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Sebastiano SaliSS
Open to opportunities

Sebastiano Sali

@sebastianosali

I build public-private partnerships and programmes by turning stakeholder needs into actionable Open Access initiatives.

Zimbabwe
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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead partnership and programme development for Open Access and sustainability—working with universities, cities and funders to turn stakeholder needs into clear engagement plans, proposals, and reporting that drives measurable results.

I help organisations build partnerships and programmes where public institutions, research institutions, companies and city networks need to work together. I combine stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, reporting and project coordination across sustainability, Open Science, international campaigns and EU-funded initiatives—and I’m currently managing institutional engagement and supporter relationships at OAPEN Foundation across OAPEN, DOAB and the OA Books Toolkit.

In my work, I turn broad stakeholder needs into practical projects, partnerships and engagement plans—coordinating international partner networks, onboarding supporters, preparing proposals and reporting, and organising high-level events. Previously, I developed Open Access partnership models at Frontiers, supported UN SDG Action Campaign partnerships, advocacy and global events, and led international partnerships and EU-funded initiatives for the City of Mantova, including coordinating the 1st World Forum on Urban Forests and the Google Arts & Culture partnership for Mantova’s open digital museum.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

OAPEN Foundation logoOF
Current

Community Manager (OAPEN)

OAPEN Foundation

Jul 2024 - Present (2 years)

Manage institutional engagement and stakeholder relationships for OAPEN, DOAB and the OA Books Toolkit, coordinating supporters and Open Access partners across markets. Handle onboarding, partner communications, sponsorship opportunities, reporting materials, governance support, and workflow improvements.

OAPEN Foundation logoOF
Current

Community Manager - Institutional Engagement, Partnerships & Outreach

Jul 2024 - Present (2 years)

I manage institutional engagement and stakeholder relationships for OAPEN, DOAB and the OA Books Toolkit, working with libraries, university presses, consortia, sponsors and Open Access partners across several European markets and Australia.

My work includes onboarding new supporters, coordinating communication with existing partners, developing supporter and sponsorship opportunities, preparing

Frontiers logoFR

Institutional Partnerships Development Specialist

Sep 2022 - May 2024 (1 year 8 months)

I worked on institutional partnership development for Open Access publishing, supporting the development of new partnership models with universities, libraries, funders and research institutions.

My role combined stakeholder research, partner engagement, feedback collection, conference participation and internal coordination with Public Affairs, Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, Product and

Frontiers logoFR

Institutional Partnerships Specialist

Sep 2022 - May 2024 (1 year 8 months)

Supported institutional partnership development for Open Access publishing by developing partnership models and engaging universities, libraries, funders, and research institutions. Conducted stakeholder research and feedback collection and coordinated internally with Public Affairs, Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, Product and Marketing teams.

UN SDG Action Campaign logoUC

Partnerships Analyst

Jan 2020 - Dec 2021 (1 year 11 months)

I supported partnerships, advocacy campaigns and global events for the UN SDG Action Campaign, working with public institutions, corporate partners, city networks, international organisations and civil society actors.

The role involved partner mapping, proposals, partner engagement, campaign coordination, event support, donor reporting and strategic communication materials linked to the Sustainab

UC

Partnerships Analyst (UN SDG)

UN SDG Action Campaign

Jan 2020 - Dec 2021 (1 year 11 months)

Supported partnerships, advocacy campaigns, and global events for the UN SDG Action Campaign across public institutions, corporate partners, city networks, and civil society actors. Worked on partner mapping, proposals, engagement, campaign coordination, event support, donor reporting, and SDG-linked communications.

COMUNE DI MANTOVA logoCM

Global Partnerships Manager

Oct 2015 - Dec 2019 (4 years 2 months)

I worked on international partnerships, EU-funded projects, public-private initiatives, sustainability programmes and institutional relations for the City of Mantova.

My role involved developing partnerships, coordinating project consortia, representing the city in international meetings, preparing proposals and supporting the delivery of major initiatives involving public institutions, private p

Comitato #Palazzi2015 logoCP

Campaign Manager

Sep 2014 - Jun 2015 (9 months)

I managed the mayoral campaign for Mattia Palazzi in Mantova, coordinating public engagement, campaign operations, volunteer management, communication materials and stakeholder outreach.

The campaign involved direct citizen engagement, neighbourhood meetings, public events, policy working groups, local media monitoring and coordination with political, civic and community stakeholders.

Selected w

Freie Universität Berlin logoFB

Research Assistant

Jun 2014 - Sep 2014 (3 months)

I contributed to a comparative research project on the evolution of labour markets through the analysis of job advertisements in free press publications from 1960 to 2010.

