On April 17, the website of the China Association for Science and Technology released a "Notice" on the evaluation of professional titles in popular science. The notice shows that the China Association for Science and Technology will pilot the evaluation of professional titles for natural science research in central units in Beijing. This marks that science popularization workers have their own channels for reviewing professional titles. Its significance is just as Wang Ting, director and researcher of the China Institute of Science Popularization, said in an interview with a reporter from Science and Technology Daily: "This is the first time that relevant state departments have carried out the evaluation of scientific popularization talents, and it is also the first time to go straight to the theme in the natural science research series of professional title evaluations. Create a 'science popularization' specialty."

The high-quality development of science popularization talents urgently needs professional recognition and upward channels

There has been a long-standing call for the evaluation of professional titles for science popularization talents.

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly calls for "strengthening the construction of national science popularization capabilities". General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during the third collective study of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, "Strengthen the national science popularization capacity building, and implement in-depth actions to improve the scientific literacy of the whole people." As the core element of science popularization ability, science popularization talents are the foundation and key to the development of science popularization, and their importance is becoming increasingly prominent.

According to the 2021 national science popularization statistics released by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the number of full-time and part-time science popularization staff nationwide in 2021 will be 1.8275 million. Compared with the development plan of science popularization in my country, there is still a big gap, and it is still difficult to meet the needs of high-quality development of science popularization. "Currently, science popularization is not only about popularizing scientific knowledge, but more importantly, cultivating scientific methods, scientific thinking and scientific spirit, which urgently needs a large number of high-quality science popularization talents." Wang Ting said.

Zhu Dingzhen, the former chief expert of meteorological services at the Public Meteorological Service Center of the China Meteorological Administration, has called for a solution to the problem of professional title evaluation for popular science talents on many occasions. He pointed out, "Professional titles are an important indicator for the recognition of scientific and technological workers. To allow more experts with scientific knowledge and background to take the professional direction of science popularization, there must be a promotion channel for this profession in the professional titles."

Since 2019, 10 provinces and cities including Beijing, Tianjin, and Anhui have successively carried out pilot projects for the evaluation of professional titles of "science communication majors", and have carried out relevant explorations on the evaluation of professional titles for science popularization talents.

This time, the China Association for Science and Technology, with the support of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, launched a pilot project for the evaluation of professional titles in science popularization, aiming to further strengthen the construction of a professional science popularization talent team.

The evaluation criteria highlight the professional characteristics of popular science talents

"Popular science works can also become a professional title evaluation index like papers", which has become possible in the professional title evaluation work of popular science talents launched this time.

In November 2022, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security officially approved the China Association for Science and Technology to set up a review committee for senior professional titles (professional senior and deputy senior) for natural science research series (including science popularization majors). Subsequently, the China Association for Science and Technology immediately organized experts and scholars to study the evaluation methods.

The science popularization majors of the natural science research series launched this time include senior and deputy senior titles and intermediate professional titles; professional directions include science popularization research, creation and dissemination of popular science content resources. All those affiliated to central and state agencies, ministries, and people's organizations in Beijing, central enterprises in Beijing and their affiliated units, national societies, associations, and research associations affiliated to the China Association for Science and Technology, and personnel who are engaged in science popularization professionally and part-time in units directly under the China Association for Science and Technology may apply. The online declaration period is from April 24 to May 31, 2023.

Zheng Nian, deputy director and researcher of the China Institute of Science Popularization, told the reporter of Science and Technology Daily that the characteristics of popular science work will be fully reflected in the review. Combined with the reality of science popularization work, classify and evaluate from the directions of science popularization research, science popularization content resource creation and dissemination, etc., focusing on the evaluation of science popularization theoretical research and the creation ability of original science popularization works, focusing on strength, so that the evaluation work is more in line with the actual science popularization work and more targeted . The representative work system will be implemented in the review, and the forms of representative works will be enriched, such as popular science textbooks, teaching plans, videos, scripts, and explanations, planning popular science exhibitions and activities, and developing popular science exhibits.

To adapt to the requirements of the era of new media communication, the evaluation criteria draw on local experience, and equate excellent popular science works with an online reading volume of "100,000+" to published papers.

It is expected to play a leading role in national demonstration

Scientific and technological innovation and popularization of science are the two wings of innovation and development. The cultivation of high-quality innovative troops, the rapid transformation of scientific and technological achievements, the cultivation of the scientific spirit of the whole society, and the creation of scientific culture all require science popularization. Science popularization in the new era has been given a higher mission.

Chu Junhao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has a long-term practice of popular science. In his opinion, "popular science is not a pediatrics, but a profound knowledge." Wang Ting also believes that science popularization is a highly technical job. Science popularization is not something for those who can't do or can't do scientific research and teaching well, let alone a job that everyone can do well. In fact, there are high threshold.

Zhu Dingzhen believes that the evaluation of popular science titles can not only provide an "upgrade channel" for science popularization talents, but more importantly, it can attract more talents to devote themselves to the cause of science popularization. This initiative of the China Association for Science and Technology is expected to play a leading role in demonstration nationwide.

According to the person in charge of the China Association for Science and Technology, based on the development needs of science popularization, the China Association for Science and Technology is organizing the implementation of the science popularization talent promotion project. While carrying out the professional title evaluation of science popularization, it is conducting in-depth research on the cultivation of science popularization talents. It is hoped that relevant colleges and universities will establish science popularization disciplines, expand master's and doctoral programs, and better train high-level science popularization talents.

It is noteworthy that on April 14, the website of the Ministry of Science and Technology issued the "Announcement on Publicly Soliciting Opinions on the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Popularization of Science and Technology (Revised Draft)". The revision draft adds new content about science popularization talents: the state will improve the evaluation and incentive mechanism for science popularization personnel, encourage the establishment of evaluation systems such as professional title evaluation and performance appraisal that meet the characteristics of science popularization, and provide effective incentives for science popularization personnel.

(Originally titled "Pilot Program of Appraisal of Science Popularization Professional Titles in Central Units in Beijing to Attract More Talents to Dedicate themselves to Science Popularization")