The University Press Charter unites university presses for the first time behind a commitment to shape a better future for scholarly publishing, at a time when trust, quality and public value-for-money are under threat.
Launched during University Press Week (9-13 November), the Charter has been founded by seven university presses, in a collaboration led by Cambridge University Press and Bristol University Press. It sets out the unique contribution that university presses make to scholarship, higher education, innovation and society.
Mandy Hill, Managing Director, Cambridge University Press, said: “Pressures on the academic publishing ecosystem are significant. Real risks are emerging as more papers are created more quickly, with some publishers not prioritizing rigorous peer review and, as a result, content is being trusted less widely. Something has to change.
“It’s not too late to reshape the future of academic publishing. Doing what we have always done will not be enough. It is critical that this change is driven by what academics need – and university presses can play a crucial role in this. It’s our responsibility to do so.”
Since its circulation, 108 publishers from 26 countries have signed up to the Charter1. Translations into French, Portuguese and Welsh are also being prepared by Les Éditions Universitaires de l’Afrique Centrale, Associação Brasileira das Editoras Universitárias and University of Wales Press.
The Charter commits signatories to putting quality and integrity above volume of content, increasing transparency about the value and costs of publishing, keeping human judgment at the center of AI, expanding equitable access to knowledge, and supporting fair recognition for scholarly contributions to publishing, such as peer review.
University presses – including institutional, library, and other university-based publishers – are distinguished by their commitment to scholarship and education, providing a foundation for innovation. Any financial surpluses are generally reinvested in publishing and the wider academic mission rather than distributed to private shareholders.
University presses also sustain specialist, multilingual and long-form scholarship whose intellectual, cultural and public value extends beyond commercial returns.
The Charter recognizes these contributions while looking firmly to the future. University presses and university-based scholarly publishers around the world, including institutional and library-based publishers, are invited to sign up.
Signatories commit to:
- Putting quality, integrity and trust at the heart of scholarly publishing
- Increasing transparency around publishing services, value and publishing choices
- Developing responsible approaches to artificial intelligence
- Expanding global participation in the creation and sharing of knowledge
- Supporting responsible research assessment
- Working collaboratively across the scholarly communities they serve.
Alongside Cambridge and Bristol, co-founders of the Charter are Edinburgh University Press, Liverpool University Press, Manchester University Press, Princeton University Press, and University of London Press.
The Charter is hosted and supported by the Association of University Presses.
Mandy Hill said: “Commercial publishers are also key stakeholders in this community. But while all academic publishers have much in common, what sets us apart will inform how we respond to the revolution we are all facing.
“As I was once told: ‘commercial publishers publish in order to make money; university presses make money in order to publish’.
“University presses are motivated by and measured against the very same mission as the universities we are part of, and this is a point of difference compared to other publishers.”
This charter is a platform to highlight the unique contribution of university presses so that we can help shape the future of trusted knowledge
The Charter emerged from discussions convened during summer 2026, bringing together colleagues from university presses across the UK and North America. These conversations identified shared challenges facing presses of different sizes and models, and a common ambition to make a stronger case for their contribution while committing to positive change across scholarly publishing.
Alison Shaw, Founder and former CEO of Bristol University Press, said: “University presses occupy a unique position within the scholarly ecosystem. Rooted in the mission and strategic goals of universities, we support knowledge as a public good, advancing understanding and supporting social progress.
“At a time of significant sectoral challenges, the Charter demonstrates not only the values that university presses share, but also a commitment to collective action. It brings presses together to share their distinctive role in the support, communication and engagement of trusted scholarship, while committing to find ways to best serve scholars and society as new technologies and economic pressures transform how knowledge is created, shared and used.”
To build on the Charter, Cambridge, Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Wales, and the London School of Economics are developing an initial UK programme of engagement, inviting other university presses to work together on conversations with funders, universities and policymakers about the future of scholarly publishing.
The work will focus initially on research publishing in the humanities and social sciences, with opportunities to share findings and approaches internationally.
Peter Berkery, Executive Director of the Association of University Presses, said: “We applaud our member presses in the UK who have created this charter and, importantly, intend it as a starting point for further engagement locally, nationally and globally. Its announcement rings true during University Press Week, as we celebrate the collective vigor of our global scholarly publishing community and the mission-driven, collaborative vitality of university presses’ work.”
The Charter and information on becoming a signatory are available here.
Notes to Editors:
1 Countries are: UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Egypt, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, France, Belgium, Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania, Malta, Armenia, Austria, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
About Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the academic and Bibles publisher of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It publishes books and journals, serving customers in higher education through research, education products and services. It is part of the University of Cambridge, delivering trusted research and learning materials that spread knowledge, spark curiosity and aid understanding of the world we live in.
cambridge.org/universitypress
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is the publishing and assessment department of the University of Cambridge. The corporate title of the University is The Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Cambridge. Our principal office is at Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge, CB2 8EA, United Kingdom, with registered VAT number GB 823 8476 09. We are a not-for-profit organization and an exempt charity under the Charities Act 2011.
Contact Dr Matt Midgley, +44 (0)1223 342979 | matthew.midgley@cambridge.org
Member News Release submitted by Cambridge University Press.
