China to launch flagship international science journal Vita in spring 2026

Vita, a flagship international journal targeting top-tier ranking in life sciences and biomedicine led by China, is set to launch in spring 2026, Westlake University said on Saturday.

Derived from the Latin word for "life," the name Vita aptly reflects the journal's disciplinary focus while conveying an inclusive and borderless academic vision, said Li Dangsheng, editor-in-chief of the journal.

Preparations for Vita are now advancing steadily. An international serial number has been secured, an expert advisory committee comprising nearly 100 distinguished scientists from around the world has been established, and the first set of original research articles is now in final review. These articles will go live in the first quarter of 2026, with the print edition to follow in June of the same year.

Vita will link with the "Langtaosha Preprint Server," led by Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation and jointly built with Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Tsinghua University, and Westlake University. The platform provides life sciences and biomedicine researchers a fast channel for sharing pre-publication results.

The creation of Vita responds to a pressing need in China's scientific advancement. Despite the country's rise as a global leader in life sciences research over the past decade, the development of high-quality domestic journals has not kept pace.

"Therefore, establishing a world-class scientific journal led by China and recognized internationally is not only necessary but urgent," said Shi Yigong, president of Westlake University.

Vita will build a professional editorial team committed to upholding rigorous academic standards, thereby ensuring the innovativeness and credibility of the research it publishes. The journal will operate on an open-access model and will not charge authors any OA or publication fees.

The journal is co-founded by Higher Education Press and Westlake University, in partnership with the Life Science Open Alliance.