Nov 25, 2025 |
11 Mins Read
Kamran Kardan, Co-Founder of Zendy, to Speak at QS Eurasia Forum 2025 in Tashkent
We are proud to announce that our Co-Founder, Kamran Kardan, will be a featured speaker at the QS Eurasia Forum 2025, taking place on 25–26 November at Central Asian University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This inaugural summit brings together university leaders, policymakers, and education experts from across the Eurasia region to explore collaboration, innovation, and the future of higher education. The forum’s theme, “Broadening Horizons: Building Global Bridges in Higher Education,” focuses on strengthening international partnerships, advancing research excellence, enhancing academic mobility, and shaping future-ready learning ecosystems. Kamran will join a distinguished panel in a session titled: “Building a Globally Recognised University from the Region: Strategies and Success Stories” During the session, Kamran will share insights and strategies on how universities in the region can achieve global recognition, highlighting practical approaches, real-world success stories, and lessons from Zendy’s journey supporting academic research and collaboration. Date & Time: Tuesday, 25 November at 13:30 UZT The QS Eurasia Forum 2025 promises a comprehensive program including keynote speeches, interactive panel discussions, masterclasses, workshops, and extensive networking opportunities. It serves as a pivotal platform for uniting East and West, showcasing best practices, and fostering strategic relationships that will shape the future of higher education in the region. Participation is open via the official QS Eurasia Forum website. We look forward to contributing to this landmark forum, sharing knowledge, and engaging with leaders committed to advancing higher education across Eurasia. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 75% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Kamran Kardan, Co-Founder of Zendy, to Speak at Faculty 360° 2025 Summit
Zendy is pleased to announce that its Co-Founder, Kamran Kardan, will speak at the Faculty 360° 2025 Summit: Beyond the AI Hype – Faculty Futures in a Changing World, an online conference bringing together higher-education leaders, faculty members, and researchers from across the region. Kamran will be sharing how AI tools can empower the strategic direction of research, in his session: The Evolution of Higher Education: AI as the Enterprise Assistant for the Future. Additionalliy he will share how transparent practices, open access, and AI research tools can help university leaders, and faculty navigate the evolving academic landscape. The session is scheduled for 2:45 PM GST. The summit is hosted by Zayed University, in collaboration with New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Khalifa University, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). It focuses on faculty development, AI literacy, research culture, and the evolving role of educators, providing a platform for meaningful discussions on the challenges and opportunities shaping higher education today. Kamran’s participation reflects Zendy’s commitment to supporting libraries, senior leadership, researchers' offices and educators with AI tools and resources that make research more accessible and effective. Event Details: • Date: Friday, 21 November 2025 • Format: Online • Kamran’s Session: 2:45 PM GST For more information about the summit, visit Faculty 360° Summit website .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Digital Information Literacy Guidelines for Academic Libraries
Information literacy is the skill of finding, evaluating, and using information effectively. Data literacy is the skill of understanding numbers and datasets, reading charts, checking how data was collected, and spotting mistakes. Critical thinking is the skill of analysing information, questioning assumptions, and making sound judgments. With so many digital tools today, students and researchers need all three skills, not just to find information, but also to make sense of it and communicate it clearly. Why Academic Libraries Should Offer Literacy Programs Let’s face it: research can be overwhelming. Over 5 million research papers are published every year. This information overload means researchers spend 25-30%1 of their time finding and reviewing academic literature, according to the International Study: Perceptions and Behavior of Researchers. Predatory journals, low-quality datasets, and confusing search results can make learning stressful. Libraries are more than book storage, they’re a place to build practical skills. Programs that teach information and data literacy help students think critically, save time, and feel more confident with research. Key Skills Students, Researchers, and Librarians Need Finding and Using Scholarly Content Knowing how to search a database efficiently is a big deal. Students should learn how to use filters, Boolean logic, subject headings and, of course, intelligent search. They should also know the difference between journal articles, conference papers, and open-access resources. Evaluating Sources and Data Not all information is equal. Programs should teach students how to check if sources are reliable, understand peer review, and spot bias in datasets. A few practical techniques, like cross-checking sources or looking for data provenance, can make research much stronger. Managing Information Ethically Citing sources properly, avoiding plagiarism, and respecting copyright are essentials. Tools like Zotero or Mendeley help keep references organised, so students spend less time managing files and more time on research. Sharing Findings Clearly Communicating is sharing, and sharing is caring. It’s one thing to collect information; it’s another to communicate it. Using infographics, slides, or storytelling techniques to make research more memorable. Ultimately, clear communication ensures that the work they’ve done can be understood, used, and appreciated by others. Frameworks That Guide Literacy Programs ACRL Framework: Provides six key concepts for teaching information literacy. EU DigComp / DigCompEdu: Covers digital skills for students and educators. Data Literacy Project: Helps students understand how to work with datasets, complementing traditional research skills. These frameworks help librarians structure programs so students get consistent, practical guidance. Steps to Build a Digital Literacy Program Audit Campus Needs: Talk to students and faculty, see what resources exist, and find gaps. Set Learning Goals: Decide what students should be able to do at the end, and make goals measurable. Select Content and Tools: Choose databases, software, and datasets that fit the library’s budget and tech setup. Create Short, Modular Lessons: Break skills into manageable pieces that build on each other. Launch and Improve: Introduce the program, gather feedback, and adjust lessons based on what works and what doesn’t. Teaching Strategies and Online Tools Flipped and Embedded Instruction Students watch a short video about search techniques at home, then practice in class. A librarian might join a research methods