The Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs focuses on the dynamic relationship between technological change and the evolving geopolitical landscape.

The journal invites submissions for the upcoming themed issue The Impact of Open Technologies in Uncertain Times, which will be guest edited by Prof. Nicolo Zingales, Prof. Rahul Dé, Katharina Meyer, and Nicholas Gates. It is being developed in collaboration with the OpenForum Academy (OFA) Symposium 2025 (more information below)." 

The deadline for journal submissions is 15 January 2026 at 23:59 BST.

As this themed issue is connected to a Symposium, please be aware that the deadline for submitting abstracts for conference participation is earlier than the journal submission deadline (see below).

Description 

In an era marked by geopolitical upheaval, economic volatility, and rapid technological transformation, open technologies—including open source software, open standards, open data, and open AI—play a vital role in shaping a more resilient, transparent, and equitable global digital landscape. As governments, institutions, and communities navigate rising uncertainty and fragmentation, it is increasingly urgent to understand how openness intersects with innovation, regulation, sovereignty, and international cooperation.

This themed issue, The Impact of Open Technologies in Uncertain Times, invites original contributions that critically examine the impact, opportunities, and risks of open technologies through multidisciplinary and policy-relevant perspectives. The issue aims to inform public debate, support evidence-based governance, and foster international dialogue on the evolving role of openness in global affairs.

The issue is produced in collaboration with the OpenForum Academy (OFA) Symposium 2025, a global, cross-sector research event taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 18–19 November 2025. The OpenForum Academy Symposium brings together academics and practitioners to explore how Open Source and other Open Technologies shape the modern world through policy-relevant research. While the journal issue is open to all, authors are strongly encouraged to also submit an abstract by 15 June 2025 for presentation at the Symposium. This offers the opportunity to receive early feedback and refine contributions for potential inclusion. Papers presented at the Symposium may be further developed for publication, but submissions from outside the event are equally welcome.

We particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers and from authors in underrepresented regions or disciplines. All contributions will be evaluated for originality, clarity, and relevance to the issue’s theme.

Key Themes

We welcome contributions on topics including but not limited to:

1. The Economic Impact of Open

•  Macroeconomic and microeconomic effects of open source adoption
•  Sustainable funding and support for open ecosystems
•  Open innovation and productivity
•  Public-private partnerships

2. Open Technologies and Geopolitics – Open source and digital sovereignty – Trade, sanctions, and global supply chains

•  Governance of open standards and international regulation
•  Technology diplomacy

3. Sustainability, Security, and International Resilience– Stewardship and maintenance of open digital infrastructure in a globally interconnected environment

•  Security challenges in open ecosystems and implications for risk management
•  Long-term sustainability of open technologies as a policy concern for national and international actors
•  Open infrastructure and its role in supporting digital resilience and strategic autonomy

4. Open Source and Artificial Intelligence in Global Affairs– Legal, ethical, and policy considerations of “open source AI” in different regulatory contexts

•  Governance of foundation models and evolving international definitions of “openness” in AI
•  Global collaboration and competition in open AI development
•  Ethical and geopolitical dimensions of data sourcing, annotation, and use

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be written in accessible English for a global audience of policymakers, practitioners, professionals, and academics. All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review and, if accepted, will be published open access.

Submit through the journal’s online peer review system. Please consult the Author Instructions before submitting.

All authors must declare any funding and/or competing interests. For details, see the journal’s Publishing Ethics guidelines.

Contacts

• Prof. Nicolo Zingales – Professor of Information Law and Regulation, Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – nicolo.zingales@fgv.br
• Prof. Rahul Dé – Professor of Information Systems (Retired), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), India – rahul@iimb.ac.in
• Katharina Meyer – Independent Researcher, Director, Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund (D//F), Berlin, Germany – katharina@infrastructureinsights.fund
• Questions regarding the OFA Symposium can be sent to Nicholas Gates at nicholas@openforumeurope.org
• Questions regarding peer review can be sent to the journal inbox at cfa@cambridge.org.