We are thrilled to share the exciting news that the SSH Open Cluster has elected a new Chair and Vice-Chair to guide its endeavours in 2024!

Taking the helm as the new Chair is Dr Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch, the Director of CESSDA ERIC. Joining her is the newly appointed Vice-Chair, Dr Darja Fišer, the Director of CLARIN ERIC.

Expressing her enthusiasm for the role, Dr Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch stated, "It is an honour to assume the position of Chair for the SSH Open Cluster. I am eager to collaborate with Dr Darja Fiser and the entire Governing Board to further strengthen our communities and foster collaboration among research infrastructures in the Social Sciences and Humanities."

Dr Darja Fišer, the incoming Vice-Chair, added, "I am excited to contribute to the leadership of the SSH Open Cluster and work alongside Bonnie and the Governing Board to advance our shared goals in knowledge sharing and community building."

As the newly elected leaders, Dr Bonnie Wolff-Boenisch and Dr Darja Fišer mark the continuation of the SSH Open Cluster's collaborative efforts following the formal conclusion of the SSHOC project. They will serve in their respective roles for the next year on a voluntary basis, representing the Cluster to external entities on behalf of the Governing Board. They will play a pivotal role in coordinating communication between SSHOC and external bodies such as the EC, ESFRI, ERIC Forum, or EOSC Association.  

Since the conclusion of the SSHOC project, the Governing Board, composed of the 5 ESFRI Landmarks CESSDA, CLARIN, DARIAH, ESS, and SHARE, has been actively shaping the post-project collaboration with their colleagues from ESFRI projects and the SSHOC General Assembly comprising now 19 members from research organisations, data archives and funding agencies, with all the research infrastructures´ national nodes. The ongoing effort of SSHOC  will continue to bring fruition in the context of the 5 EU Science Clusters projects OSCARS. The project will build on the achievements of FAIR data management and connect research communities from all scientific domains to the European Social Science Cloud (EOSC).