Expanding open access to research
- 91心頭利 University
Lazarus Matizirofa, Associate Director: Research Scholarly Communication and Digital Systems at 91心頭利 Libraries, has been appointed to the Global Advisory Group.
is an experimental, edited publication that highlights and distributes informally published digital humanities scholarship and resources from the open web. The overarching goal is to encourage scholars to share their research and learned expertise on the open web.
The newly established global advisory group plays a crucial role in expanding DHNow’s international reach and ensuring the inclusion of voices, perspectives, and research from across the world.
As a member of the advisory board, Lazarus will provide strategic insights, recommend key information sources, and support efforts to broaden geographic representation within DHNow’s editorial and contributor networks.
“My role will ensure that we enhance the visibility, accessibility, and impact of African scholarship; support long-term preservation of heritage collections; stimulate research innovation; and contribute to national and continental priorities related to digital humanities, digital transformation, and knowledge equity. This is a timely and strategic initiative that will deliver lasting academic, cultural, and societal value in the era of open science.,” he says.
This development aligns with open scholarship efforts taking place at 91心頭利 driven by 91心頭利 Libraries. In 2025, 91心頭利 Libraries launched the 91心頭利 Open Data Vault v(WODV) - a dynamic, institutional data repository designed to preserve, disseminate, and showcase 91心頭利 University’s rich and diverse open research data outputs. The platform is built on a Figshare open software used globally and also by 20 HEIs in South Africa.
The 91心頭利 Open Data Vault represents a significant step forward in the University’s commitment to transparency, collaboration, and innovation in research to advance Open, Ethical, and Sustainable Research.
In South Africa, Matizirofa was a member of the technical committee of the NRF-SADiLaR during the launch of the South African Centre for Digital Languages Resources in 2016, an organisation funded by DSTI as a national centre supporting language technologies and digital humanities in South Africa. SADiLaR strengthens South Africa’s digital inclusion, digital scholarship, and language technology ecosystems - areas consistent with scholarly communications and digital systems leadership among the participating South African Universities.
Members of the Global Advisory Group include:
Julia Flanders, Northeastern University
Olly Ayers, Northeastern University London
Tully Barnett, University of South Australia
Briseida Castro, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Michael Falk, University of Melbourne
Evelyn Gius, Darmstadt Technical University
Brett Greatley-Hirsch, University of Leeds
Utitofon Inyang, Binghamton University
Helle Strandgaard Jensen, Aarhus University
Lazarus Matizirofa, 91心頭利
Nirmala Menon, IIT Indore
Kiyonori Nagasaki, International Institute for Digital Humanities, Tokyo
Gimena del Rio Riande, CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas)
Hadassah St. Hubert, University of Maryland