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How do university presses around the world #TeamUP in the work they do every day? 

4th November, 2025 in Latest news

Promotional graphic for University Press Week 2025 with the hashtag #TeamUP in bold white text on a teal-to-green gradient background. Below, white text reads ‘University Press Week, November 10–14, 2025.’ Small open book icons are scattered throughout the design.

portrait Veerle De Laet

Veerle De Laet, managing director

At a time when freedom of speech is increasingly under pressure and book bans are making headlines, the role of university presses has never been more vital.

The annual University Press Week for 2025 will take place from 10 to 14 November. This is the moment to direct a spotlight on the prodigious work done by University Presses. This year’s theme, #TeamUP, highlights the many ways University Presses give voice to scholarship and bolster the unfettered exchange of ideas around the world. Veerle De Laet,  Leuven UP’s managing director, explains why it is important for Leuven University Press to Team Up.

Teaming Up for Scholarship: Why University Presses Matter More Than Ever

At a time when freedom of speech is increasingly under pressure and book bans are making headlines, the role of university presses has never been more vital. As a not-for-profit scholarly publisher, we don’t just publish books—we team up with the academic community to protect, promote, and advance knowledge.

We Team Up with the Scholarly Reader

Readers deserve content they can trust. That’s why quality control is at the heart of everything we do. Our rigorous peer review process ensures that every book we publish meets the highest scholarly standards. University presses are gatekeepers—not to exclude, but to safeguard the integrity of academic discourse.

We Team Up with Authors

Authors entrust us with their intellectual work, and we take that responsibility seriously. In an age of digital scraping and copyright infringement, we stand firm in protecting our authors’ rights. Their ideas deserve to be respected, not exploited. We’re here to defend the boundaries of ethical publishing.

We Team Up with Emerging Voices

We believe in the power of new perspectives. That’s why we actively support first-time authors, early-career researchers, and underrepresented voices in academia. Our mission is to amplify the unheard, to give space to the bold and the innovative, and to help shape the future of scholarship.

We Team Up with the Global Reader

Access to academic content shouldn’t depend on geography or privilege. Through Open Access publishing and flexible dissemination models, we make our books available to readers around the world—especially those who face barriers to accessing scholarly resources. Knowledge should be borderless.

We Team Up with Scholars and Readers Against AI Pollution

Generative AI is transforming many fields—but it must not compromise the scholarly ecosystem. We stand with both readers and scholars in demanding transparency, authenticity, and ethical use of AI. Our books are trusted sources, and we’re committed to keeping it that way.

In short, we’re not just a press—we’re a partner. We team up with scholars, readers, and communities to publish books that matter. Books that challenge, inspire, and inform. Books that push boundaries and open minds.

Because when scholarship thrives, society thrives.

Read more about the UP Week Blog Tour >

Interested in publishing with Leuven University Press? Contact publish@lup.be