Rethinking Open Science through dependency theory - Leiden University
universiteitleiden.nl
Dependency theory was built to explain global economic exploitation — now Leiden researchers are using it to expose how "open science" quietly extracts knowledge from poorer nations while keeping power in the wealthy core.
Dependency TheoryWorld-Systems TheoryKnowledge CommonsNeo-colonialism
Theory Briefing
- Dependency theory maps how resources flow from a poor 'periphery' to a wealthy 'core' — Leiden researchers argue open science replicates this same structural imbalance.
- Low- and middle-income countries produce research data and local knowledge that disproportionately benefits institutions in wealthy nations, mirroring classic neo-colonial extraction patterns.
- Rethinking open science through this lens challenges the assumption that free data sharing is neutral — structural power, not just access, determines who truly benefits.