APE organiser wants foundation to continue event
Arnoud de Kemp, founder of the APE conference, has revealed his plans to create a foundation to continue the event way into the future.
De Kemp has been running the conference, which takes place in Berlin each January, for 15 years. In an interview with Research Information De Kemp, who turns 75 this year, revealed his ambitions.
He told editor Tim Gillett: 'It is still early days but I am investigating to create a permanent entity, such as a foundation, to continue the aims of the APE Conferences.
'The aim is that the net income from the conferences should be used for educational programs – for instance where young publishers and early career researchers can learn together how to respect each other, and together improve the world.'
In the interview he stated that APE has been instrumental in helping members of the academic publishing community to better share their ideas and ambitions.
He said: 'We learned to talk and to listen to each other. That was new. APE brought together high-level politicians and policy makers, funders, researchers, publishers, librarians, technology companies, consultants – and, last but not least, head hunters. APE is prime hunting territory).
'Everybody feels that we are at the beginning of a new era, witnessing the creation of an ecosystem – but we are also learning to depend on each other… even more so in the times of Plan S!'
