Hepeng Jia

• PhD in Science Communication
• Science journalist at Freelancing science journalist and science communication scholar

The fields of science and medicine involve concepts, ideas and words that are difficult to tackle. Putting them into complex systems creates a communication challenge, especially for non-specialist journalists. The longstanding cultural gap between researchers and journalists can impede clear and effective communication. This chapter provides an ov...

High climate risk perception drives positive climate attitudes. However, the Chinese public has perceived low climate-related threats but still had high recognition of anthropological climate change and strong support for climate policies. To solve this puzzle, this study extended the theory of multi-level risk perceptions to investigate how person...

This study examines Chinese civil servants’ attitudes toward genetically modified organisms by reviewing a national survey of 3,018 Chinese civil servants. The findings show that Chinese civil servants hold a more positive attitude to GMOs than the wider Chinese “general public”, with a similar level of genetic scientific literacy and belief in GMO...

China’s recent termination of strict COVID-19 control necessitates taking a booster vaccine shot as a precaution against the pandemic as quickly as possible. A large body of research has examined people’s attitudes toward and intentions for the booster shot. However, most studies failed to explore how China’s sociopolitical context has shaped their...

Introduction: China's suddenly loosening its COVID-19 controls highlighted its insufficiency in vaccination protection. Mandatory vaccination might be necessary if the gap cannot be filled over a short time. However, few studies have explored how Chinese people view the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, let alone placing such views in the country's highl...

While ideologies consistently influence public opinions on climate change in Western democracies, whether they affect the Chinese public’s climate attitudes is unknown. By applying a well-established measure of Chinese ideology, this study conducted a nationwide survey (n = 1469) on the relationships between climate attitudes and ideologies, conspi...

Although numerous studies have examined the Chinese public’s attitudes towards climate change, few have shed light on how sociopolitical factors related to the policy and the state have shaped such attitudes. This constituted our research goal. Against the background of China’s Dual Carbon Goals, a national survey (n = 1469) was conducted to invest...

A large body of research has examined people’s attitudes toward mandatory vaccination to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, studies have yet to explore how Chinese people view the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, let alone placing such views in the country’s highly politicized context. On the other hand, facing the high pressure of loosening its z...

Scholars are divided over whether narrative/storytelling occupies a central position in health-related behaviour or in the health-related issues discussed on social media platforms. This study explored Chinese COVID-19 vaccination expressions on Douyin, China’s biggest short-video sharing social media platform, and found that narration is still the...

This essay critically traces the development of public engagement with science in China in the past decade and relevant scholarly studies. While confirming the country’s tremendous progress in the field achieved either by official efforts or by social media empowerment, it argues that science communication advances have not realized the public enga...

Vaccination against COVID-19 is essential against the pandemic. There are broad discussions on adopting certificates for vaccination and the immunity obtained after infection. Based on a national sample of over 2000 participants administered in April 2021, the current study examines the Chinese public’s attitudes to the so-called COVID-19 vaccinati...

The inaugural "Mr. Science" Science Communication Conference was held in Suzhou, China on July 9, 2021. It was the largest Chinese conference on science communication study since the start of the 21st century. More than 260 scholars discussed the spirit and culture of science, science communication during the COVID-19 crisis, the public understandi...

A large body of research has found that people’s beliefs in conspiracy theories about infectious diseases negatively impacts their health behaviors concerning vaccination. Conspiracy belief-based vaccination hesitancy has become more rampant after the global outbreak of COVID-19. However, some important questions remain unanswered. For instance, do...

Various conspiracy theories have accompanied COVID-19 since its initial outbreak. Based on a nationwide survey in China, this study probes the health consequences of beliefs in different COVID-19 conspiracy theories in China. The research found that believing the coronavirus has a foreign natural origin was associated with increased rather than dec...

This study investigated public beliefs in coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) conspiracy theories in China. It also examined the dynamic mechanisms underlying these beliefs. On the basis of a national sample (N = 1,000), three types of COVID-19 conspiracy theories were identified. Type I relates to the pandemic’s foreign origin. Type II is defined as “Chin...

China sets lofty goals as it vies for global dominance in the highly competitive fields of quantum science, space exploration and nanocatalysis. China sets lofty goals as it vies for global dominance in the highly competitive fields of quantum science, space exploration and nanocatalysis.

From radio galaxies to robots, these trailblazers are at the forefront of AI advances. From radio galaxies to robots, these trailblazers are at the forefront of AI advances.

China’s powerhouse holds firm as the number one city in the Nature Index. China’s powerhouse holds firm as the number one city in the Nature Index.