My work focused on the UK case and included archival research, data coding, classification of job advertisements and qualitative analysis of representative samples. I coordinated with the Berlin-based research team to ensure co

King's College London logoKL

Teaching Assistant

Sep 2013 - Jun 2014 (9 months)

I taught and supported undergraduate and postgraduate students in Political Economy and War Studies, preparing seminars, marking essays and exams, holding office hours and coordinating with lecturers and other teaching assistants.

This experience strengthened my ability to explain complex political and international issues clearly, structure learning materials and communicate with diverse audienc

King's College London logoKL

Teaching Assistant (Political Economy)

King's College London

Sep 2013 - Jun 2014 (9 months)

Taught and supported undergraduate and postgraduate students in Political Economy and War Studies by preparing seminars and marking coursework and exams. Held office hours and coordinated with lecturers and other teaching assistants to support student learning.

Global Partners Digital logoGD

Internet Policy Researcher

Feb 2014 - May 2014 (3 months)

I conducted policy research on digital rights and internet governance, including work linked to UNESCO’s ROAM framework and access to information.

The role involved desk research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, documentation and support for policy-oriented outputs.

Kadir Has University logoKU

Visiting Research Fellow

Apr 2012 - Apr 2013 (1 year)

I was based at the Centre for International and European Studies while conducting doctoral fieldwork on identity and Turkish foreign policy.

I also contributed to the organisation of the 4th Neighbourhood Symposium, a four-day international conference with participants from across Europe.

King's College London logoKL

Teaching Assistant (War Studies)

King's College London

Sep 2011 - Jun 2012 (9 months)

Taught and supported undergraduate and postgraduate students in Political Economy and War Studies by preparing seminars and marking essays and exams. Held office hours and coordinated with lecturers and other teaching assistants.

Istituto Affari Internazionali logoII

IAI Intern

Istituto Affari Internazionali

Apr 2009 - Jul 2009 (3 months)

Supported research projects on Turkey’s EU accession process and regional cooperation, including EU4Seas-related work. Performed desk research, documentation, and support for policy analysis.

Comune di Mantova logoCM

Councillor

May 2005 - Feb 2009 (3 years 9 months)

I served as a municipal councillor in Mantova, working on local policy, public engagement and institutional relations.

Selected work included contributing to the public and institutional process supporting Mantova’s UNESCO World Heritage candidacy, representing the city in international civic exchanges and building relationships with local associations, public institutions and community stakehold

Comune di Mantova logoCM

Municipal Councillor

Comune di Mantova

May 2005 - Feb 2009 (3 years 9 months)

Served as a municipal councillor in Mantova, working on local policy, public engagement, and institutional relations. Contributed to the UNESCO World Heritage candidacy process and represented the city in international civic exchanges.

Gazzetta di Mantova logoGM

Freelance Reporter

Gazzetta di Mantova

Jan 2005 - Jun 2005 (5 months)

Worked as a freelance reporter covering local news and politics. Produced written reporting for local outlets.

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

King's College London logoKL

King's College London

PhD (Doctoral Research), International Relations and Affairs - War Studies

2010 - 2015

Doctoral research/PhD candidate in International Relations and Affairs (War Studies).

KL

King's College London

Doctoral Research / PhD Candidate, International Relations and Affairs-War Studies

2010 - 2015

KU

Kadir Has University

Visiting Research Fellow, Foreign policy and security

2012 - 2013

PU

Prifysgol Aberystwyth University

Master of Science (M.Sc.), Security Studies

2009 - 2010

OU

Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi / Middle East Technical University

Visiting Research Fellow, International relations

2008 - 2008

Sapienza Università di Roma logoSR

Sapienza Università di Roma

Master of Arts (M.A.), Political Science

2006 - 2008

Completed a Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science.

SR

Sapienza Università di Roma

Master of Arts (MA), Political Science

2006 - 2008

SU

Stockholm University

Semestre di scambio erasmus, International Relations and Affairs

2006 - 2006

Erasmus semester within my BA in International Relations. Amongst the others, I attended a course of Swedish language.

Middle East Technical University logoMU

Middle East Technical University

Visiting Research Fellow, International relations

2008 -

Visiting Research Fellow focused on international relations for a period in 2008.

Stockholm University logoSU

Stockholm University

Erasmus exchange semester, International Relations and Affairs

2006 -

Erasmus exchange semester within a BA in International Relations, including a Swedish language course.

AB

Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), International Relations and Affairs

2003 - 2006

Tech stack

Software and tools used professionally

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