The Call for Proposals deadline for the OpenForum Academy Symposium 2025 has been extended to 23:59 CET on June 18, 2025. Submit your work here.
The Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs, an open access journal from Cambridge University Press, has announced the launch of a themed issue titled “Open Technology Impact in Uncertain Times,” produced in collaboration with the OpenForum Academy (OFA) Symposium 2025.
This themed issue of the Cambridge Forum fulfils a long-time goal of the OFA Symposium: to help drive the generation of policy-relevant research that helps decision-makers drive impact. The partnership expands on the vision of the Symposium, creating an opportunity for academics, policymakers, and practitioners to contribute research and thought leadership on Open Source and Open Technologies to a leading technology and global affairs journal.
“In an era of increasing geopolitical and technological uncertainty, we need rigorous research that directly informs policy and practice,” said Nicholas Gates, Senior Policy Advisor at OpenForum Europe. “This collaboration between Cambridge University Press and the OpenForum Academy creates a powerful bridge between academic insight and real-world application, offering a unique opportunity to researchers joining our conference to showcase their work publicly.”
Authors submitting to the journal’s Call for Papers are strongly encouraged to also submit abstracts for presentation at the Symposium. The dual track approach allows contributors to receive early feedback from peers and practitioners as part of the Symposium before developing their work for publication.
To accommodate the dual track submission process and allow researchers adequate time for preparation, the Call for Proposals deadline for the OpenForum Academy Symposium 2025 has been extended to 23:59 CET on June 18, 2025. The full paper deadline for submitting to the journal will be on December 15, 2025. Travel support is available for accepted speakers to the Symposium, ensuring diverse global participation in these critical discussions and helping young and early career researchers access new opportunities for showcasing their work.
More Details on the Themed Issue
Guest edited by Professor Nicolo Zingales (Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Rio Law School), Professor Rahul Dé (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore), Katharina Meyer (Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund), and Nicholas Gates (OpenForum Europe), the issue will explore how open source software and open technologies – including open standards, digital commons, open data, open hardware, and open source AI – shape global affairs during times of geopolitical upheaval and rapid technological transformation.
Mirroring the tracks of the Symposium, the Cambridge Forum welcomes contributions across four critical themes:
- Economic Impact of Open Technologies explores macroeconomic effects, sustainable funding models, and public-private partnerships in open ecosystems.
- Open Technologies and Geopolitics examines digital sovereignty, international trade implications, and technology diplomacy in an increasingly fragmented world.
- Sustainability, Security, and International Resilience addresses the stewardship of open digital infrastructure, security challenges, and long-term sustainability concerns for national and international actors.
- Open Source and Artificial Intelligence in Global Affairs investigates the legal, ethical, and policy considerations of open AI, including governance of foundation models and international collaboration frameworks.
The themed issue of the Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs will be published approximately four to six months after the Symposium, allowing authors to incorporate feedback and insights gained from the Rio de Janeiro event into their final submissions.
Global Reach and Open Access
The Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs focuses specifically on technology’s impact on global political relations, making it an ideal venue for examining open technologies’ role in international affairs. All accepted submissions will be published open access, ensuring broad global reach for research findings.
The editors particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers and authors from underrepresented regions or disciplines, reflecting the global nature of both open technology challenges and the research community addressing them. Submissions should be accessible to a diverse audience of policymakers, practitioners, professionals, and academics, with all contributions undergoing rigorous double-blind peer review.
For submission guidelines and additional information about the themed issue, visit the Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs website. Questions about the OpenForum Academy Symposium can be directed to nicholas@openforumeurope.org, while journal-related inquiries should be sent to cfa@cambridge.org.