Our OA Flyer Goes Global: Translations in Arabic, French, Polish, and Spanish Mark a Milestone in Student Advocacy

[Nick Shockey]

Cross-posted from our blog at http://www.righttoresearch.org/blog/OA_Flyer_Translations.shtml.

In a tangible demonstration of the Right to Research Coalition’s now global presence, we’re excited to kick off Open Access Week with translations of our Open Access Flyer in 4 new languages: Arabic, French, Polish, and Spanish.  These translations will not only help students continue to advocate for and educate their peers about Open Access, but they also represent a milestone in the growth of our coalition.

Click here for our Open Access Flyer translations page

The past year has been an incredible one in terms of growing our coalition into a truly global organization – we’ve gone from being a North American alliance to one with members representing just under 7 million students in approximately 100 countries on 6 continents.  And we haven’t simply grown in size.  Our new members from around the world are diving right in.  

The European Medical Student Association (EMSA) has approached the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) about supporting Open Access, and we’re seeing interest from many other discipline-specific student organizations in lobbying for their respective professional societies to take an explicit, pro-Open Access position.  Furthermore, students have already taken the Open Access message back to their home countries and campuses, making presentations across Europe, Africa, and beyond.

These 4 translations are a tangible manifestation that Open Access has truly become a global issue among students - that there are students in the Middle East, in Europe, in North and South America, and beyond actively pushing to set the default to open.  

Many thanks those who took the time to translate our flyer, and you can find downloadable copies of the translations here.