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The Star
11 hours ago
- Science
- The Star
Major boost for M'sian research
Way to go: Prof Azlinda and Bocquet (third and fourth from right, respectively) at the launch of the agreement in Putrajaya. HIGHER education has gone beyond merely imparting knowledge in lecture halls. For years, academics have been expected not only to teach but also to conduct research – driving innovation and scientific discovery while delivering real-world benefits in their respective fields. In a bid to boost the global visibility and accessibility of research from Malaysian researchers, the Higher Education Electronic Resources Consortium (KONSEPt) – the Malaysian consortium for higher education and research institutions – recently signed a landmark national open access agreement with Springer Nature. This marked the first national transformative agreement (TA) in Malaysia and among South-East Asian countries. Following the agreement, researchers from all 20 of Malaysia's public universities will be able to publish their work as open access in more than 2,000 hybrid journals across the Springer Nature portfolio. Simultaneously, students and faculty will gain full reading access to more than 2,300 journal titles. The move demonstrates the growing momentum across economies of all sizes for open access publishing, and the increasing global shift towards open science and research – where researchers are better supported in publishing openly, expanding the visibility and impact of their work, and fostering greater international collaboration. Higher Education director general Prof Datuk Dr Azlinda Azman said the initiative supports the ministry's digitalisation and internationalisation agenda, as well as the National Knowledge Infrastructure framework. 'This is a pivotal step in Malaysia's commitment to open science and research transparency, further enhancing international visibility, impact and collaboration,' she said in a press release dated June 4. KONSEPt chairperson Mazmin Mat Akhir said the TA marks a new chapter for academic libraries, not only in providing access to research but also in facilitating open access publishing. 'It empowers universities to enhance the impact of their research and strengthens global knowledge-sharing initiatives,' she said. Springer Nature Japan, South-East Asia and Oceania vice president (sales) and managing director Antoine Bocquet said the agreement demonstrates the vital role that TAs play as a sustainable and scalable model for all regions moving towards an open access future. 'In recent years, we have seen a growing demand in Malaysia –both in terms of downloads where content has been accessible, and in denials where it has not. 'Malaysia has already made significant progress towards achieving open access for its researchers, with 57% of all Malaysian research published as open access by 2022. This agreement builds on that momentum,' he said. The latest agreement is the seventh that Springer Nature has signed within Asia, following Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. The publisher signed its first TA in 2014 and now has over 80 TAs in place, supporting researchers from over 3,700 institutions.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Science
- Zawya
When Uber Is a ‘Predator' and LinkedIn a ‘Species': the 5M Framework Offers a New ‘Natural' Lens for Antitrust Oversight
The BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre ( in collaboration with mathematicians, programmers, ecologists and biologists from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, Vienna), has developed a systemic approach to deepen the understanding of how digital ecosystems function. The research group proposes applying mathematical models and biological theories from the natural sciences to describe processes in the digital economy. Their comprehensive approach to analysing and regulating ecosystems is built on analogies between natural and digital ecosystems—both are complex adaptive systems that share structural and functional characteristics. The results have been published in the interdisciplinary journal npj Complexity in the open-access article 'An ecological perspective to master the complexities of the digital economy' (Elena Rovenskaya, Alexey Ivanov, Sarah Hathiari, Daria Kotova, Ursula M. Scharler, Gergely Boza) ( and in the Springer Nature Research Communities 'Behind the Paper' post 'Taming the Digital Giants: Why Regulators Need an Ecological Lens on Platform Power' (Elena Rovenskaya, Alexey Ivanov, Sarah Hathiari, Daria Kotova, Ursula M. Scharler, Gergely Boza) ( The scientists formulated this idea as the 5M System (5M Framework), which describes the digital realm in ecological terms and draws analogies between natural and digital phenomena across five levels: Micro ('genes') — elements of technology, knowledge, and business strategy (including user behaviour data); Meso ('species') — products; Macro ('ecosystems') — digital platform ecosystems; Mega ('biomes') — wider societies hosting platform ecosystems; Meta — interactions among the four previous levels occur here. For example, optimal foraging theory can explain why Uber avoids sparsely populated areas: like an animal that leaves a food-poor patch because the energy gained per unit of search time is too low, Uber steers clear of rural zones where ride requests are infrequent, driver utilisation drops, and the 'return' on each kilometre driven fails to justify the effort. The flexibility of digital-product boundaries is akin to the blurred definition of biological species, within which finer subspecies are often distinguished: LinkedIn can be viewed either as a Microsoft service or as a set of related products—job marketplace, professional social network, advertising platform, and so on. Elena Rovenkaya, the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Program Director and Principal Research Scholar: 'Digital ecosystems are an entirely new economic object, fundamentally different from the standard economic agents regulators are used to dealing with. The analogy we propose between natural and digital ecosystems will allow antitrust authorities to look at digital ecosystems from a new angle and obtain intuitive explanations for business strategies that often seem complex. Moreover, applying well-established mathematical and ecological approaches may be more effective than designing new methods from scratch.' Aleksey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre: 