Environments (PHIL_OS) project , the deep structural and conceptual crossover between the PHIL_OS and EDI teams highlights a powerful, shared vision for the future of global data governance, ethics, and knowledge equity.</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">The central defining output of the conference will be the development of the <b>Munich Manifesto for Equitable Open Research</b> (also known as the Munich Declaration). Introduced during the opening plenary session by Professor Sabina Leonelli, the Manifesto acts as a progressive framework detailing concrete pathways to ensure open research serves as a tool for reliable, responsible, and fair inquiry rather than commercial or geopolitical leverage. The discussions at FOR2026 highlighted pressing contemporary challenges that the Manifesto directly addresses. These include the political polarisation of open science, its rapid and worrying appropriation by massive commercial digital platforms and publishing houses, its fraught intersection with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the urgent need to realign open methodologies to serve the diverse public interests of communities worldwide. The Manifesto is currently undergoing final collaborative drafting. The organising committee is working diligently to synthesise the invaluable feedback, critiques, and insights brought forward by the delegates. A finalised version will be distributed to the conference delegates next month for their consideration and signature, after which it will be released to the broader public. The Ethical Data Initiative will notify our audiences and share the final text as soon as it becomes available!</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Read about the event and access resources at <a href="https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/2026/05/22/shaping-a-fairer-future-for-global-knowledge-insights-from-the-for2026-conference/">https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/2026/05/22/shaping-a-fairer-future-for-global-knowledge-insights-from-the-for2026-conference/</a></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Best wishes</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Suchith</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:15px"><br></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Professor Suchith Anand</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal">Professor of Practice in Science Policy | Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | Global Citizen | Science Diplomacy |<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space">  </span>SDG Volunteer and Advocate</p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://spspa.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?username=sa1131">https://spspa.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?username=sa1131</a></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><a href="https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/">https://ethicaldatainitiative.org</a></span></p>
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