Randolf Mariano

(Watch the RECORDING.) The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021) has served as a global guiding framework, encouraging regional organizations, countries, and institutions to make scientific knowledge openly available, reusable, inclusive, and transparent by promoting collaborative scientific practices for the benefit of science and society. Regional blocs, such as the European Union (EU), whose member states are connected by shared regional economic integration and interests, have proactively engaged in influencing knowledge ecosystems, advancing policies on open science, and sustaining collaborative dialogues within Europe’s research and scientific communities as exemplified in the EU open science policy (European Commission, 2016) and Plan S initiative (European Science Foundation, 2018). The African Union (AU) is also increasing momentum in supporting policies on collaborative open knowledge sharing through the endorsement of free trade agreements within the African continent and its policy commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (Okafor et al., 2022). Several single-country and institutional efforts from Southeast Asia have demonstrated strong support for open-access publishing (Abidin et al., 2024; Awasthi et al., 2025; Irawan et al., 2022) and the development of open repositories (Lee-Hwa et al., 2013; Mostafa et al., 2024). However, such policy coherence, as seen in the EU and AU efforts to advance collaborative and regional-driven policy initiatives, remains underexplored in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). There is also a limited understanding of how ASEAN, as a regional bloc, supports open science in policy and practice. Thus, this presentation explores the current landscape of open science initiatives in the ASEAN region by addressing two questions: (1) How are ASEAN member states reflecting on the framework outlined in the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science? and (2) What are the current regional developments, including benefits, opportunities, and challenges, in shaping ASEAN open science policy? Using an exploratory review method, this study draws on peer-reviewed literature from Web of Science and Scopus, as well as grey literature from publicly available government portals and websites to identify emerging themes and patterns. This presentation aims to map the current landscape of ASEAN open science initiatives, highlighting the benefits, opportunities, and challenges, and revealing patterns of engagement and collaboration across ASEAN member states and their connection with other global actors in open science. The overall findings contribute to informing policy development and strengthening the ASEAN open science movement.

This theoretical paper presents an exploration of how the concept and theory of library diplomacy is portrayed and presented in the library and information science (LIS) and international relations (IR) context. The paper also aims to address research gaps and position library diplomacy in today's 21st-century international environment. To illustrate how library diplomacy is theorized and conceptualized, a literature review analysis is used to search for theories, concepts, and frameworks to look at the state of knowledge about the term “library diplomacy” and this paper also described the literature using a conceptual framework on the dimensions of library diplomacy. Through reviewing several diverse scholarships on library diplomacy in the LIS and IR context, a selection of theories, concepts, and frameworks were identified. The analysis provided guidance to the trajectory of literature related to the concept and theory of library diplomacy. Library diplomacy is characterized with a few LIS and IR theories including, realism, liberalism, soft power, constructivism, and the international librarianship as a practice theory. A conceptual framework of library diplomacy dimensions including (1) Libraries in diplomacy; (2) Diplomacy for libraries; and (3) Libraries for diplomacy, is identified to better understand the practices, policies and processes linked to library diplomacy. There are many fragmented scholarships related to library diplomacy but only few attempted to explore the concept and theory. A grounded and empirical study is needed for better understanding of library diplomacy´s related theories and concepts presented in this study.

Purpose: Libraries, museums and cultural centers have long served as cultural ambassadors and foreign policy instruments, bridging diplomatic relationships among nation-states and institutions. The purpose of this scoping review is to ascertain and understand the emerging areas of research on libraries, museums and cultural centers in foreign policy and cultural diplomacy within broader research paradigms of international relations, social sciences, education and library and information studies by systematically mapping key concepts and identifying the types of studies and knowledge gaps.Design/methodology/approach: Using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis, relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, books and book chapters that were published over a wide time period in any language from various databases were systematically examined. Two reviewers worked independently to extract the data and reached a consensus regarding the inclusion criteria using the JBI’s data charting template.Findings: In total, 6,436 citations were screened, and 57 documents were identified as eligible for inclusion. The following sequences were reviewed and explored: study characteristics, theoretical approaches and research themes. The research themes were grouped into broader ones that included goals, actors, strategies and instruments. Finally, the concentration and clusters of ideas and gaps that emerged in the identified studies were investigated, resulting in a discussion of the recommendations and directions for future research.Originality/value: This first scoping review is a useful tool for investigating the changing and novel roles of libraries, museums and cultural centers in cultural diplomacy and foreign policy. Although substantial work exists on the topic, the potential remains for interdisciplinary research to challenge and extend the current knowledge about cultural diplomacy practices in libraries, museums and cultural centers.