The 2024 World Conference on Science Literacy (WCSL) is scheduled for Dec 5 to 6 in Beijing. Themed "Enhancing Scientific Literacy to Empower Common Development," the 2024 WCSL will include an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, five thematic forums, and on-site observation activities.

Representatives from 23 countries and 10 international organizations will engage in discussions and exchanges through keynote presentations, round-table discussions, speeches, and dialogues.

The WCSL was initiated by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in 2018, and five sessions have been held. It is committed to building a practical platform for enhancing open and trustworthy cooperation in the international scientific community, sharing experiences from various countries in improving public scientific literacy, promoting universal enjoyment of the fruits of development, and positively contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

This year, the conference will be hosted by CAST and supported by UNESCO, the International Science Council (ISC), the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

Ezra Clark, Chief of Section, Science, Technology and Innovation Policy at UNESCO UNESCO, Gong Ke, former president of WFEO and Executive Director of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies (CINGAI), and other renowned guests will attend the WCSL. They will deliver keynote speeches on important topics such as enhancing global public scientific literacy, bridging the digital divide, strengthening science communication, and sharing new ideas and concepts.

The 2024 WCSL will focus on building a community with a shared future for mankind, addressing significant international topics such as the United Nations' International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033) resolution.

It aims to lead global discussions and development directions in the field of public scientific literacy, featuring five thematic forums: cutting-edge science popularization services for technological innovation, collaborative promotion of public scientific literacy by diverse stakeholders, empowering scientific literacy enhancement through new technology applications, regional practices and visions for building science popularization capabilities, as well as the 2024 China Science Popularization Think Tank Forum & the 31st National Conference on Theoretical Study of Science Popularization. These forums will delve into current hot issues in global scientific literacy enhancement and science popularization efforts, contributing to advancing public scientific literacy worldwide.

A special activity called "Science Popularization Talks" will also be held this year, inviting UNESCO Kalinga Prize Winner for Popularization of Science Karl Kruszelnicki and Li Xiangyi to discuss the significance of enhancing global public scientific literacy and the motivational mechanisms for science popularization and communication today, sharing practical experiences and providing valuable references for domestic and international science popularization efforts.

In recent years, China has focused on improving its national scientific literacy, working to ensure broader and more sophisticated access to science and technology knowledge.

On Nov 4, the draft revision to the science and technology popularization law was submitted for the first review to an ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

The draft mentions "international scientific and cultural exchanges," "expanding international science popularization cooperation channels," and "conducting international science popularization exchanges for youth" in the context of "international cooperation and exchanges in science popularization."

The 2024 WCSL will continue to help build an international platform for science popularization exchanges, providing opportunities for information sharing and mutual learning in international science popularization.

Since 2019, CAST has been the leading party in establishing the World Organization for Scientific Literacy (WOSL). Currently, the preparatory committee has 45 member and observer organizations from 27 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and South America.

This year's WCSL will continue to serve as an incubator and accelerator for organizational development, consolidating existing cooperation networks and expanding connections, thereby laying a solid foundation for the establishment and growth of the WOSL and further increasing the number of organizational members, aiming to make the number of organizations in the preparatory committee to reach 50.

While practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, the 2024 WCSL will promote further development of public scientific literacy through a specialized high-level exchange platform, push ahead with the sharing of excellent science popularization achievements, and encourage mutual learning among global civilizations, to contribute to a better future for mankind.

Sources: The 2024 World Conference on Science Literacy, VOC