GeoForAll community sends our greetings to all colleagues meeting in Gaborone, Botswana for the second edition of International Data Week (IDW 2018) [1] from 5-8 November 2018 . Co-organized by the International Science Council World Data System (WDS), the International Science Council Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA), the Research Data Alliance (RDA), University of Botswana (UoB) and the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), IDW 2018 combines the 12th RDA Plenary Meeting, the bi-annual meeting of the research data community, and SciDataCon 2018, the scientific conference addressing the frontiers of data in research. The theme of this landmark event is ‘Digital Frontiers of Global Science’.
In a hyperconnected world where the internet is pervasive and web technologies are driving major changes in our lives, research has become more than ever before digital and international. Furthermore, the major societal and scientific challenges facing humanity in this digital age are profoundly global in character, requiring the participation of researchers from all countries and disciplines. The data revolution is also a major source of the scientific opportunities to address these issues but to realise these potentials the frontiers of science, data analysis and stewardship must be advanced. Likewise, the data revolution must be inclusive, benefitting all, and harnessing all energies: no parts of the world and no disciplines should be left behind.
It is excellent that the International Data Week 2018 is held in Africa. Requesting all colleagues to work for reducing the digital divide and enable opportunities for everyone to benefit from digital economy opportunities [2].