Connecting with scholarly society partners at the Oxford Journals Executive Summit

In April 2026, we hosted the Oxford Journals Executive Summit at the Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford.

The event brought together senior leaders from scholarly partner societies and OUP journals colleagues for open, strategic discussion about the future of journal publishing. The Executive Summit provided a dedicated forum to explore shared challenges and opportunities in scholarly publishing, strengthen partnerships, and support long-term, sustainable decision-making in an increasingly complex research environment.

Previously run as Oxford Journals Day from regional locations, the Executive Summit has evolved into a re-imagined global event that aligns our journals strategy with informed insight into the real challenges facing our society partners. By bringing our community together in one location, the Summit reinforces our leadership role within the scholarly publishing sector.

This year’s event provided a platform for us to share our strategic direction and convene more than 125 society leaders around their shared responsibility to steward exceptional scholarly content. Through open dialogue and transparency, we aim to help shape the future of mission-driven publishing.

Creating space for strategic conversation

A central aim of the Executive Summit is to move beyond operational updates and provide space for candid, forward-looking discussion. Sessions focused on the challenges societies face as they seek to balance mission, quality, and sustainability in the context of shifting research behaviours, financial pressures, and technological changes—many as a result of rapidly-changing AI.

Participants attended a variety of session formats and explored questions around data-driven journal growth potential, portfolio stewardship, and how editorial, production, and publishing models may need to evolve. The Summit encouraged peer-to-peer exchange across disciplines, allowing society leaders to learn from one another’s experiences while engaging directly with OUP colleagues on shared priorities.

As one society delegate noted:

“I learned something new from each session and valued the opportunity to hear how OUP is approaching the most important issues facing the field of scholarly publishing today.”

Partnering through change: technology, integrity, and trust

Another key theme of the event was navigating change together, particularly in areas where publishers and societies must work in close partnership. Sessions addressed the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on editorial processes and researcher expectations, alongside ongoing commitments to research integrity, trust, and transparency.

Discussions emphasized that no single organization can address these challenges in isolation. Instead, long-term success depends on strong relationships, shared understanding, and an honest assessment of trade-offs.

Feedback from the Executive Summit continues to shape how we engage with society partners, informs follow-up conversations, and influences the design of future events. By reinforcing shared goals and encouraging thoughtful, strategic dialogue, the Executive Summit plays an important role in supporting the sustainability and evolution of society journals within our broader mission.

Find out more about our journals publishing here.