Lu Dongming, professor of information science at Zhejiang University and president of Zhejiang University Press delivers a speech on building a world-class academic press. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

University presses on going global

Lu Dongming, president of Zhejiang University Press, elaborated on the important role of publication services in both research assistance and open-access knowledge platforms.

Publication services have significantly expanded in recent years, with assistance available even before an author has reached the research stage, said Lu in an interview with chinadaily.com.cn.

President Lu highlighted the goals and responsibilities of Chinese publishers, the "going out" strategy of ZJUP, and made a number of suggestions on promoting the development of China's academic publishing sector.

He called on the draft of internationally compatible scholarly publishing standards, the foundation of industry alliances and the integration of production (publication), study and research.

On April 26, over 50 delegates from some 40 publishing houses take part in a panel discussion hosted by the Publishers Association of China in Zhejiang University.

Reflecting on the problems in overseas publishing, the delegates concluded seven suggestions, including forging industry alliances, consulting government bureaus, seeking a greater voice in international agreements, upgrading English writing resources, exploring different business models, promoting digital publishing, and doubling down on professional training.

The event was sponsored by the Scholarly Publishing Work Committee of the Publisher's Association of China and Zhejiang University. It was organized by Zhejiang University Press (ZJUP), one of the nation's leading publishers with over 1,000 new titles every year.

ZJUP has gone from strength to strength, exporting books on a wide range of subjects in more than 18 languages, including a special series related to the Belt and Road Initiative. Their titles cover disciplines including archaeology, the arts, religion and the legal systems of the countries along the Belt and Road.