Open Education and the Shared Roots of Openness

Members Newsletter – March 2026

Dear OSI supporters,

Every March, Open Education Week invites us to reflect on something that will feel familiar to everyone in this community: the idea that knowledge is most powerful when it is freely accessible, adaptable, and shared. It is a principle that open education and Open Source have always held in common, and this month’s newsletter is a good occasion to explore that connection more deliberately.

The open education movement did not emerge in isolation. The legal and technical infrastructure that made Open Educational Resources possible — Creative Commons licensing, open platforms, shared governance models — drew directly from the Open Source tradition. Tools built on Open Source software made open education operational, not merely aspirational. That history matters today, as generative AI introduces new pressures and new possibilities for both communities.

OSI’s recent work reflects this intersection in concrete ways. Our decision to join the Apereo Foundation in signing the Open Letter to the Higher Education Community was a natural extension of our mission: if Open Source is foundational to education, research, and the public good, then higher education has both an opportunity and a responsibility to treat it as a strategic asset rather than a commodity. You’ll find more on that, and on Google Summer of Code 2026 — a program that embodies the mentorship and knowledge-sharing values at the heart of both initiatives — in the pages that follow. There is more to explore this month as well, and I think you’ll find the connections worth reflecting on.

As always, thank you for being part of a community that understands openness not as a feature, but as a foundation.

Warm regards,

Deborah Bryant

Interim Executive Director, OSI 

News from the OSI

OSI Joins Apereo Foundation in Calling on Higher Education to Reclaim Its Digital Future

The OSI has signed the Open Letter to the Higher Education Community, joining a growing coalition of educators, technologists, nonprofit leaders, and institutions calling for renewed leadership and intentional investment in open solutions across higher education.

Other highlights

OSI in the news

Other news

News from OSI affiliates and community

Research and white papers

News from community members

Surveys

Global Consultation to Develop a Shared Research Agenda

Open Technology Research (OTR) is hosting a series of three one-hour roundtable consultations, each held at a time designed to be accessible across different regions, to help us develop a shared global research agenda. The sessions will be structured around a short set of questions shared in advance, with facilitated discussion to draw out the most important insights.

Open Source Software & Hardware Training

The European Open Source Academy has shared a survey with the goal of identifying critical skill gaps to directly inform the design of targeted training programs. By participating, you ensure future courses are built to bridge these specific gaps and meet real-world sector needs. All findings will be published as Open Data to benefit the entire community.

Events

Upcoming events

Check the top 50+ Open Source conferences of 2026 that the OSI is tracking, including events that intersect with AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and policy.

Thanks to our sponsors

New sponsors and renewals

Interested in sponsoring, or partnering with, the OSI? Please see our Sponsorship Prospectus and our Annual Report. Please contact the OSI to find out more about how your company can promote open source development, communities and software.

Support OSI by becoming a full member

Hundreds of individuals and organizations worldwide join as members and support as donors or sponsors of the OSI. They trust in our neutral stewardship of open source licensing and our role in enabling a global community. Get involved!