China to Host 2029 World Conference of Science Journalists

Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism wins bid at WCSJ2025 in Pretoria

Pretoria, December 4—The Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism (CSSTJ) has secured the right to bring the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) to China for the first time. The winning bid was confirmed on Thursday during the 13th edition of the conference, held in Pretoria, South Africa.

A CSSTJ delegation led by Executive Council Member Yao Yujiang formally presented the 2029 proposal to the General Assembly of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) and received an overwhelming vote of approval from the federation’s board.

“This is a milestone for Chinese science journalists,” Yao told delegates after the vote. “Hosting the 2029 conference will give our community a stronger voice in global science governance and open a new channel for international colleagues to experience China’s vibrant science-communication scene.”

Under the theme of “Science journalism and social justice: Journalism that builds understanding and resilience,” the 4-day WCSJ2025, which opened on 1 December under the high patronage of UNESCO, has drawn more than 400 reporters, editors and academics from 80 countries to debate issues ranging from AI-generated misinformation to climate-change storytelling.

The CSSTJ delegation led by Executive Council Member Yao Yujiang (second from right) poses for a group photo.

While in Pretoria the CSSTJ team also attended the WFSJ board meeting, voting to adopt the federation’s 2024 annual and financial reports and endorsing new appointments to its executive committee.

Established in 1992 under the high patronage of the UNESCO, the WCSJ is the largest gathering of science journalists in the world; previous hosts includeTokyo (1992), Budapest (1999), Sao Jose dos Campos (2002), Montreal (2004), Melbourne (2007), London (2009), Doha (2011), Helsinki (2013), Seoul (2015), San Francisico (2017), Lausanne (2019), Medellin (2023).

(With input from official website of WFSJ)

Tag: Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism