The Council of Australasian University Librarians (CAUL) is proud to announce its membership of OA Forward, a new international coordination initiative launched last week to strengthen open access negotiations and advance the future of scholarly communication.
Established on April 8, 2026, OA Forward brings together leading libraries, consortia, funders, and research institutions from five continents under a unified framework. The initiative builds upon the foundational work of the OA2020 and ESAC movements, aiming to drive deeper strategic engagement with publishers and stakeholders to reshape the global research landscape.
CAUL’s decision to join OA Forward follows a review of its membership portfolio conducted in late 2025. In a survey of CAUL Member institutions, there was a clear mandate to prioritise this new global coalition. A strategic choice for Australasian research, this membership reflects the collective will of CAUL Members to engage at a global scale. By joining OA Forward, CAUL empowers Australasian universities to collaborate with other key organisations in shaping the next generation of open access agreements.
CAUL remains committed to renewing its support for other key memberships, while now adding OA Forward to its portfolio of strategic alliances. This move underscores CAUL’s dedication to transforming knowledge ecosystems for equity and access and to enhancing the university library sector’s voice and value.
OA Forward is hosted by DEAL Open Access Services (DEAS) and governed by a Steering Committee representing its diverse international partners. As a supporting member, CAUL joins a powerful coalition that includes the University of California Libraries, Consortia Colombia, the Max Planck Society, the German National Library of Science and Technology, and the South African National Library and Information Consortium.
This partnership allows Australasian institutions to leverage collective bargaining power and contribute to a more equitable global publishing ecosystem. A global collaboration with local impact.
Find full details on the OA Forward launch via their official announcement.