JOHOR BAHRU, 6 August 2025 – In a significant step toward promoting Open Access (OA) publishing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) recently hosted a highly engaging hybrid webinar titled “Springer TA Explained: How to Publish Without Paying a Cent”. The event, held on 6 August 2025 at 10:30 AM, drew participation from over 275 attendees—demonstrating strong interest and commitment to OA among UTM’s academic community.
The webinar was a collaborative effort between UTM Library and UTM Research Alliance, aimed at increasing awareness of the Transformative Agreement (TA) between Konsortium Sumber Elektronik Pendidikan Tinggi (KONSEPt) and Springer Nature (SN) publisher. Through this agreement, authors affiliated with UTM and other participating institutions can publish in eligible Springer Hybrid journals without paying Article Processing Charges (APCs)—removing a key financial burden to OA publishing.
UTM is among more than 20 member universities under KONSEPt benefiting from this Read and Publish model. In addition to waived APCs, researchers gain comprehensive access to Springer’s portfolio of subscription content, including Springer, Adis, Palgrave, and Academic Journals.
The webinar featured two distinguished speakers from Springer Nature: Mr. Kent Yeap, Licensing Manager, Institutional Sales, and Ms. Xian Toh, Account Development Manager for Southeast Asia.
Both speakers shared valuable insights into the mechanics and benefits of the TA, providing clarity on how researchers can maximize this opportunity to enhance the visibility and impact of their scholarly work. Publishing OA in high-impact hybrid journals not only broadens research reach but also supports global knowledge dissemination.
The event was conducted in a hybrid format. The physical session at UTM was attended by 25 participants, including Deputy Deans of Research & Innovation, SN editors, research managers, and academic staff from various faculties. Simultaneously, 252 participants, comprising academics and postgraduate students, joined the session virtually via the online platform, Webex.
This initiative is part of UTM’s ongoing commitment to supporting OA, fostering research excellence, and expanding the global impact of UTM’s scholarly output. The strong turnout and positive engagement underscore the growing awareness of and enthusiasm for Open Access publishing across the academic community.