Editorial
This edition highlights the many ways science communication continues to evolve across the globe. From new professional associations and international conferences to community-centred engagement, mobile science outreach, and initiatives exploring the relationship between technology and society, these stories demonstrate the breadth and impact of the field. Together, they reflect a shared commitment to making science more accessible, relevant, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
We hope these updates spark new ideas, collaborations, and conversations across the PCST Network. If you have news of upcoming events, recent achievements, publications, or initiatives that may be of interest to the community, please send your contributions to 2271883684@qq.com or gywang@suda.edu.cn.
Global insights
South Korea’s first science communication association launches
South Korea has launched its first academic association dedicated to science communication, the Korean Society for Public Communication of Science and Technology (KCST), with Professor Sook-kyoung Cho of KENTECH appointed as its inaugural president.
KCST aims to strengthen connections between science, technology, and society through both research and practical engagement, rather than simply translating scientific information for the public. The association will serve as a platform for science communication scholarship, policy dialogue, professional practice, and international collaboration.
Future plans include public forums on topics such as AI, energy, and climate change, an inaugural Asian international conference, and a bid to host the PCST World Conference in South Korea in 2031.
2026 ESMH Summer School kicks off
The 2026 European Science-Media Hub Summer School took place in Brussels from 22 to 25 June, bringing together young science journalists and content creators to explore science communication in the age of artificial intelligence.
The programme examined how AI is transforming journalism and newsroom practice, from automated content generation to data-driven storytelling, while raising important questions about bias, accountability, misinformation, editorial accuracy, public trust, and democratic debate.
Ecsite 2026: reimagining science engagement for the future
Ecsite 2026 brought together more than 900 science engagement professionals in Gothenburg to discuss the future of museums and science centres. The event highlighted how the sector is responding to rapid change through AI, digital engagement, gamification, immersive exhibition design, sustainability education, audience participation, and new revenue strategies. It also emphasised the continued importance of trust, human connection, community science, and in-person cultural experiences.
Key discussions explored how institutions can use technology responsibly, make science more accessible and engaging, align their mission with commercial sustainability, and help audiences imagine more informed and sustainable futures.
Inside the Luddite Festival: harnessing Gen Z’s rage against Big Tech
New York City’s Summer of Ludd festival channels growing frustration with Big Tech into a week of offline performances, workshops, zines, discussions, and community events in the East Village. Inspired by the historical Luddite movement, the festival is less about rejecting technology outright than resisting the dominance of digital platforms, social media, AI, surveillance, and attention-driven online systems.
Through phone-free activities such as mending, analogue film screenings, shortwave radio workshops, offline dating events, and campaigns against data centre development, participants, particularly younger people, explore ways to rebuild autonomy, human connection, and local community beyond the influence of major technology companies.
The 15th Australian Science Communicators National Conference: call for abstracts open
The 15th Australian Science Communicators National Conference will take place in Brisbane from 21 to 23 September 2026, bringing together science communicators, researchers, policy advisers, journalists, educators, engagement professionals, and STEM industry leaders to explore how evidence is communicated, trusted, and used in public life.
The programme includes an optional Science Communication Foundations Workshop for students and early career practitioners, followed by two conference days featuring keynote presentations, panel discussions, practical workshops, national conversations, networking, professional development opportunities, and the ASC Awards.
Abstract submissions are open until 10 August, with proposals invited across research, practice, policy, engagement, education, and innovation.
China launches 2026 national call for science popularisation works
The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) has announced two major initiatives to strengthen the country’s public science communication system: a new Science Popularization Creation Guide for science and technology workers and the 2026 national call for high-quality science popularisation works.
The guide encourages researchers and professional societies to recognise public communication as part of their scientific responsibility by improving the quality of science content, drawing on local and disciplinary expertise, and using platforms such as Kepu China and AI-assisted content creation tools to broaden public engagement.
The national call invites original works created since 2024 across a wide range of formats, including articles, speeches, manuals, books, exhibitions, videos, films, digital interactive experiences, science communication plans, and AI-based science agents. Selected works will be featured on national science communication platforms, showcased during the 2026 National Science Popularization Month, and used to support science education and public engagement initiatives.
China’s mobile science outreach reaches 664 million visits
By May 2026, China’s mobile science popularisation facilities had recorded a cumulative total of 664 million visits, according to the China Science and Technology Museum. The country had deployed 832 mobile science museums, attracting 257 million visits, alongside 1,880 science popularisation vans, which had reached a further 407 million visits.
These facilities bring interactive exhibits, experiments, and science outreach activities to schools, communities, rural and remote areas, and places without permanent science museums. They play an important role in expanding access to science education and promoting more equitable science communication across the country.
European Lunar Symposium 2026 explores science priorities for Europe’s future lunar ambitions
The European Lunar Symposium 2026 was held in Nancy, France, from 22 to 26 June 2026, bringing together around 200 researchers, engineers, space professionals, and students to discuss Europe’s future priorities in lunar science and exploration.
The programme covered lunar geology, in-situ resource utilisation, surface technologies, future missions, scientific payloads, and the requirements for human exploration. A major European Space Agency (ESA) Town Hall focused on lunar resources, environmental impacts, landing site characterisation, crew health, and technology readiness.
Workshops on ESA proposal writing and “New Space vs Old Space”, together with public exhibitions, educational activities, and a public lecture, connected scientific planning with industry practice and public engagement, reinforcing the Moon’s growing role in ESA’s robotic and human exploration roadmap.
UVI fellows redefine how science connects with communities
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is reshaping science communication through its STEM Ambassador Program, a partnership funded by the United States National Science Foundation and delivered with the University of Utah and UVI’s Navigating Home programme.
The initiative trains early career scientists and fellows to move beyond traditional outreach by first understanding community needs, values, and lived experiences before designing engagement projects that build trust, support independent learning, and connect research with everyday life.
The 2026 fellows are developing projects in reef restoration, marine biology education, youth science activities, coral reef awareness, and museum-based family learning, demonstrating how community-centred science communication can strengthen environmental stewardship and make scientific knowledge more accessible and locally relevant.
