Xing Haiying: scientific and technological publication should go global with uni

Although many scientific and technological researchers of China have made a lot of international achievements， they and their achievements are all rarely known by the overseas world. The main reason is that a majority of Chinese researchers’ works are only published on domestic journals and academic monographs are published at home in Chinese， which causes the difficulty for European and American scientific and technological circles as well as their mainstream media to know in depth and to spread. In addition， many domestic publishing houses have not done very well in promoting scientific and technological publication abroad.

Practices driven by responsibility

As scientific and technological publishers， we are liable for and obliged to push the “Going Global” of scientific and technological publication， and we also have the condition and necessity to do so.

First and foremost， scientific and technological publication has played a vital role in the national development strategy and the “Cultural Going Global” policy. And scientific and technological publishers bear an indispensable responsibility to spread abroad brilliant academic works which are transformed by world’s advanced achievements of scientific research.

Secondly， the “Going Global” of scientific and technological publication is an inevitable requirement for China’s scientific and technological development. By introducing the scientific and technical monograph of Chinese scientists to international publishing stage， China shows the world its advanced innovative standard in science and technology and makes more people know about Chinese scientists as well as their studies and achievements directly. In turn， Chinese scientists can also gain more outside information and enhance the development of China’s science and technologies. Thus， it is a responsibility that Chinese scientific and technological publishers cannot shirk to promote China’s scientific and technological development through “Going Global Strategy”.

Thirdly， the “Going Global” of China’s scientific and technological publication is an inevitable choice for domestic publishers’ development. Through the cooperation with overseas presses， domestic publishing houses can learn about foreign advanced operational mode and management concept so that they can improve their international academic publishing capability as well as their core competence and adaptability. Meanwhile， the “Going Global” of domestic academic works can generate a virtuous interaction with the development of domestic publishers： the more works domestic publishers promote abroad， the more influential they can be， so that they can attract more brilliant authors； and the more original works they publish， the more benefits they can bring to the development and brand building of the publishing houses.

Though the “Going Global” of China’s scientific and technological publication benefits the nation， the scientific and technological development of the nation and publishers， it still meets many inevitable difficulties， such as short of original themes and talents， language barriers and low profits. Over these years， combined with its present situation， National Defense and Industry Press （NDIP）， through constant thinking， trying， exploration， innovation and breakthrough， has found a special way to export China’s scientific and technological achievements.

Sources guarantee

Under the grand background of the “Going Global” of Chinese culture， the implementation of relevant policies and in its optimized macro environment， NDIP makes a series of spiritual and practical measures to focus on the implementation of the “Going Global” policy. First， it sets up a special post which is responsible for copyright trade， outside contact and inside coordination exclusively； second， it makes some relevant rules so as to guarantee， guide and stimulate the “Going Global” policy and create a better interior environment； third， it moves its copyright trade export in daily theme selection. That is to say， it will begin its copyright trade the moment it targets at a qualified subject； fourth， apart from making final decisions， the heads of the press are personally in charge of key cooperators and key cooperative programs and deeply involved in programs’ contact， negotiation and tracing.

Sharpen brand features

For domestic publishers， sticking to their own brands and doing well in accumulation are the prerequisites to go global. Since 2009， NDIP has built a long-term and stable partnership with more than 30 overseas publishers with 54 exported copyrights and 12 signed cooperative programs in all. With high originality and national defense characteristic， these programs relate to either world’s frontier technology or basic research application science， which are sure to be brilliant works of NDIP. The success in copyright export indicates that China’s rapid economic development has won more and more attentions from international scientific and technological circle as well as publishers circle. It also indicates that the domestic publishers have to underline their brand features and continuously stimulate the accumulation and reserve of valuable resources so as to make China’s scientific and technological publication go global. China， with hundreds of thousands kinds of published works， is absolutely a publishing giant. But a powerful publishing country never comes from the repetition of low-level publications in quantity. This is the same to domestic publishing houses. What we need to focus on first is works with social values and worth being passed down. Going global is not our final purpose， but if we did it right and better， we are sure to be capable of going global.

Deepen exchanges and cooperation

Cooperation links tightly to exchange and communication. To strengthen communication， especially face-to-face communication， is one of the most effective ways to enhance mutual understandings and trust as well as to reach consensuses. NDIP not only visits its existing partners and finds potential partners but also invites their senior representatives to have further communication through various international book fairs. In 2012， NDIP had communication with its partners frequently. Since 2013， NDIP has already conducted a series of bilateral visits with such publishers as Elsevier， Pearson， and Cambridge University Press. It is obviously seen that such exchanges enhance their mutual understandings which make the following cooperation more focus and fruitful.

Promote development by borrowed forces

In 2012， there were three jointly publishing programs wining translation funds of “Chinese Books Export Program” which offers new supports and channels to the “Going Global” of Chinese publication. Over recent years， the central government has attached great importance on the “Going Global” of Chinese publication and many ministries have made a series of concrete supporting measures accordingly， setting funds for projects such as “the Translation and Publication Project of Chinese Cultural Works”， “Overseas Promotion Plans of Chinese Books “ and “Classical China International Publication Project”. Apart from taking advantage of these favorable exterior chances while making the best of our own advantages and features， we shall also cultivate many copyright talents who have an international vision and are good at utilizing outer resources for the core competence of both publication and “Going Global” lies at talents.

（The author is the Chief Editor of the National Defense and Industry Press.）