International Open Access Week is a global event held annually during the last full week of October to promote open access to scholarly research and knowledge. It’s organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) and celebrated by institutions and researchers worldwide.

Its main goals are to raise awareness about the importance of making research freely available to everyone and to encourage collaboration among scholars, institutions, and communities.

2025 | Literary Contest: “Who Owns Our Knowledge?”

The centerpiece of this year’s celebration is a literary contest that challenges participants to reflect on the theme through essays, poems, or short stories. Open to all members of the Técnico community, the contest invites creative responses to the question: Who owns our knowledge?

Submissions are open from October 20 to November 16, with winners receiving a book of their choice from the publisher IST Presss.

Contest rules [PT]

Submission form

Previous years

Our initiatives for previous celebrations of International Open Access Week:

2025 | Who Owns Our Knowledge? – detailed information

2024 | Community over Commercialization – informative short videos

2023 | Community over Commercialization – interviews playlist