Ten years of learning, connecting and growing with DOAJ

During June 2026, DOAJ celebrates ten years of the Ambassador Programme.  In this very special post, Ambassador for Asia Vrushali Dandawate reflects on her DOAJ journey.

Some journeys do not start with a plan. They begin with a simple moment, a conversation, an opportunity, or even an unexpected email. For me, that moment came in 2016 and changed the direction of my professional life.

Today, as I look back, I realize that I am close to completing ten years with DOAJ. What started in 2016 was not just a new role or responsibility. It became a journey of learning, growth, and becoming part of a global Open Access community.

In 2016, one of my friends, Jakria Rahman, who now works at the library of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden sent me an email saying that the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) was looking for Ambassadors in different countries. He encouraged me to apply.

At that time, I knew about open access, but I had very limited experience. Before that, I had received a $500 grant from INASP to create awareness about open access in India. With that support, I organized a small workshop at AISSMS College of Engineering. It was an important experience, but working internationally still felt like a distant idea.

Still, I thought, if there is a chance to learn something new and challenge myself, why not try?

So I applied, attended the interview, and was selected as a DOAJ Ambassador for India. Along with myself, Leena Shah and Sridhar Gutam were also selected as India Ambassadors. Later on Leena moved to London and started working in the DOAJ Team, and Sridhar took another responsibility for promotion of open access through Open Access India. At that time, I did not realize that this would become the beginning of a much bigger journey.

For the first time, I had the opportunity to work with people from different countries. I learned about different cultures, different ways of working, and became part of a global movement around open access.

Our first training was planned in Crete, but I could not attend because I was in Halifax for a conference. I remember feeling disappointed. Later, I got another opportunity to attend training in Barcelona, and that became an important turning point in my DOAJ journey.

In Barcelona, I met the DOAJ team in person for the first time. I met DOAJ founder Lars Bjørnshauge and Ambassadors from many countries. That experience helped me understand something important: Open access is not just about policies or publishing. It is about people, collaboration, and making knowledge available to everyone.

Judith played an important role in my professional growth. As my mentor, she helped me understand how DOAJ works and also gave me confidence.

In the beginning, I had many doubts. Everything was new: An international team, new responsibilities, and new experiences. I made mistakes and sometimes felt confused. But Judith always said one thing:

“You’ll figure it out.”

Even today, I remember those words. I still remember Judith traveled four hours from Bath just to meet me when I went to London; it was a beautiful experience. 

Now Katrine is my mentor, and I continue learning from her. Her dedication, energy, and ability to balance work and personal life inspire me. 

Over these years, I learned that DOAJ is more than an organization. It is a community built on trust, support, and shared values.

While organizing DOAJ workshops in India, I had opportunities to meet researchers, editors, librarians, and university communities. In the beginning, many people had misunderstandings about open access. Some thought it meant lower quality publishing, while others were unsure about its purpose. There were difficult conversations and many challenges.

But those experiences taught me that real change takes time, patience, and continuous conversations.

Years later, when some of the same people came back and said, “You were right,” it felt very rewarding.

As a librarian, I once thought my work was mainly about managing information. But this journey changed my thinking.

We are not only managers of information; we connect people with knowledge.

My journey with DOAJ also gave me opportunities to work on global initiatives, including SPARC OpenCon, Open Access Asia activities with CORE in Bangladesh and Nepal, and contributing to the Open Access Asia meeting at UNESCO in 2024. Because of my work in the open access area I carried the same topic for my PhD, Open Access E-resources Development in Asia : A Study from Reva University Bangalore. My College Principal, Dr D S Bormane, and AISSMS College of Engineering Management also supported my DOAJ and open access outreach activities. 

Today, I have moved from being an India Ambassador to becoming Asia Community Manager. Joanna Ball, Managing Director at DOAJ, supported and trusted my work. Her support was invaluable to me.

For me, this is not just a change in title. It reflects the trust that the DOAJ community and team have placed in me.

Looking back now, I realize this journey was about much more than work. It has been about learning, building connections, and growing with the values of open access.

Open access is no longer just a concept for me, it has become an important part of who I am professionally. I am very happy today to be a member of this lovely DOAJ family, where there is no judgment and everyone understands each other.

And for the future, I have one hope: to continue sharing the message of knowledge, inclusion, and Open Access with more people with the help of DOAJ. 

Because in the end

The more open knowledge becomes, the more powerful it becomes.