On April 9, Frank Peeters, CEO of Springer Nature Group, visited Nanjing University, where he was received by President Tan Zheming, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, at the Xianlin campus.
President Tan warmly welcomed Peeters and his delegation, expressing gratitude for the long-standing support the Nature Group has provided to NJU. He pointed out that since its establishment, NJU has been renowned for its scientific achievements, particularly in fundamental research. In recent years, the university has achieved significant results, consistently publishing high-level research outcomes in international academic journals such as Nature and Science. In the 2026 Nature Index, NJU ranked 8th among global universities, showcasing its robust research innovation vitality. Currently, NJU is fully implementing the global openness strategy, continuously enhancing its internationalization efforts. With the new layout of two cities and four campuses, and the accelerated development of cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields such as new engineering, new medicine, and artificial intelligence, there will be broader platforms and spaces for both parties to expand cooperation and deepen collaboration. He looks forward to continuing to work together to achieve greater breakthroughs in international promotion, research training, data sharing, conference organization, and academic publishing, contributing more to academic innovation and scientific development.
Peeters expressed his gratitude for the warm reception at NJU. He introduced the development of Springer Nature Group both globally and in China, focusing on the effectiveness of the new model of open access publishing and the promotion of global academic exchange and dissemination. He stated that the group attaches great importance to its cooperation with NJU and hopes to deepen collaboration in academic development, international communication, and discipline construction, jointly contributing to global academic development and promotion.
During the meeting, both parties engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as enhancing international influence, electronic resource construction and academic publishing cooperation, optimizing strategic support systems, and future development planning. Participants shared experiences and exchanged ideas based on their respective work contexts, discussing ways to further deepen cooperation and promote high-quality development in related fields.
Attendees included Arnout Jacobs, President of Springer Nature Greater China; Cen Lichao, Director of Institutional and Corporate Partnerships for Nature Portfolio in Greater China and Mongolia; relevant representatives from Springer Nature Group; and leaders and representatives from NJU's International Affairs Office, Library, Publicity Department of the NJU CPC Committee, Office of Science and Technology, and Department of Discipline Construction and Development Planning.
