In the spotlight
News
Primary tabs
The EUDAT Collaborative Data Infrastructure (EUDAT) expresses its gratitude and best wishes to Antti Pursula as he leaves his home organisation CSC as well as his post as Head of the EUDAT CDI Secretariat.
Antti's departure comes after more than 20 years of dedicated service to CSC, four of which have been also dedicated to EUDAT. In the months towards his departure, EUDAT has already started the process to nominate a new Head and has diligently prepared for this transition to ensure continuity and uninterrupted progress.
“The secretariat is the heart of EUDAT and the head of secretariat is what makes it tick. The cadence made by Antti brought projects, data expansion and an increasing number of satisfied scientists. The Board bids him farewell with utmost respect and best wishes on his new journey,” said EUDAT Executive Board Co-Chair Jos van Wezel.
The new EUDAT Head of the Secretariat is expected to be announced in autumn. Antti's departure is a natural progression in his career journey, and his decision is met with EUDAT and CSC’s full support and best wishes for his future endeavours.
EUDAT has implemented a comprehensive succession plan to seamlessly navigate this transition period. Day-to-day operations will continue to be “business as usual” with the secretariat continuing to be reachable through the usual channels. The existing team, composed of experienced professionals who have been working closely with Antti Pursula, will continue to uphold the organisation's mission, goals, and ongoing projects. The transition process has been carefully structured to ensure minimal disruption and a smooth handover of responsibilities.
Upon his appointment as Head of the Secretariat, he played a key role in the first years following EUDAT’s establishment as a sustainable organisation. During Antti’s term, he ensured the continuity of operations of the pan-European e-Infrastructure throughout the difficult COVID pandemic. Supported by his other secretariat coordinators, he ensured the revival of key flagship events such as the EUDAT Conference and the EUDAT Summer School and supported the further development of EUDAT services through the high level-service roadmap. He also oversaw the continued relevance of EUDAT’s services and contributions in EOSC through successful EUDAT-related projects such as DICE and FAIRCORE4EOSC.
EUDAT CDI Head of the Secretariat Antti Pursula said, "Working at EUDAT among the very knowledgeable and friendly colleagues has been a great experience. In my opinion EUDAT is in a very good position to continue supporting the international research data management community with its services and as part of the EOSC landscape. I want to thank the EUDAT colleagues for their dedicated work and wish EUDAT a successful and bright future."
EUDAT remains steadfast in its commitment to enabling seamless research data access, sharing, and preservation across disciplines and borders and addressing the challenges of data management and collaboration in the digital age, fostering innovation and scientific progress.