class, helping students build search strings live. Pre-class quizzes on topics like peer review versus predatory journals prepare students for hands-on exercises. Short Videos and Tutorials Quick videos (2–5 minutes) can teach one skill at a time, like citation management, evaluating sources, or basic data visualisation. Include captions, transcripts, and small practice exercises to reinforce learning. AI Summaries and Chatbots AI tools can summarise articles, suggest keywords, highlight main points, and even draft bibliographies. But they aren’t perfect, they can make mistakes, miss nuances, or misread complex tables. Human oversight is still important. Free Resources and Open Datasets Students can practice with free databases and datasets like DOAJ, arXiv, Kaggle, or Zenodo. Using one of the open-access resources keeps programs affordable while providing real-world examples. Checking if Students Are Learning Before and After Assessments: Simple quizzes or tasks to see how skills improve. Performance Rubrics: Compare beginner, developing, and advanced levels in searching, evaluating, and presenting data. Analytics: Track which videos or tools students use most to improve future lessons. Working With Faculty Embedded Workshops: Librarians teach skills directly tied to assignments. Joint Assignments: Faculty design research projects that naturally teach literacy skills. Faculty Training: Show instructors how to integrate digital literacy into their courses. Tackling Challenges Staff Training: Librarians may need extra help with data tools. Peer mentoring and workshops work well. Limited Budgets: Open access tools, collaborative licensing, and free platforms help make programs feasible. Distance Learners: Make videos and tutorials accessible anytime, account for different time zones and internet access. Looking Ahead AI, open science, and global collaboration are changing research. AI can personalise learning, but it still needs oversight. Open science and FAIR data principles (set of guidelines for making research dataFindable,Accessible,Interoperable, andReusable to both humans and machines) encourage transparency and reproducibility. Libraries can also connect with international partners to share resources and best practices. FAQs How long does a program take to launch?Basic services can start in six months; full programs usually take 1–2 years. Do humanities students need data skills?Yes, focus is more on qualitative analysis and digital humanities tools. Where can libraries find free datasets?Government repositories, Kaggle, Zenodo, and university archives. Can small libraries succeed without data specialists?Yes, faculty collaboration and online resources can cover most needs. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 75% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Zendy and Oxford University Press Sign Agreement to Broaden Access to Academic Research
Oxford, UK – Sep, 2025 – Zendy, an AI-powered research library, and Oxford University Press (OUP), a department of the University of Oxford and one of the world’s largest university presses, have signed a licensing agreement to increase the accessibility and visibility of OUP’s academic publications. This collaboration will bring a selection of OUP’s highly regarded research and scholarly journals to agreed territories within Zendy’s user base, supporting students, researchers, and professionals across diverse fields. With over 700,000 users in 191 countries and territories, Zendy continues to grow as a trusted destination for research and discovery. By integrating a subset of OUP journals into its platform, Zendy is advancing its mission to ensure that high-quality scholarly resources are available to the people who need access the most. Oxford University Press has been publishing academic and educational resources for more than 500 years, making it one of the most established and respected publishers worldwide. Its catalogue includes thousands of journals, books, and digital resources spanning disciplines such as humanities, social sciences, medicine, law, science, and technology. These resources are central to advancing knowledge, shaping academic dialogue, and supporting evidence-based research. OUP’s owned-journals will now be available on Zendy, complementing the platform’s growing collection of journals, articles, and reports. This agreement will support researchers, educators, and policymakers by improving the discoverability of essential academic content, furthering the shared goal of building inclusive knowledge societies. For more information, please contact: Lisette van Kessel Head of Marketing Email: l.vankessel@knowledgee.com .wp-block-image img { max-width: 75% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Zendy to Showcase AI-Powered Library Innovations at the Charleston Conference 2025
We’re thrilled to announce that Zendy will be taking the stage at this year’s Charleston Conference, one of the most anticipated gatherings for librarians, publishers, and information professionals worldwide. Join us on November 4 at 11:30 AM in Salon 2, Gaillard Centre, for our live demo session titled: “Transforming Your Library Services with Zendy AI Tools.” In this interactive session, Mike Perrine (VP of Sales and Marketing, WT Cox) and Kamran Kardan (Co-Founder, Zendy) will demonstrate how Zendy’s innovative AI-driven tools are revolutionising the way libraries manage content, empower discovery, and enhance user engagement. Zendy helps solve one of the biggest challenges libraries face today, providing users with faster, smarter access to research insights. Our platform enables instant article summarisation, concept extraction, and trusted AI-powered answers through our intelligent assistant, ZAIA. With Zendy, libraries can streamline their services and give researchers a more intuitive, efficient way to interact with scholarly information. We’re also proud to share that Zendy has been selected for the prestigious Charleston Premiers, a showcase recognising the most innovative and forward-thinking products reshaping scholarly communication. Representing Zendy at the Premiers will be Kamran Kardan (Co-Founder) and Lisette van Kessel (Head of Marketing), who will present how Zendy’s mission to make knowledge accessible and affordable continues to evolve through technology and partnership. The Charleston Conference has long been a hub for meaningful dialogue and collaboration in the world of academic information services, and we’re excited to be part of shaping its future. Event Details: Session: Transforming Your Library Services with Zendy AI Tools Date: November 4, 2025 Time: 11:30 AM Location: Salon 2, Gaillard Centre We look forward to connecting with fellow innovators, librarians, and partners, and showcasing how Zendy AI is redefining what’s possible for libraries and researchers alike. Don’t miss it, see how Zendy is shaping the future of knowledge discovery. To register and learn more about the Charleston Conference, please visit: https://www.charleston-hub.com/the-charleston-conference/about-the-conference/ .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
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