Shanghai Science Festival to kick off on Aug 20

The annual Shanghai Science Festival, which will kick off on Aug 20 and last for one week, will showcase the city's innovative and technological strength across multiple dimensions, local authorities said on Monday.

The festival will highlight the achievements of the Shanghai Scientific and Technological Innovation Center in the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), and how technology had supported the city's epidemic prevention and control efforts during the latest COVID-19 wave.

The first Shanghai Science Communication Conference, which will be held on the opening day of the festival, is another major highlight. During the conference, a Nobel Prize winner, academicians, and key opinion leaders will discuss ways to promote public participation in scientific activities.

This year's science festival will feature 1,100 activities, including a host of forums as well as 658 virtual events. Eminent scientists including Wang Pinxian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zeng Yitao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, will grace the red carpet during the festival's opening ceremony.

A number of foreign-funded R&D institutions and 100 innovation studios will be opened to the public during the festival.

Ten science tourism routes in Shanghai will also be unveiled during the festival to promote the discipline to the public.

Zheng Zheng contributed to this story.