'The published article is expected to be the first in a series of interdisciplinary publications devoted to new antitrust approaches for regulating the digital environment. In the AI sector and adjacent fields, the number of partnerships and investment agreements resembling mergers is growing, yet companies often evade antitrust scrutiny by sidestepping formal filing thresholds. A systemic-analysis response—particularly mathematical modelling and the systems-mapping method that the BRICS Centre is developing with partners—can depict a complex phenomenon in a model of all its cause-and-effect links. This will significantly accelerate research and make antitrust analysis more precise.' In the future, the researchers also plan to create a digital tool using AI for BRICS antitrust coordination — the 'Merger Radar.' This system will detect economic-concentration deals and shape preliminary positions on such transactions. The article forms part of the BRICS Centre's research track on the antitrust challenges created by digitalisation. The project was launched in 2018 to provide expert and methodological support to antitrust agencies in the BRICS Working Group for Research on Competition Issues in Digital Markets; in 2019 the Centre first highlighted the threats posed by digital platforms and the need for special oversight; from 2020 the Working Group shifted its focus to ecosystem regulation — today the most advanced debate in antitrust law. At the 7th BRICS Competition Conference (China, 2021) the Centre publicly presented the 'eco-antitrust' concept; in 2022, in Brazil, it organised the first BRICS Digital Competition Forum, which has since been held annually. At the latest forum, in autumn 2024, representatives of Brazil's antitrust authority CADE announced the drafting of a new bill to regulate ecosystems, which is now before the Brazilian parliament. The experts are currently analysing the impact of AI on competition and preparing a new report. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre.
Business Standard
11-06-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
Indian Researchers Call for Balanced and Responsible Research Assessments: Springer Nature Survey Reveals Global Insights
PRNewswire New Delhi [India], June 11: A global survey conducted by Springer Nature reveals that researchers in India are calling for more balanced and responsible approaches to research assessment, with an emphasis on transparency, integrity, and moving beyond over-reliance on quantitative metrics. The 2024 Research Assessment Survey, which gathered responses from over 6,300 researchers worldwide--including 764 from India--provides important insights into how researchers experience and perceive current evaluation practices. While researchers globally continue to be assessed based on a combination of publication counts, citations, and grant funding, Indian respondents reported a stronger reliance on purely quantitative measures than their global peers. Notably, 21% of Indian researchers said they are assessed entirely by quantitative metrics such as number of publications, citations, or grant income. This figure is higher than the global average (16%), and even Asia overall (17%). The contrast is particularly striking when compared to the United Kingdom, where only 5% reported being assessed solely on such metrics--reflecting a strong shift in UK research culture toward more holistic evaluations. At the same time, there is clear appetite for change: 49% of Indian respondents said they believe there should be a balanced mix of quantitative and qualitative criteria in research assessments, suggesting growing interest in reform. "Researchers in India and globally are sending a clear message--they want assessments that go beyond simplistic metrics like publication counts and journal impact factors," said Dr. Ed Gerstner, Director of Research, Springer Nature. "There is a growing demand for systems that reward openness, collaboration, and real-world impact. At Springer Nature, we are proud to be a driving force in this global conversation." Springer Nature has been at the forefront of advancing responsible research assessment. The company is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), a member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), and continues to promote practices that foster research integrity, open science, and transparency. In India, Springer Nature is further supporting national efforts such as One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) and working closely with universities and research institutions to build capacity around responsible research evaluation. The company is also engaging with policymakers to ensure that global advances in research assessment translate into impactful, local change. The survey also revealed: * Despite the emphasis on quantitative metrics, Indian researchers were more likely to report that they are evaluated on their contributions to both the national good (50%) and to solving global challenges such as those embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (34%) than researchers in Europe (30% and 19% respectively), North America (35% and 16% respectively) or globally (40% and 25% respectively). * There is a strong desire in India for balanced assessments, blending measurable outputs with qualitative indicators such as societal relevance, collaboration, and contributions to the SDGs. * Transparency and clarity in assessment processes were rated highly by Indian respondents, indicating the importance of trust and fairness in research careers. This growing awareness among Indian researchers aligns with Springer Nature's global push for research systems that are not only rigorous and reproducible but also fair, inclusive, and meaningful. About Springer Nature: Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit and @SpringerNature.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Indian Researchers Call for Balanced and Responsible Research Assessments: Springer Nature Survey Reveals Global Insights
