Apereo's OW2 Breakout Session: Open Source in Education, Science and Research
Open source software is pervasive across all industries and economies, including, and increasingly, within academic and research institutions. Open source principles and practices around collaboration, co-creation, and peer review inherently resonate with faculty and researchers already familiar with the academy's approach to education, research, and science. Across Europe, particularly throughout France, a variety of open initiatives are fueling innovative partnerships among universities and between industries. The potential for the projects, institutions, companies, and the public is remarkable, but new models raise new questions. How does an "open source approach" impact scientific organizations' internal operations, institutional processes, and partnerships? How can organizations identify, engage, and leverage open source solutions? And perhaps most significantly, how can institutions of higher education introduce students to open source models as part of both academic programs and workforce development in support of next-generation IT.
This session includes presentations from Apereo projects and other initiatives, followed by an open discussion.
Content and program
Schedule: June 18, 2025, all day.
Room: January Room
How to get there?: Orange Gardens practical information
Part One: Workshop - Expanding Open Source Software Research in Higher Education
Schedule: 09:30 - 10:30
Abstract:
The Open Source Software in Higher Ed (OSSHE) project is dedicated to understanding how open source software is used, developed, and supported within academic institutions. This workshop will review insights from the 2024 test survey, assess its effectiveness, and explore ways to expand participation in the research initiative. Attendees will discuss strategies to enhance data collection, improve outreach, and maximize the project's impact on institutional decision-making. Join us to help shape the future of open source research in higher education and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of its role in academia.
Part Two: State of the Art of Open Source in Scientific Organization
Schedule: 11:00 - 15:00
- 11:00 - 11:20 : Use case: Training faculty in French Open Source technologies to encourage adoption and reduce dependence on proprietary solutions, by Jehann Monnier, Linphone/ Belledonne Communications
- 11:20 - 11:40 : The Future of Digital Learning: Open-Source, Interactive & Data-Driven, Tom Reijnders
- 11:40 - 12:00 : Collabora Online: A Secure Open-Source Building Block for Online Document Editing, Méven Car, Collabora Productivity
- 12:00 - 12:20 : Forge Federation in the Context of Open Science and Research-Based Design, Milovann Yanatchkov
- 12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break
- 14:00 - 14:20 : Using UniTime to build optimized academic schedules, Tomáš Müller
- 14:20 - 14:40 : Cognitrek: Advancing Cognitive Accessibility and AI Transparency in EdTech, Juan Prieto, Ximdex
- 14:40 - 15:00 : Enhancing E-Learning Productivity with AI and LLMs, Inge Donkervoort
- 15:00 - 15:30 Coffee break
Part Three: Open Source AI and Higher Education – Responding to the Open Source AI Definition
Schedule: 15:30 - 16:30
Abstract:
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping research and education, and the open source community is actively defining its role in this transformation. In this interactive workshop, we will examine the Open Source Initiative’s newly released Open Source Artificial Intelligence Definition (OSAID) v1.0 and its implications for higher education and research. Participants will explore how the OSAID aligns with academic values, discuss its potential impact on open research and learning, and collaborate on a formal response. This session aims to provide valuable feedback to the OSI from an academic perspective, ensuring that open source AI remains accessible, ethical, and beneficial to the global research and education community.