CHANGSHA, China, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Science and Technology Daily:

"When we first joined the IUSTC, it was hard to imagine that AI would one day translate news faster than we can read it," said Ushakov Dmitry Alekseevich, executive director of the Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group in Russia.

Ushakov was speaking at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Union for Science and Technology Communication (IUSTC) & Forum on Charting the Path for the Global Outreach of the Integrated Culture-Tech Industries, held in Changsha, Hunan province in central China, on November 9.

This was the first time the meeting was held outside Beijing since the establishment of the IUSTC in 2018. Member representatives and guests from China, Russia, the U.S., Cambodia, Thailand and Australia shared practices in international science communication and discussed the IUSTC's future development.

Sci-tech development calls for media dialogue

"The role of modern media is to help people stay connected along the way. Russia and China have enormous scientific, technological and cultural potential. We highly value our long-standing partnership with Science and Technology Daily," Ushakov said. He hoped that IUSTC members would expand cooperation in science journalism, digital technologies, AI and international information exchange.

"We live in an era where culture and technology are deeply intertwined. Every technological leap reshapes the landscape of cultural creation and dissemination," said Xu Zhilong, editor-in-chief of Science and Technology Daily and president of IUSTC. The rapid development of AI has created unprecedented opportunities for cultural creation and communication, but also challenges that must be clearly recognized. "As key players in the cultural and technological sectors of our respective countries, we must not only make good use of these tools, but also uphold the right principles, ensuring that the technology always remains a driving force for the flourishing of civilization," Xu said.

Lim Menghour, director of the Mekong Centre for Strategic Studies at the Asian Vision Institute of Cambodia, said researchers are developing new technologies faster than ever, but scientific discoveries alone cannot answer every question. We also need conversations about how these technologies affect our communities, our economies and our future—and this is where the media can play a role. Lim hopes to work with IUSTC members to strengthen communication among researchers, journalists and policymakers.

Integrating culture and sci-tech broadens narrative boundaries

Pan Ganwu, executive president of ASEANTOP News, said in his message to the meeting that since joining the IUSTC, he has felt more deeply that science communication is an important bond connecting different countries, fields and communities. He looks forward to working with all parties to spread more sci-tech achievements, innovative ideas and cooperation stories to the wider world.

Hunan, the host province of the meeting, has rich practical experience in integrating culture and technology for global communication. Local cultural and tech industries have continuously explored overseas paths, exporting Chinese books, cultural contents and innovative stories to global markets. Such localized practices demonstrate how cultural and technological integration can empower international communication and enrich global narrative resources.

Li Shihai, deputy editor-in-chief of ASEANTOP News, commented that international communication should feature localized stories and lightweight storytelling. It should also leverage both local and social media platforms, while balancing factual accuracy with cultural empathy.

The documentary "Tech Code," produced by Science and Technology Daily, integrates culture and technology in a coordinated manner. Young students from other countries were invited to explore Jingdezhen ceramics in east China's Jiangxi province, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Longmen Grottoes in central Henan province, and the Jinci Temple in Shanxi in north China. They experienced firsthand the important role of technology in protecting and passing on cultural heritage.

When sci-tech elements are integrated into cultural symbols, they help culture reach further, Fang Linlin, deputy director of the International Department of Science and Technology Daily, said.

Liu Xiaolin, vice president for Audience Development, APAC, at PR Newswire, shared his experience: "Sharing innovation globally takes more than translation or distribution. It requires trusted information, local understanding, and stories that resonate with people from different cultural backgrounds." He said that as AI changes how people access information, these trusted connections are becoming more important than ever. He looks forward to continuing cooperation with IUSTC members to bring more Chinese science, technology and culture stories to audiences in Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Pragmatic multilateral cooperation ahead

To consolidate the IUSTC's synergy, members jointly released the Initiative on Deepening International Science and Technology Communication Cooperation and Promoting Global Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning. It outlines practical cooperation in six areas: content exchange, communication collaboration, media innovation, exchange platforms, journalistic responsibility and culture-tech integration.

"IUSTC members should serve as the advocates of the culture-technology integration concept, the communicators of brands that integrate culture and technology, and the practitioners of integrated development of both," Xu said. He encouraged stakeholders in the cultural sector, including media organizations, to lead the way and participate in developing new technological foundations and content vehicles, such as open-source communities, large language models and intelligent agents. At the same time, they should engage in co-creating content, sharing channels and jointly constructing platforms, thus fostering mutual understanding among peoples and promoting exchange and mutual learning between civilizations.

As a Chinese saying goes, "Even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations." From Changsha, IUSTC members are turning consensus into action and the initiative into a roadmap for their next stage of cooperation.

https://youtu.be/4hmewHb_2uI