IIITH-OKI/Events/2025/Wikipedia 25th Birthday: Celebrating Wikimedia in Hyderabad

Wikipedia turns 25 in 2026, marking a significant milestone in the global journey of free and open knowledge. To commemorate this occasion, the Open Knowledge Team is organising a one-day community gathering in Hyderabad, bringing together Wikimedians, academics, writers, technologists, and members of open-source communities.

The event aims to create a shared space for celebration, reflection, and dialogue around Wikipedia’s impact over the past 25 years and its evolving role in knowledge production, technology, and community-led governance.

Context

Over the past two and a half decades, Wikipedia has evolved into one of the world’s largest collaborative knowledge projects, driven primarily by volunteers and local communities collaborating with partner institutions. In India, particularly in multilingual and technology-rich contexts, its evolution has been closely linked to broader questions of access, language inclusion, digital participation, and openness.

Hyderabad has consistently been part of this story. With its strong academic base, vibrant technology ecosystem, and active community of Wikimedians, the city has long contributed to and shaped cross-community conversations around these issues.

What we will do

Celebrate, Connect, Inspire

Celebrate 25 years of Wikipedia in Hyderabad to mark Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary by reflecting on the growth of the Wikimedia movement in Hyderabad, including local events, community-led initiatives, and impact-oriented programs over the years.
Recognise local contributions to the global Wikimedia movement to acknowledge the role of Wikimedians from Hyderabad in strengthening Wikimedia projects at regional, national, and global levels through content creation, community organising, capacity building, and partnerships.
Situate local Wikimedia work within the global movement to connect Hyderabad-based Wikimedia activities with the broader global Wikimedia movement, highlighting how local knowledge, languages, and participation contribute to open knowledge worldwide.

When & Where

Date: 18 January 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM (IST)
Venue: KRB Hall, IIIT, Hyderabad
Format: In-person, one-day community celebration and discussion

Participants

Please register if you are based in Hyderabad and can attend this event: ~~https://wikipedia25.oki-india.org/~~ Registration closed (Kindly note that this is a physical (in-person) event.)

Wikimedians from Hyderabad and nearby regions
Members of academic institutions such as IIIT Hyderabad
Writers, translators, and literary practitioners
Representatives from technology and open-source communities (e.g., FOSS communities)
Open knowledge practitioners and allies

Program

4.00 - 4.45: Wikipedia Game
4.45 - 5.00: Introduction to the event & UCoC
5.00 - 5.15: Introductory Speech by Prof. Vasudeva Varma
5.15 - 5.30: Celebratory messages
5.30 - 5.50: Wikimedia in Hyderabad: A Journey of Open Knowledge (Video)
5.50 - 6:30: Speeches by Wikimedians of Hyderabad
6:30 - 7:20: Releases by Open Knowledge Initiatives
7:20 - 7:40: Celebrating Public Domain Day (Belated :-))
7:40 - 8:00: Wikipedia 25th Birthday Celebrations

Organisers

Open Knowledge Initiatives, IIIT-Hyderabad