The Hefei Municipal People’s Government recently released the "Implementation Plan for Enhancing Science Popularization Capacity and Building a Citywide Science Popularization System in Hefei" (the “Plan”), proposing to build a science‑popularization system that matches its role as a source of technological innovation and to develop Hefei into a "City of Science Popularization" with important national influence.

The Plan sets the following targets: by 2027, the proportion of citizens with scientific literacy should strive to reach 24%; cultivate no fewer than 300 specialized science‑education venues and at least 10 industry‑leading science‑popularization enterprises; expand the science‑popularization industry to exceed RMB 70 billion; and build a cluster of integrated science, culture, tourism, sports and education venues. By 2030, the proportion of citizens with scientific literacy should aim to rise to 28%; establish a science‑popularization service system that covers the full chain of technological innovation; form a coordinated development pattern driven jointly by science popularization and technological innovation; and become a "City of Science Popularization" with important national influence.

How will this be achieved? The Plan lays out specific construction tasks across five major areas to guide the city’s work:

1. Build a collaborative development model for science popularization led by government, society and market forces; improve institutional mechanisms and establish a ubiquitous, citywide science‑popularization model covering all fields, all regions, all media, and full public participation.

2. Strengthen science‑popularization infrastructure: create national landmarks for science popularization, enhance grassroots capability for science popularization, and improve venue operation systems to form clusters of science‑popularization venues.

3. Promote the translation of scientific and technological resources into popular science: improve mechanisms for turning tech resources into public‑facing content, advance digital construction, and carry out international scientific‑communication exchanges to activate the potential of innovation resources.

4. Expand science‑popularization scenarios: grow the science‑popularization industry, enrich science elements in public urban spaces, build hubs that gather applied scientific and technological results, and promote the spirit of science.

5. Enrich science‑popularization resources: sharpen the city’s sci‑tech tourism brand, expand online platforms, strengthen talent cultivation and recruitment, organize branded events, and broaden funding and support channels.

Next steps: Hefei will establish and improve a joint coordination meeting system and special mechanisms to advance key tasks, implement list‑based, project‑based management, and push the Plan’s implementation — creating a strong social atmosphere that values, loves, learns and applies science.

Source: Anhui Daily