The event is held within the framework of the Open4UA Project (Open Science for the Ukrainian Higher Education System, 101129085, ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE-STRAND-3). The Project is aimed at promoting national reform in the field of Open Science and developing tools for research assessment. The goal is to increase the accessibility of scientific results for the professional community, students and the general public, as well as to ensure validity in the assessment of the quality of scientific research in accordance with the standards of the European educational and research environment.

The panel discussion “Open Science and Research Assessment: Legal Aspects” will provide a platform for an in-depth examination of the legal dimensions accompanying Ukraine’s transition to the Open Science paradigm. The reform of Ukrainian legislation is an indispensable component of this process, as the establishment of transparent and reliable mechanisms of research assessment requires alignment with the principles and standards endorsed within the European Research Area and by initiatives such as the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). The discussion will thus focus on the ways in which national legal frameworks can be adapted to ensure the integrity, validity, and comparability of research evaluation procedures.

A significant part of the debate will be devoted to the challenges of intellectual property regulation in the context of open access. Particular attention will be directed to the issue of the secondary publication right, which raises complex questions of balancing the interests of authors, publishers, and society at large. The panel will explore the extent to which such mechanisms can serve as legal tools for ensuring both the protection of individual rights and the effective dissemination of knowledge.

In addition, the discussion will address legislative initiatives and recent reforms concerning the attestation of research institutions. These reforms are of particular importance for consolidating trust in the research system and for embedding international best practices into national regulation. By engaging legal scholars, policymakers, and representatives of the academic community, the panel seeks to identify feasible legal solutions and to contribute to the development of a coherent strategy for integrating Open Science and research assessment principles into Ukraine’s higher education and research landscape.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.