Nine researchers, editors and science communicators share their views about the barriers that Asian scientists encounter in publishing their work and becoming more visible on the international level. Shravan Hanasoge has been a faculty member in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, sinc...

Local networks help researchers obtain a prestigious Changjiang scholarship faster. Local networks help researchers obtain a prestigious Changjiang scholarship faster.

Star competitors in a highly competitive field. Star competitors in a highly competitive field.

These high performers are setting the pace in the race for solutions. These high performers are setting the pace in the race for solutions.

With the fast development of cutting-edge technologies and their greater integration into human life, more ethical challenges emerge. The problem became more salient when the world's first genetically edited babies were born in China in violation of existing ethical rules. Although the responsible researcher He Jiankui was sentenced for imprisonmen...

China has traditionally placed tremendous importance on agricultural research. Meanwhile, in recent years, sustainable agriculture has been increasingly highlighted in both policy agenda and the capital market. However, while terms like environmental friendliness, low carbon, organic and green agriculture have become buzzwords in the media, few mea...

In recent years, Chinese scientists have achieved significant progress in paleontological discoveries and scientific studies. Series of studies published in top journals, such as Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), have astonished the world by presenting beautiful fossils that...

The discipline’s historic prominence in China is underpinned by its crucial value to industrial processes. Committed funding sees it leading the way in emerging areas, such as nanomaterials. The discipline’s historic prominence in China is underpinned by its crucial value to industrial processes. Committed funding sees it leading the way in emergin...

Studies to improve the productivity, resistance and taste of rice crops are central to China’s commanding position in plant biology. Studies to improve the productivity, resistance and taste of rice crops are central to China’s commanding position in plant biology.

A hive of innovation, Wuhan has stormed up the Nature Index, but competition for talent is heating up. A hive of innovation, Wuhan has stormed up the Nature Index, but competition for talent is heating up.

Urgent environmental problems central to national well-being jostle for the attention of China’s scientists as they strive to produce research with global prestige. Urgent environmental problems central to national well-being jostle for the attention of China’s scientists as they strive to produce research with global prestige.

In recent years, China and other countries have invested heavily in the research and manufacturing capacity of display technology. Meanwhile, different display technology scenarios, ranging from traditional LCD (liquid crystal display) to rapidly expanding OLED (organic light-emitting diode) and emerging QLED (quantum-dot light-emitting diode), are...

A practical guide to finding a research position.

Now in its tenth year, the Thousand Talents Plan is helping China to attract foreign researchers and provides an incentive for Chinese scientists living abroad to return home.

Extraordinary opportunities as well as unexpected challenges await researchers heading to the East.

With a doctorate degree from the University of Wuppertal in Germany (1991), Tong Zhu is a Cheung Kong Chair Professor of Environmental Sciences at Peking University (PKU). He is a leading scientist in atmospheric pollution study and has been advising the Chinese government on controlling air pollution in the event of major international activities...

Thus far, few studies have examined how scientists choose different social media platforms, or how using multiple platforms of social media is related to public engagement with science. This article investigates the role of social media in China’s science communication and scientists’ selective use of them. We found that social media enabled Chines...

Yueliang Wu, chief scientist of Taiji Program, is a well-known theoretical physicist and the Vice-President of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). Taiji Program, initially proposed in 2008, is one of China's ambitious plans to observe gravitational waves. Obtaining his Ph.D. at the Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP) under the...

Efforts to promote and enforce shared research have made progress in China, but there is much room for improvement.

This paper examines factors motivating Chinese communication scholars to publish in international journals and how these factors shape their knowledge production. We also investigate these scholars’ treatment of particularity, which is central to debates on Asian approaches to communication scholarship. Based on in-depth interviews with 22 Chinese...

The diverse histories of China's cities strongly influence their collaboration patterns.

This article critically traces the development of science communication in China in the past 30 years. While confirming the tremendous progress Chinese science communicators have achieved in popularising science, it argues that the deficit model-based popularisation effort cannot meet the diversifying demands on science in Chinese society. Citing b...

Nat. Biotechnol. 29, 471–472 (2011); published online 7 June 2011; corrected after print 7 February 2012 In the version of this article originally published, in Table 1, Sinovac Biotech was described as having been acquired by Novartis in March. Novartis acquired a different company, Tianyuan, as stated later in the article.

But researchers fear fraud case may be the tip of the iceberg.

Biocentury Transgene is not only going head-to-head against Monsanto in China; it's also poised to conquer markets in developing countries.

Technology transfer has been examined on more macro levels in former studies. However, communication between academia and industry on a micro level still needs to be studied. An effective communication mechanism is of key importance in technology transfer. In this study the author interviews top scientists and company owners from science parks or R...