On 7 October 2025, the EOSC CZ initiative organised a regional networking meeting at the VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO), bringing together representatives from three Silesian universities – the Silesian University in Opava (SU), the University of Ostrava (OU), and VSB-TUO. The main topics included researcher training, the development of data steward roles, the implementation of open science principles, and collaboration opportunities with the EOSC CZ Training Centre.
Representatives of EOSC CZ presented the current phase of building the Czech ecosystem for research data management, the importance of working group involvement, and the opportunities offered by the Open Science II and III projects. Participation in these activities can bring universities not only financial support but also valuable know-how in implementing open science.
“The meeting in Ostrava was a unique opportunity for key representatives of universities in the region to meet in person and exchange experiences on how they put responsible research data management into practice,” said Jaroslav Juráček, Secretary of the EOSC CZ Working Groups.
The discussion focused on collaboration, experience-sharing and, above all, training researchers in data management and open science. “Training researchers at all career levels is a key aspect to ensuring that the EOSC mission succeeds,” emphasised Lenka Sedláčková from EOSC CZ.
Petra Skoumalová from the Silesian University noted that while awareness of open science exists, systematic institutional support remains limited. The goal is to strengthen this area in the coming years.
Jan Platoš, newly appointed Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies at VSB-TUO, explained that leadership changes had temporarily slowed progress in open science, but highlighted the PhD Academy, which offers doctoral students two Data Stewardship modules – one theoretical and one practical. These credit-bearing courses are attracting growing interest.
Eliška Vavrečková, Open Science Manager at the University of Ostrava and holder of the Czech Data Steward Community Hero award, presented the university’s training programmes, online resources, and internal network of experts who assist with implementing open science principles.
One of the main discussion points was the number and funding of data steward positions. Participants agreed that a single data steward cannot effectively support more than about 100 researchers, highlighting the need for sustainable models to expand and finance this role.
The meeting also included an invitation to collaborate with the EOSC CZ Training Centre, which offers universities support in training staff in data management, metadata standards, and the FAIR principles.
The networking event in Silesia showed that even smaller universities can serve as innovation models in certain areas. As Martin Štěpnička, Vice-Rector of the University of Ostrava, emphasised, the greatest wealth of any institution lies in its people, whose skills and contributions must be appropriately recognised and appreciated. He also noted that while institutions can share experiences, they cannot share people, as they represent a university's actual value and strength.
“It was inspiring to see that smaller institutions can serve as examples for larger ones, and that sharing experiences and mutual support are of immense importance for the open science community,” concluded Lenka Sedlačková.
Helena Reichlová, head of the Dioscuri Center for Spin-Caloritronics and Magnonics at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, discusses the challenges and opportunities of modern experimental research. She talks about the importance of international collaboration, interdisciplinary teams, and sharing scientific data.
On September 3, 2025, another stop of the EOSC CZ Networking series took place at the SOLID21 building of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (FZU), this time with representatives of FZU and the secretaries of EOSC CZ working groups. The event focused on sharing, discovering, and meaningful networking.
