In recent years, Open Science movement is gaining traction in many countries with international bodies such as International Science Council (ISC), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank are championing and advocating Open Science globally. The international principle of making research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) will not only democratize knowledge, it reinforces open scientific inquiry and integrity, enables better research management and promotes open innovation, citizen science as well as data intensive research. Integrating the diverse data streams and huge datasets across multiple disciplines offers unprecedented insights and solutions towards local, regional and global complex challenges.
Recognizing the importance of harnessing the potential impact of Open Science, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), formerly known as MESTECC, has launched the Malaysia Open Science Platform (MOSP) Pilot Initiative on 7 November 2019. Through the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), the Malaysia Open Science Alliance was formed to pave the way towards realizing MOSP as a strategic transformative initiative to strengthen STI Collaborative Ecosystem for Malaysia. The aim of this initiative is to make Malaysia’s research data as a valuable national asset by developing a trusted platform that enables accessibility and sharing of research data aligned to national priorities and international best practices.
Implementation of open science is a process to further transformation of research practices. It is iterative and based on continuous learning. USM is one of the Research University in Malaysia and supporting the Open Science initiative at national level. Currently, USM has established a Steering Commitee on Open Science and chaired by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Reseach and Innovation. This Steering Commitee is supported by four (4) teams include Working Group on Policy and Guideline, Working Group on Capacity Building and Awareness, Working Group on Infrastructure and Working Group on Open Data.