From May 4–6th, 2026, the Future of Open Research: Reliable, Responsible, Equitable Conference (FOR2026) was held at the Technical University of Munich’s Institute for Advanced Studies (TUM-IAS) in Garching. The event brought together scholars, activists and policymakers to explore the evolving challenges of open research and to reflect on its future directions.
A central aim of the conference was to advance open research practices that genuinely serve the public interest, while critically examining how “public interest” may differ across contexts, communities and global perspectives. A key outcome of these discussions is the ongoing development of a Munich Manifesto for Equitable Open Research, which seeks to outline strategies for fostering more reliable, responsible and inclusive research practices.
The conference opened with remarks by Prof. Gerhard Kramer (Vice President, TUM), Dr. Ulrich Marsch (Managing Director, TUM-IAS) and Prof. Sabina Leonelli (TUM, PI of Philosophy of Open Science). The program featured panels on topics such as Intelligent and Responsible Data Sharing, Equity and Justice in Open Research Implementation and The Future of Open Science, alongside presentations addressing topics such as Open research and public engagement: What citizens want to know about preliminary and evolving science.
One aspect of FOR2026 was its focus on arts and humanities contributions, showcasing alternative formats for representing and communicating open research. For example, Safieh Shah (IGDORE) highlighted the importance of “lived resonance” as an alternative to citation-based impact, demonstrating how performance, memes, poetry, comedy and music can make research accessible to wider audiences. In the conference poster sessions, pertinent contributions included The Possibilities for Graphic Art to Support Open Research on Health Data Justice by Dr. Amelia Fiske, Dr. Paula Hepp, and Jonas Fischer (TUM). Boris Abramovic (University of Vienna) presented his work on experimental game cultures, exploring how art-based gameplay can engage the public in AI-related inquiry.
Dr. Franziska Poszler, PI and Project Lead of MoralPLai, also contributed to the poster sessions with a presentation titled From Stage to Society: An Arts-Based Approach to Open Research and Responsible AI. The presentation showcased MoralPLai as a case study for innovative science communication in AI ethics, drawing on the humanities and cultural sciences as vital methodologies for bridging academia and society and fostering AI literacy, highlighting:
- The narrative and 2025 debut of The Third Voice
- Methodologies for audience engagement and evaluation
- Key findings from audience feedback
The MoralPLai conference poster can be accessed here.
FOR2026 Conference webpage.
FOR2026 Book of abstracts (preliminary).
Panel discussion on “Intelligent and Responsible Data Sharing”
Safieh Shah talking about “Decolonizing Open Research Through the Performing Arts”
FOR2026 poster sessions included contributions on arts-based AI inquiry, for example by Boris Abramovic