Data sharing, openness, and international collaboration took centre stage at International Data Week 2025 (IDW 2025), where CESSDA ERIC Director Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch joined global leaders in the research data community for four days of discussions, networking, and inspiration.

Held in the vibrant city of Brisbane and hosted by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), IDW 2025 brought together researchers, data professionals, policymakers, and innovators from around the world under the theme “Data for Positive Change.” The event explored how data can be harnessed to empower communities, advance research, and drive meaningful societal impact.

IDW offers a diverse cast of speakers. Here we see (from left to right) Professor Marcia Lynne Langton from the University of Melbourne, Niklas Labb from the Board of Directors of the INTERACT non-profit, and Dr. Alfred (Ji-Ping) Lin, Research Fellow at Academia Sinica in Taiwan.  

“The IDW is always a great place to learn more about what happens in our community”, said Bonnie, who took the opportunity to meet up with directors, researchers, and colleagues from the other side of the world. 

Jointly organised by the International Science Council’s Committee on Data (CODATA), the World Data System (WDS), and the Research Data Alliance (RDA), IDW combined the RDA’s 25th Plenary Meeting with SciDataCon 2025,  creating a unique platform for advancing global dialogue on research data infrastructure, sharing, and reuse.

Through her participation, Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch represented CESSDA’s commitment to strengthening international collaboration and promoting open, trusted, and FAIR data across Europe and beyond.

The final day at the IDW featured performances from a diverse cast of entertainers - with one particular stealing both the show and the hearts of the attendees.