Sander Dekker and Open Access to Public Funded Research

Sander Dekker is an academician, politician, administrator, legislator and a great visionary whose contributions for implementing Open Access (OA) in European countries and the world. Scientists and academicians were thinking about OA to published research from last decade of twentieth century. But there were no attempt by governments to frame legislations or rules. The published research was mainly controlled like goods and commodities by multinational publishing companies reaping huge profit who could influence politics and governments. Open Access being a policy going against the interest of powerful business groups, political parties or governments hesitated to interfere. Lack of awareness related to long-term benefits of OA also contributed to this inertia. Unless as part of government in his country Sander Dekker interfered, initiated, and implemented plans and programmes related to OA and Open Science and as an young influential member representing his county in European Union popularized the concept among member states, it would have taken decades for governments to think seriously about OA to public funded research. Here the authors provide a birds eye view of the contributions of Sander Dekker who is to be considered the Apostle of OA.