To implement the spirit of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech on scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the pace and strength of scientific and technological innovation in Shanghai, and bring into play the role of communication studies in promoting science and technology, the Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Communication Alliance was officially announced at the First Shanghai Science and Technology Communication Conference under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission in the afternoon of August 20th. It was initiated by the School of Media & Communication of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and jointly established by the School of Journalism of Fudan University, the College of Media and International Culture of Zhejiang University, the School of Journalism and Communication of Nanjing University, the University of Science and Technology of China, the School of Communication of East China Normal University, the School of Journalism and Communication of Shanghai University, the School of Communication of Suzhou University. They worked in collaboration with the Shanghai Institute for Science of Science, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, and the Hefei Science and Technology Museum.

At the conference, the kickoff ceremony was attended by Liu Jian, Deputy Curator of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Shi Qian, Secretary of the General Party Branch and Director of the Shanghai Institute for Science of Science, Li Benqian, Distinguished Professor, Dean of the SJTU School of Media & Communication and Cheung Kong Scholar of the Ministry of Education, Zhang Taofu, Distinguished Professor, Dean of the School of Journalism of Fudan University and Cheung Kong Scholar of the Ministry of Education, Wang Feng, Dean of the School of Communication of East China Normal University and Young Cheung Kong Scholar of the Ministry of Education, Yan Sanjiu, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Shanghai University, and Zhou Rongting, Executive Director of the Department of Communication of Science and Technology of the University of Science and Technology of China and Dean of the New Media Center of the Institute of Advanced Technology of the University of Science and Technology of China. Together they pressed the button to officially unveil the establishment of the alliance.

The alliance is composed of eight universities, one research institute, and three science and technology museums from across three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta. The representatives of the alliance members include five Cheung Kong Scholars of the Ministry of Education and two leading talents in philosophy and social sciences of the national “Ten Thousand Talents Plan”. The alliance brings together high-level experts and scholars in science and technology communication research from across the Yangtze River Delta, aiming to become a bridge for a regional community of science and technology communication, and bring into play the role of communication in promoting the development of science and technology.

At the conference, the alliance members jointly launched an initiative in which the members will work together to promote the theoretical research and talent development of regional science and technology communication, build a science and technology communication exchange platform, deepen cooperation in science and technology communication, and meet the national demand for scientific and technological innovation. This will contribute to the greater soft power of science and technology communication in the Yangtze River Delta and faster progress in building a Yangtze River Delta innovation community with global impact.

The alliance members will build on their respective advantages in faculty, curriculum and resources to establish a system of coordination between the industry, academia, and research institutes, and cultivate outstanding science and technology communication talents together. At the same time, they will jointly build a science and technology communication and exchange platform, integrate the resources of universities, research institutes, and science and technology museums in the Yangtze River Delta, build an exchange and cooperation platform, establish a resource-sharing and project-liaison system, complement each other’s advantages, and strengthen cooperation in science and technology communication.

In addition, the alliance will be committed to deepening cooperation between the scientific and technological circles, the media and communication community and relevant departments, establishing an expert pool, a project pool, a database of outcomes, a talent pool, a think tank, etc., and promoting the communication of scientific and technological outcomes.

In the future, the alliance will continue to meet the national demand for scientific and technological innovation. Guided by the significant imperatives of the national and local governments, the alliance will regularly hold thematic forums, where experts and scholars will be gathered for in-depth communication to open up communication channels between the academia and the industry, provide sustainable impetus to scientific and technological innovation and development in the Yangtze River Delta, further implement the strategy of deepening the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, and promote regional cooperation and development of science and technology communication.