The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Library proudly celebrated International Open Access Week with the official launch of its Library Conference Centre (LCC) and an inspiring public lecture at the BM Patel Library, ML Sultan Campus, on Wednesday, 22 October 2025.
Distinguished guests at the event.
The event commenced with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Professor Vusi Gumede, DUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, who inaugurated the new facility alongside Dr Malefetjane Phaladi, Director of Library Services. The launch was immediately followed by the Open Access Week public lecture. This year’s international Open Access Week theme, “Who Owns Our Knowledge?” underscored the importance of clarifying ownership of knowledge and research produced by publicly funded institutions. The theme called for reflection on how institutions could ensure that the knowledge they generate remains a public good, accessible to communities and the broader scholarly world.
Delivering the opening address, Dr Phaladi reaffirmed that it has become an established tradition for the DUT Smart Library to organise and host such events as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting and advancing open access scholarship, publishing, and practice. He stressed that science and research should flourish in an environment that is open, developmental, inclusive, transformative, impactful, and sustainable. In his message of support, Professor Gift Mheta, Manager of the DUT Writing Centre, highlighted the importance of strengthening open access initiatives to address the financial and structural challenges confronting libraries, researchers, and universities.
Introducing the guest speaker, Dr Phaladi expressed the library’s appreciation for engaging with scholars of Professor Hinchliffe’s calibre, noting that such collaborations advance DUT’s ENVISION2030 strategy. “Engaging with leading experts enables us to broaden perspectives, strengthen scholarly networks, and ensure that our academic community remains connected to global developments in open scholarship and research,” said Dr Phaladi.
Professor Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, Coordinator for Research Professional Development at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, delivered an engaging lecture on the evolving landscape of Open Access (OA) and Open Science. The title of her lecture was “Open Access publishing models: stability, scalability and sustainability.” She explored both the challenges and opportunities the Open Access movement presents for academic libraries and research institutions globally.
In her presentation, Professor Hinchliffe discussed how academic libraries are adapting to OA. Drawing from her home institution’s experience, she shared initiatives that support the movement, including the signing of transformative agreements with major publishers. She also highlighted persistent challenges such as the escalating costs of both electronic journal subscriptions and print material, contrasted with shrinking library budgets and the inequities embedded in current publishing systems. While unpacking various OA models, such as Gold, Green, Hybrid and Dymond, Professor Hinchliffe emphasised the importance of librarians and researchers understanding the nuances of these models, whether at the article or journal level, to make informed publishing decisions. She urged libraries to continue collaborating to address these challenges: “Libraries and researchers must work together to develop transparent and sustainable models that genuinely advance the open access agenda,” she emphasised.
Currently, DUT has signed transformative agreements with major publishers such as Sage, Emerald, Springer Nature, Wiley, IOP, Taylor & Francis, and Elsevier (ScienceDirect) to reduce financial barriers for authors and expand access to OA publishing opportunities. An interactive question-and-answer session, moderated by Mr Romeo Matumba, DUT Library’s Marketing and Communication Librarian, encouraged thoughtful dialogue on advancing open access initiatives.
Mr Nhlanhla Nhleko, Dr Malefetjane Phaladi and Professor Vusi Gumede.
In closing, Mr Nhlanhla Nhleko, Manager: Campus Sites and Libraries, expressed sincere appreciation to the guest speaker, library staff, and attendees for contributing to a successful and insightful event. The launch of the Library Conference Centre and the public lecture not only celebrated International Open Access Week but also reaffirmed DUT Library’s dedication to promoting equitable access to knowledge, collaboration, and scholarly excellence.
For bookings and enquiries regarding the Library Conference Centre (LCC), please contact Mr Thomas Zwane at thomasz@dut.ac.za.
Pictured: Dr Malefetjane Phaladi, Director of Library Services and Professor Vusi Gumede, Deputy Vice-Chancerllor: Teaching and Learning at the official opening of the Library Conference Centre.
Photographer: Zenande Ngubelanga.
Muvhulawa Romeo Matumba
