Chemical Science in China

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Abstract

Articles from China are showcased across RSC journals this month, in recognition of the growing importance of Chinese research in the Chemical Sciences.

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This month we are proud to feature articles from China across the covers of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) journals and magazines. The number of submissions from China to our journals has increased dramatically, from a few hundred papers in 1995 to now over 20% of our total submissions (Fig. 1). This increase reflects the growth and strength of chemical research in China.

Fig. 1 Number of articles submitted to all RSC journals by year (total and Chinese submissions).

In recognition of the growing importance of Chinese research, groups from the RSC, including the Director of Publishing, Editorial Director and journal Editors, recently visited over 30 of the most important Universities and Institutes in China.

The focus of these visits was to strengthen links with Chinese institutions and improve our understanding of chemical research in China. Research is developing at an impressive pace: Funding is increasing, as are the numbers of researchers at all levels, and there is a substantial investment in new buildings and research facilities. Research output will clearly continue to grow at a fast pace and to increase in importance. There is commitment from Universities and Institutes in China to increase the quality of research and articles published in international journals, and there is wide success in meeting this goal. The RSC is enthusiastic to support this through working with authors and our unbiased editorial policies and procedures. We strongly encourage submission of the highest quality work from China. To aid authors our Information for Authors and Ethical Guidelines for publishing in RSC journals are available from our web site in Chinese (visit http://www.rsc.org/resource).

The cover of Green Chemistry features an article by Liang-Nian He and colleagues from Nankai University, Tianjin, China. Cyclic carbonates have been produced on an industrial scale for over 40 years, and demand is increasing. The group has developed a process for the production of carbonates employing supercritical CO₂. Traditional catalysts are replaced with ion exchange resins, and the CO₂ acts as both a reagent and solvent, providing an environmentally-benign and inexpensive process.

Higher Education in China is the focus of the lead article in this August's issue of Chemistry World. The article describes how the university system and funding operate and also how the education system has been reformed since the end of the Cultural Revolution. The article is also available from the web: http://www.chemistryworld.org

2005 is the year of UK–China Partners in Science, encouraging links and collaborations between the UK and China in science, technology and innovation (http://www.uk.cn/science). For several years the RSC has been collaborating with Charlesworth China for the production of some of our leading journals. Charlesworth typeset articles in Beijing, contributing towards our fast publication times by preparing proofs overnight on our European timeframe.

Many thanks to the hosts who welcomed the groups from the RSC to their institutions and particular thanks to Professor Xue Long Hou (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry), Professor Henry Wong (Chinese University of Hong Kong and ChemComm Editorial Advisory Board member) and Professor Daoben Zhu (Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Journal of Materials Chemistry Associate Editor for China).

Harp Minhas, Editor

Robert Parker, Editorial Director

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