The Polymers Editorial Board Meeting was held on 23 November 2025, at the Baiyun International Convention Center in Guangzhou, China. Experts and scholars from leading universities and research institutes across China gathered with the journal’s editorial team for in-depth discussions on several key topics, including strengthening Editorial Board collaboration, enhancing publication service quality, advancing partnerships with Chinese institutions, and exploring the opportunities and challenges posed by AI in academic publication. Attendees contributed valuable insights and constructive suggestions to support the steady growth of Polymers (ISSN: 2073-4360).

Prof. Guang Yang from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, who chaired the meeting, delivered the opening remarks. She extended a warm welcome and heartfelt appreciation to all participating Editorial Board Members.

Mr. Hunter Jia, Managing Editor of Polymers, presented the journal’s annual report, offering a comprehensive overview of our recent performance metrics, quality control measures across all stages of manuscript processing, and ongoing marketing initiatives. He also shared the journal’s current development focus, future plans, and expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming 4th International Conference on Polymers (Polymers 2026: Trends, Innovation and Future).

Opening remarks by Prof. Guang Yang

Journal report and thematic discussions

The discussion session was lively and productive, with Editorial Board Members sharing their experiences and perspectives on the journal’s opportunities and challenges. They offered several practical recommendations to further enhance the journal’s global influence. Moving forward, Polymers will continue to:

• Strengthen direct communication with scholars to gather timely feedback;
• Maintain a stable output of high-quality manuscripts;
• Establish a more flexible and responsive service system to improve the author experience.

Participants (from left to right): Guang Yang (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Wei Yu (Fudan University), Dongmei Han (Sun Yat-sen University), Shaojun Chen (Shenzhen University), Shanfeng Wang (Sun Yat-sen University), Jun Sun (Beijing University of Chemical Technology), Kunpeng Cui (University of Science and Technology of China), Shengtai Zhou (Sichuan University), and Dengxu Wang (Shandong University).

The meeting yielded fruitful results, with Editorial Board Members and the editorial team reaching broad consensus on several core issues. The in-person discussions not only deepened attendees’ understanding of Polymers, but also strengthened mutual trust and built a valuable platform for interaction among scholars from different institutions and research fields. The Editorial Board Members also expressed their willingness to continue working closely with the journal to advance future initiatives and further enhance Polymers’ global visibility in the polymer science community.

Group photo after the meeting

Looking ahead, the editorial team of Polymers will continue to incorporate the valuable recommendations gathered during the meeting, improve academic quality, expand dissemination channels, and strengthen engagement with the academic community. With the joint efforts of scholars and editors, Polymers is well positioned for even greater growth and will continue contributing to innovation and academic communication in the global field of polymer science.