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Dr. Alperin’s advice for MPub students

October 18, 2022
Dr. Alperin smiling as he walks across the busy hallways of SFU

Juan Pablo Alperin is an Associate Professor in SFU's Publishing Program. He is also the co-scientific director of the Public Knowledge Project, a multi-university research initiative, and the co-director of the Scholarly Communications Lab, an interdisciplinary group of Canadian researchers. We recently asked him to share a few insights with us. Here's our brief conversation including Dr. Alperin's advice for future MPub students:

What is your current role at SFU Publishing?

I am a member of the research faculty at SFU Publishing. I also teach two courses in the Publishing Program; PUB 411, which covers the different ways in which research enters society, and PUB 802, a seminar course on technologies.

What can you tell us about PUB 802?

PUB 802 is essentially a toolkit for thinking about how technology shapes everything in the publishing world. You think through issues and changes that are ongoing as well as their intersections with technology. You don't need any previous technological skills in order to succeed. Basically, the only requisite knowledge for taking the course is knowing how to use the internet.

What advice do you have for current and future MPub students? 

My advice for MPub students is to think of the program as a place to develop their thinking, specifically in regards to publishing technology. The program enables students to face the ever-evolving environment and landscape within publishing. I hope that students are able to learn distinct ways to approach this change through the courses that we offer.

Dr. Alperin's advice for MPub students is not the only thing he had to share. As an active voice on issues concerning accessible research and public knowledge, he recently wrote an Op-Ed for Nature, a leading multi-disciplinary science journal based in London, England. Accordingly, his editorial discusses the impact of article-processing charges (APCs) in the publishing ecosystem in Latin America and the global south, at large.

Learn more about Dr. Alperin here.