Revision of the Science Popularization Law: Providing legal protection for science popularization information workers and promoting the development of science popularization

On December 25, 2024, the 13th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress voted to pass the newly revised "Science and Technology Popularization Law of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Science Popularization Law"), which is the first revision of the Science Popularization Law since its promulgation in 2002. This revision has brought new opportunities and challenges to science popularization workers, especially grassroots science popularization information officers.

As the "bridge" and "link" of science popularization work, science popularization information officers play an important role in promoting the popularization of scientific knowledge and improving the public's scientific literacy. The newly revised Science Popularization Law not only provides legal support for science popularization work, but will also further enhance the professionalization, standardization and authority of science popularization work.

Against this background, Lai Juncai, a science popularization information officer from Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, and Li Kefei, a science popularization information officer from Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, shared with us their views on the revision of the Science Popularization Law and its actual impact on their daily work.

Revision of the Science Popularization Law:

Provides legal protection for popular science work

Lai Juncai, a science popularization information officer from Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, is a science popularization information officer in the edible fungi industry. He has been engaged in science popularization for a long time, especially focusing on the popularization of knowledge about edible fungi safety and poisonous mushrooms. He said that in his daily work, he actively forwarded relevant science popularization information to relatives and friends through the Science Popularization China platform, and promoted knowledge about poisonous mushrooms in various places. "When I see some false science popularization information, I will promptly look for the correct science popularization knowledge and forward it to my family and friends to avoid being misled by wrong information."

Talking about the newly revised "Science Popularization Law", Lai Juncai said that he had studied the revised "Science Popularization Law" and deeply felt the changes it brought: "The Science Popularization Law clarifies the legal status of the National Science Popularization Month, which makes science popularization activities more authoritative and secure. I pay special attention to the encouragement of science popularization personnel. The new law will encourage more grassroots people to join science popularization work."

Li Kefei, a science popularization information officer from Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, also expressed that he paid great attention to the newly revised "Science Popularization Law". As a science popularization worker, he worked with relevant county-level departments to organize science volunteers to go to campuses, villages and communities to carry out science popularization activities. "With the revision of the Science Popularization Law, science popularization work has received stronger legal support, especially in grassroots science popularization work. The Science Popularization Law's support for local governments and grassroots is very specific, helping us to do our work better. "

Revision of the Science Popularization Law:

Promoting the professionalization of science popularization information officers

The newly revised "Science Popularization Law" clearly proposes to promote the professionalization and occupational development of science popularization personnel. Lai Juncai said that the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" makes him full of confidence in science popularization work, especially in encouraging grassroots science popularization personnel: "As science popularization information officers, our work will be more secure and clear, and we will be more motivated to do a good job in science popularization."

He added that he will continue to use his expertise in the edible fungi industry to actively participate in more popular science propaganda in the future: "Under the guidance of the newly revised Popular Science Law, I will continue to improve my popular science ability and use my expertise to do more popular science work on the safe consumption of wild mushrooms and poisonous mushrooms. At the same time, I will continue to spread more valuable scientific knowledge through platforms such as Science Popularization China to help more people improve their scientific literacy."

Li Kefei also felt the role of the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" in promoting his work. He said that the role of science popularization information officers has become more professional and important: "I will organize more science popularization activities, especially the publicity of the newly revised "Science Popularization Law", to help more grassroots cadres, the masses and scientific and technological workers learn this law and further promote the implementation of science popularization work."

Revision of the Science Popularization Law: Bringing New Opportunities to Grassroots Science Popularization

The newly revised "Science Popularization Law" has a particularly important impact on grassroots science popularization work. Lai Juncai believes that the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" clearly stipulates the provisions on science popularization activities, which will provide stronger support for grassroots science popularization work: "Especially in terms of science popularization month, professionalization and specialization of science popularization personnel, etc. , the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" has brought more legal protection to our grassroots science popularization workers , and also encouraged us to participate in a wider range of science popularization activities."

Li Kefei also believes that the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" provides more support and policy guarantees for grassroots science popularization work: "In the future, science popularization work can rely on a more complete legal system and receive stronger support from the government and all sectors of society. Especially with the support of local governments, grassroots science popularization activities will be more standardized and professional, and the coverage of science popularization work will be further expanded."

Challenges and expectations in popular science work

Although the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" provides stronger legal protection for science popularization work, Lai Juncai and Li Kefei also mentioned that science popularization work still faces certain challenges. Lai Juncai said that the spread of false science popularization information is still a problem, especially some false food safety information has caused great trouble to the public. "'It takes only one mouth to spread a rumor, but it takes a lot of effort to refute it'. The cost of spreading false science popularization information is low, but it is extremely harmful to society. I hope that the newly revised "Science Popularization Law" can further strengthen the supervision of false information , help science popularization workers to more effectively respond to these challenges, and reduce the negative impact of false information."

Li Kefei pointed out that if science popularization work is to truly achieve a breakthrough in the "last mile" , more grassroots support and resources are still needed: "I hope that the newly revised Science Popularization Law can help us break through the resource bottleneck in science popularization work, especially in rural and remote areas, so that more people can benefit."

Both science information officers are full of expectations for future science popularization work. Lai Juncai said that he hopes to see more science popularization activities with legal protection to help grassroots science popularization workers continue to grow: "I believe that with the support of the newly revised Science Popularization Law and platforms such as Science Popularization China, our science popularization work will become more professional and systematic, and ultimately help the whole society improve scientific literacy."

Li Kefei hopes that in the future, a large-scale science popularization pattern with the participation of the whole society can be formed: "I hope that all walks of life can pay more attention to science popularization work, form the common participation of the whole society, and make science popularization work more popular among the people."

Conclusion

The newly revised "Science Popularization Law" has undoubtedly brought new opportunities and impetus to the work of science popularization information officers. As grassroots science popularization workers, science popularization information officers such as Lai Juncai and Li Kefei will continue to play an important role in science popularization and knowledge dissemination. Their work not only helps the public improve their scientific literacy, but also promotes the popularization of national science education and the progress of social science culture. With the further implementation of the newly revised "Science Popularization Law", future science popularization work will be more standardized and efficient, pushing my country's science popularization cause to a new height.

Planning and production

Text editing丨Lin Lin

Planning丨Lin Lin

Editor: Linlin Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lai

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