NEW DELHI, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A global survey conducted by Springer Nature reveals that researchers in India are calling for more balanced and responsible approaches to research assessment, with an emphasis on transparency, integrity, and moving beyond over-reliance on quantitative metrics. The 2024 Research Assessment Survey, which gathered responses from over 6,300 researchers worldwide—including 764 from India—provides important insights into how researchers experience and perceive current evaluation practices. While researchers globally continue to be assessed based on a combination of publication counts, citations, and grant funding, Indian respondents reported a stronger reliance on purely quantitative measures than their global peers. Notably, 21% of Indian researchers said they are assessed entirely by quantitative metrics such as number of publications, citations, or grant income. This figure is higher than the global average (16%), and even Asia overall (17%). The contrast is particularly striking when compared to the United Kingdom, where only 5% reported being assessed solely on such metrics—reflecting a strong shift in UK research culture toward more holistic evaluations. At the same time, there is clear appetite for change: 49% of Indian respondents said they believe there should be a balanced mix of quantitative and qualitative criteria in research assessments, suggesting growing interest in reform. "Researchers in India and globally are sending a clear message—they want assessments that go beyond simplistic metrics like publication counts and journal impact factors," said Dr. Ed Gerstner, Director of Research, Springer Nature. "There is a growing demand for systems that reward openness, collaboration, and real-world impact. At Springer Nature, we are proud to be a driving force in this global conversation." Springer Nature has been at the forefront of advancing responsible research assessment. The company is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), a member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), and continues to promote practices that foster research integrity, open science, and transparency. In India, Springer Nature is further supporting national efforts such as One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) and working closely with universities and research institutions to build capacity around responsible research evaluation. The company is also engaging with policymakers to ensure that global advances in research assessment translate into impactful, local change. The survey also revealed: Despite the emphasis on quantitative metrics, Indian researchers were more likely to report that they are evaluated on their contributions to both the national good (50%) and to solving global challenges such as those embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (34%) than researchers in Europe (30% and 19% respectively), North America (35% and 16% respectively) or globally (40% and 25% respectively). There is a strong desire in India for balanced assessments, blending measurable outputs with qualitative indicators such as societal relevance, collaboration, and contributions to the SDGs. Transparency and clarity in assessment processes were rated highly by Indian respondents, indicating the importance of trust and fairness in research careers. This growing awareness among Indian researchers aligns with Springer Nature's global push for research systems that are not only rigorous and reproducible but also fair, inclusive, and meaningful. About Springer Nature: Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit and @SpringerNature. Logo - View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scientific American Announces David M. Ewalt as New Editor-in-Chief
Ewalt becomes the magazine's 10th editor-in-chief as it celebrates 180 years. NEW YORK, June 03, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States of America, Scientific American, announced David M. Ewalt as its editor-in-chief. In his role, Ewalt will also oversee its digital version, and other branded products. Ewalt will be based out of the New York office with a start date of June 2nd and will report to Kimberly Lau. Ewalt is a longtime advocate for data-driven reporting, has authored two books including the acclaimed history of Dungeons & Dragons, Of Dice and Men, and formerly served as Editor-in-Chief of Gizmodo. His editorial career includes key roles at The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Forbes Magazine. A lifelong reader and dedicated subscriber to Scientific American with a distinguished background in revitalizing media brands, Ewalt brings a profound enthusiasm for science and technology, along with experience spanning both legacy and digital-first media properties. Kimberly Lau, President of Scientific American and Vice President, Consumer Media at Springer Nature, said: "From its inception, Scientific American has championed the belief that scientific discovery and technological advancement are foundational to societal progress. These values—impartial analysis and boundless curiosity—are more essential now than ever. With his extensive experience, clear editorial direction, and deep commitment to these principles, David Ewalt is exceptionally well-suited to lead Scientific American as it continues to inform the public, engage thought leaders in research and industry, and support evidence-based policymaking. Ewalt's appointment marks an exciting new page for Scientific American as it continues to expand its reach and impact in the world of popular science journalism." David Ewalt said: "This is a pivotal moment for science. Many of the defining issues of the 21st century—such as artificial intelligence, advances in medicine and climate change—are fundamentally scientific in nature. As we navigate these complex issues, there is no better source to help interpret developments and keep the public informed than Scientific American, which has demonstrated unwavering dedication to this mission for nearly two centuries." Scientific American is read by more than 3.5 million monthly readers with eight local language editions and remains a global force in science journalism, helping readers remain informed on pressing issues and exciting developments in the world of science. About Scientific American Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S. and the leading authoritative publication for science and technology in the general media. Together with and eight local language editions around the world, it reaches more than nine million readers. Scientific American is published by Springer Nature. About Springer Nature Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit and @SpringerNature. View source version on Contacts Eseohe Arhebamen-Yamasaki | Head of Communications, U.S. | Springer Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
