The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been one of the benchmarks for academic research. This study addresses global SDG-related challenges through top research in physical sciences (PS) at the University of Split (UNIST). UNIST was selected as a case study of a small and relatively new EU university, with moderate funding and research capacity. A bibliometric approach was applied, and articles related to SDGs were presented (with 1 to 50 authors) in the top 5% Q1 journals within the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for Physical Sciences. Sixty-three of the eighty-three articles are related to SDGs (subcategories: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry, Geoscience, Multidisciplinary, Mathematics, Meteorology & Atmospheric Science, Multidisciplinary Sciences, Oceanography, Physics, Thermodynamics, and Water Resources). The study presents the following: (a) UNIST articles in the top 5% Q1 journals and corresponding SDGs up to 2022; (b) their citations; (c) their contribution to SDG achievement; (d) drivers of top performance in PS; (e) comparison with other universities in Mediterranean Croatia; (f) policy recommendations. The SDG-related research output in PS at UNIST has expanded through interdisciplinary approaches and international collaborations addressing complex global challenges. The highest citation impacts were found for SDG13 (191.88), SDG14 (167.4), and SDG6 (145.56). Although 26 articles were related to SDG3, their citation impact was lower (not targeting core biomedical research). For 10 articles related to SDG14, the citation impact was very high (167.4). The drivers of the top 5% performance of UNIST in PS are identified and policy recommendations as well as lessons learned are mentioned to improve the participation of small universities in EU or national research programs and foster international cooperation across the European Research Area (ERA) to address the SDGs.

Master's theses represent a substantial yet often underutilised form of scholarly output, containing original empirical, theoretical and methodological contributions. Despite their scientific value, access to master's theses has historically been limited. A 2019 pilot study of six universities in the SEA‐EU Alliance assessed the openness of master's theses within institutional repositories. We conducted a five‐year follow‐up analysis including three newly joined universities, resulting in a sample of nine universities. Institutions were categorised based on legal and institutional policies regulating repository deposition: (1) mandatory public deposit of all theses, (2) mandatory deposit of selected theses, (3) voluntary public deposit and (4) no regulations. Master's thesis availability in 2023 was compared with 2019 baseline data. Across most universities, no substantial improvement in open access availability was detected after 5 years. In several cases, accessibility declined. The overall reduction was largely attributable to decreased openness in Engineering and technology and in Medical and health sciences. Despite increased attention to open science, accessibility of master's theses remains stagnant. We recommend clearer student‐centred copyright policies, guidance on ethical dissemination, improved repository functionality, incentives for supervisors and departments, and enhanced methodological and scientific‐writing support to foster a culture of openness.