NEWS

APE 2026 – Two Powerful Keynotes Announced

Opening Keynote

An Independent Publishing Industry: The Case for Checks and Balances

Caroline Sutton (CEO, STM), Monday 13 January, 10:00-11:00

Data from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer indicates that 63% of global respondents have trouble determining credibility of information and 25% approve of intentionally spreading disinformation to drive change. Against this backdrop, it is critically important to protect and strengthen sources of validated knowledge, actively build trust in those sources, and protect self-correcting knowledge systems.

Caroline Sutton explores how a system of checks and balances—at an operational level and in the marketplace—prevents any single actor from dominating knowledge production and highlights the value of a diverse marketplace of publishers, including independent publishers, for building systemic legitimacy and ultimately supporting democracy.

Caroline Sutton is CEO of the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM). She co-founded Co-Action Publishing, a pioneer in Open Access, and was founding President of OASPA (2008-2021).

Flash Keynote

Beyond Open Access: Building Justice in Scholarly Communication

Godwyns Onwuchekwa (Global Tapestry Consulting), Monday 13 January, 17:00-17:30

Open Access alone isn't enough. True equity and inclusion in scholarly communication requires addressing systemic barriers that go far beyond access to published articles. This keynote explores what justice means in practice for global scholarly communication—how we measure it, how we build it, and how we create lasting two-way relationships across the research ecosystem.

Godwyns Onwuchekwa is a leading voice on equity and engagement in scholarly communication, bringing a fresh perspective on building meaningful participation in global research.

https://academicpublishingeurope.com/