Computer Network Information Center (CNIC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Committee on Data for International Science Council (CODATA) co-hosted hybrid events to launch the Global Open Science Cloud (GOSC) on June 28, 2021. With initial funding from the CAS, the project will be coordinated by CNIC and CODATA as an important early project of CODATA Decadal Programme "Making Data Work for Cross-Domain Grand Challenges". The project will promote discussions towards agreements and preliminary demonstrations on technical and policy alignment between established and emerging open science platforms such as China Science and Technology Cloud (CSTCloud), European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), Malaysia Open Science Platform (MOSP), African Open Science Platform (AOSP), Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), Canada's New Digital Research Infrastructure (NDRIO), Germany's National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and LA Referencia of Latin America. This initiative aims to make some early-stage contributions related to multilateral dialogues in line with the proposed action area of open science infrastructure in the draft version of UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

As one of the pioneers to connect China's research community with the world, CNIC has made a series of historical contributions such as the birthplace of China's Internet, initiator of China's first router, and one of the earliest backbone providers of the country as the designer of China Science and Technology Network. The founding team of CNIC also contributed to the earliest data initiatives of the CAS in 1980s, initiated China's first supercomputing service in 1996, and started to use the new media to build open knowledge resources for the general public in 1999. Based on its systematic experiences with network, data, computing, new media and other technologies, CNIC initiated CSTCloud which is a national e-infrastructure to accelerate scientific discoveries.

With the code of "connection" written in its gene, the CSTCloud team of CNIC discussed the idea of Global Open Science Cloud with other open science platforms during 2019 CODATA Conference in Beijing for better interconnection and interoperability to support global research cooperation, followed by a series of discussions on the co-design of trusted federated infrastructures.

The launch events on June 28 started from the Beijing session during which the idea was introduced for open discussion among nearly 60 participants including local policy and technology experts, and representatives from international organizations such as ISC China, CODATA and CODATA China, World Federation of Engineering Organizations, Alliance of International Science Organizations, and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Following the physical session in Beijing, over 120 international experts participated in a virtual session as an event “to make the GOSC Initiative global”. Representatives from the preparatory group introduced the project and announced plans for inviting global partners on the four thematic working groups on governance, policy, technical infrastructure and data interoperability. Call for case studies was also announced with initial areas included but are not limited to climate change, biodiversity, population health and astrophysics.

GOSC Beijing Session

Screenshot of GOSC Global Session

It has been said that 'if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together' (African proverb which shares some common values with the idea of Confucius). Here we would extend our warmest welcome for your contribution to the co-design and co-development of the GOSC Initiative. Anyone interested, please sign in at https://bit.ly/GOSC-Sign-Up.