2023 World Conference on Science Literacy

Background

As an important part of human quality, public science literacy provides mankind with wisdom and ability to cope with risks and challenges and jointly build a prosperous world. It is vital to the future of individuals, the destiny of nations and the sustainable development of human beings. Currently, unbalanced development of public science literacy remains prominent in the world, with significant regional, gender and urban-rural disparities. Unbalanced development of public science literacy has aggravated unbalanced regional development and widened the gap in world development. Therefore, an international exchange platform and effective cooperation mechanism for public science literacy should be built so as to promote all countries to carry out science education, dissemination, and popularization, eliminate barriers to the sharing of scientific knowledge, narrow the gap in knowledge and development, and press ahead with sustainable development worldwide.

The World Conference on Science Literacy (WCSL) is an

international conference sponsored and organized by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in 2018. The purpose of the conference is to build a platform for global, comprehensive and high-level exchanges and cooperation in science communication, improve public science literacy and better address common problems facing S&T progress and social development worldwide. This international conference, the first of its kind dedicated to promoting public science literacy, received widespread attention and support from the international community, including Chinese President XI Jinping sending a congratulatory letter and the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres delivering a video speech. Around 2,000 experts, scholars, and science education practitioners from various countries gathered at the event to engage in discussions and exchanges on the topic of science literacy and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Over the past five years, we have held the World Conference on Science Literacy for four times, and initiated the establishment of the World Organization for Science Literacy. We have brought together more than 30 influential organizations from around the world that are committed to the development of public science literacy to jointly promote international cooperation and exchanges.

2023 World Conference on Science Literacy

The WCSL 2023 will be held in Beijing from 18 to 19 September in Beijing hosted by CAST. The theme of this conference is “Enhancing Science Literacy and Working Together for Modernization”. It will explore the significant importance of science popularization and the role of public science literacy in empowering societal modernization, and facilitate collaboration among countries in exploring paths to modernization. It will also revolve around emerging topics, common difficulties, and key issues in science popularization and improving public science literacy, such as science and technology education for the youth, the integration of science and art, paradigms of science popularization and communication, the development of science museums, and the participation of scientists in science popularization.

The conference will invite over 700 attendees including top scientists, senior policy makers, renowned scholars, representatives from international, regional and national science and technology organizations and experienced practitioners in related fields at home and abroad to spread ideas, share experience and display achievements. The two-day conference will include event formatssuch as opening ceremony, keynote session, summit forum, specialized forums, and a closing ceremony. The conference will also feature a participation in the National Science Popularization Day events, and experiencing Chinese science, technology, and cultural activities.

The conference is looking forward to building consensus and fostering international and global cooperation on establishing a shared platform for the promotion of public science literacy. It also aims at promoting academic exchanges and practical cooperation, and contributes to the improvement of global public science literacy and the sustainable development of mankind.

Proposed Agenda of WCSL 2023