The University of Zambia (UNZA), in collaboration with nine other institutions, has launched a three-year project funded by the European Union in Zambia (EU) Erasmus+ program titled “Towards Open Science Community Development in Sub-Saharan Africa Regine (OSCAR 2.0)”. The project was launched today, Thursday 29, February 2024 at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka.
OSCAR Project aims to:

1. Foster effective digital transformation of education and science in Zambia and Botswana.
2. Develop digital infrastructure and connections with improved reliability, capacity, and security.
3. Support regional economic integration by implementing open science principles and values in each participating country.

The forum aims to enhance the visibility and implementation of open science tools and values by universities, and strengthen the impact of open science on policy development in the field of integrative and collaborative research and innovation in Zambia.
This initiative aligns with the positions of both UNESCO and the EU, who actively support the transition towards open science to ensure broader dissemination of scientific knowledge.

SCAR 2.0 involves ten institutions across five countries which include the University of Zambia and University of Barotseland (Zambia), Joint Mind Consult, Botho University, Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, University of Botswana (Botswana), Deggendorf Institute of Technology (Germany), European Policy Development and Research & International School of Social and Business Studies (Slovenia), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands).