Celebrating China’s Impact on Global Sustainable Development Research

Springer Nature is dedicated to celebrating the incredible achievements of our authors—the individuals making strides to improve our world. 

In this blog post, we’ll take you through the ‘Springer Nature: China New Development Awards’ held at the June 2024 Beijing International Book Fair. We’ll explore the remarkable contributions from Chinese scholars who have made significant advancements toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Celebrating ten impactful books and their authors

On the opening day of the 2024 Beijing International Book Fair, we hosted our sixth ‘Springer Nature: China New Development Awards’ (CNDA) ceremony to celebrate the ten winning scholarly books and their authors for their contributions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event gathered scholars from diverse backgrounds, Springer and Palgrave authors, publishing editors and senior leaders from Springer Nature, publishers from China, and media reporters. Together, we celebrated the remarkable achievements of China-based researchers whose books, published over the past year, have significantly advanced the UN Sustainable Development Goals and supported China’s efforts to achieve them. The winning titles span a range of disciplines, from the humanities and social sciences to business, economics, science, engineering and technology, life sciences, and biomedicine.

Mr. Wu Shulin, the Chairman of the Publishers Association of China, gave an honorary speech and said “The ‘China New Development Award’ not only reflects China's investment and contribution to achieving the SDGs, but also helps to enhance the visibility and influence of these outstanding Chinese academic achievements, so that more countries, especially developing countries, can benefit from China's sustainable development experience.”

‘Goal in Focus’: Showcasing the very best in SDG 7 Affordable & Clean Energy

In addition to celebrating the ten winning titles, a new section, ‘Goal in Focus’, was introduced. Each year, this will focus on one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, showcasing the remarkable contributions of Chinese researchers in that specific area.

This year, the CNDA Goal in Focus was SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Chinese researchers have made outstanding contributions to SDG 7 in the past decades. Their research advancements in New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) and smart power grids are transforming the energy landscape, promoting efficiency and sustainability, while innovations in wind energy technology and the development of smart grids are enhancing the reliability and integration of renewable energy sources. These efforts significantly reduce carbon emissions and underpin the progression towards a sustainable future. By driving progress in these key areas, Chinese researchers are at the forefront of global energy innovation, exemplifying leadership, and commitment to achieving the sustainable development goals.

We were delighted to welcome Professor Wentao Huang from Shanghai Jiaotong University, who delivered an insightful keynote speech on Electrifying Maritime Transportation with Offshore Charging Platforms. Professor Huang, author of the Springer book Energy Management of Integrated Energy System in Large Ports, introduced the latest advances in technology as well as applications of offshore charging platforms around the world, and the prospect of developing electrical boats. The speech was carefully crafted in accessible language and covered a range of technical and social-economic perspectives to engage the diverse audience.

Professor Huang explained: “Answering the sustainable development challenges requires the coordination of economic, social and technical aspects, which need to be fully understood by the global society via publications. We've seen steadily increasing interest in the various fields of the SDGs by academia in recent decades. The findings of the scholar need to be seen widely and timely in such a fast-changing world.”

The History of the Awards

The Springer Nature China New Development Awards were first presented in 2019, marking the inaugural ceremony of what was to become an annual event at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF). Under the umbrella of the Springer Nature SDG Programme, the first CNDA event was a great success, attended by over 100 guests and covered by multiple media outlets. Encouraged by this success, we have developed these awards into a signature event over time, showcasing Chinese contributions to global sustainable development research through our outstanding book publications.

Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic soon followed, forcing the BIBF to move online and much of the world to stay put. The Awards Committee decided to continue with the CNDA nonetheless and the judges went through the same nomination, selection, reviewing, and voting process, ultimately selecting 10 books from various research areas by China-based researchers that made a positive impact on solving global challenges. These books were announced online, despite there being no ceremony to celebrate these achievements.

The Springer Nature China New Development Awards have become a signature event, showcasing Chinese contributions to global sustainable development research through outstanding book publications

In 2021 and 2022, the CNDA continued in a reduced format. Despite this, the awards committee and judges maintained their high level of enthusiasm in evaluating and selecting winners. Each year, we saw excellent and impactful books being recognized at our events, and the CNDA quickly established a strong reputation within the Chinese research community. Our editors started receiving enquiries book proposals for the China New Development Awards.

Publishing impactful sustainable research from China

Together, Springer and Palgrave publish over 900 scholarly books by Chinese authors each year. These books are integrated into Springer Nature’s subject collections, featuring the latest research outputs from scholars around the world.

By selecting and showcasing the most impactful sustainable research from China, and by bringing together economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological studies alongside engineering, computing, and medical research, we aim to raise awareness of the publishers’ potential to contribute to social development, inspire collaboration, and advance discovery.

Take a closer look at the award-winning books and their authors, and find out more about Springer Nature’s SDG Programme.