Inclusivity
Overview
In the vast galaxy of science, knowledge should benefit all like starlight, transcending boundaries and hierarchies. Yet, the reality of the scientific field is often divided by invisible barriers, shutting many out. We aspire to use the key of education to unlock the doors to the hall of science, allowing people of all ages, regions, ethnicities, genders, and special groups to bask in the glow of knowledge. This is not merely a dissemination of knowledge but a profound dialogue on equality and respect, making science no longer distant but something everyone can touch, understand, and even create.
Our inclusive efforts primarily focus on the following five areas:
Age Inclusivity: Lifelong Science Education
“Science is not a privilege for a certain age group but a right for lifelong learning.”
We believe that science education should not be confined to a specific age but should extend across all stages of life. Therefore, we have designed educational activities tailored to different age groups:
For young children, we have launched the “Shared Reading Program”, using relatable stories (such as the inheritance patterns of hair color or single/double eyelids) and simple hands-on activities (like creating plant and animal specimens) to plant the seeds of science in their minds.
For primary and secondary school students, we have developed edutainment courses, such as “picture book-style courses”, which use the adventures of a teddy dog named “Chocolate” to explain complex concepts in synthetic biology.
For university students and professionals, we organize activities like fluorescent orienteering and molecular show to popularize knowledge of synthetic biology. We also co-host lectures like “SynBio Challenges” to share cutting-edge knowledge and research challenges in synthetic biology.
For the elderly, we have innovatively implemented an “intergenerational dialogue” mechanism, starting with everyday topics like pesticide residues on vegetables, to shift the elderly from being “passive recipients of science education” to “co-creators of knowledge”.
These activities not only meet the learning needs of audiences across different age groups but also make science a possibility for lifelong learning.
(See more details in Education)
Region Inclusivity: From “Resource-Poor Areas” to “Educational High Ground”
“Geographical boundaries should not become barriers to scientific understanding.”
We are acutely aware that the uneven distribution of educational resources is a major obstacle to science education. Therefore, we place special emphasis on addressing the urban-rural gap and regional disparities. In rural areas with scarce educational resources, such as Hebi City in Henan Province and Gusheng Village in Dali, Yunnan, we have organized the CHUN GENG program and online courses on sustainable development. Through easily understandable curriculum design, children in rural areas can effortlessly access knowledge of synthetic biology.
Our science education initiatives have reached six provinces across China. By tailoring activities to local conditions, we strive to bridge the gap in science education between urban and rural areas and across regions.
Ethnic Equality: From “Cultural Adaptation” to “Cultural Co-creation”
“Science communication is not about assimilation, but about enabling every culture to become a native language of science.”
We are committed to eliminating disparities in scientific understanding among ethnic groups, ensuring that every community can participate equally in science education.
At a Mongolian elementary school in Bairin Right Banner, Inner Mongolia, we shared stories about bacteriophages and guided children in creating phage models using modeling clay. By delivering science education in their native language and adapting to cultural contexts, we made scientific knowledge more accessible to ethnic minority students.
At a Bai ethnic elementary school by Erhai Lake in Yunnan, we designed a thematic course themed on “Erhai Lake Conservation and Synthetic Biology”, incorporating local ecological environments and environmental protection cases. This allowed children to grasp scientific concepts within a familiar cultural framework.
We go beyond disseminating scientific knowledge by respecting and integrating local cultures, making science a bridge that connects diverse ethnic groups.
Gender Equality: Eliminating Gender Bias in STEM Fields
“Inclusivity is not about ‘giving girls pink microscopes’, but about deconstructing the metaphor that ‘science = masculine’.”
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is not only a channel for knowledge transmission but also a critical pathway for cultivating critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Participation in STEM courses provides everyone - especially women who are often marginalized - with equal opportunities to master cutting-edge tools and engage in technological innovation, enabling them to voice their perspectives and contribute to fields that shape the future. We focus on gender equality and strive to break down the implicit gender barriers in STEM.
In our team (CAU-China 2025), both student leaders are women, and female members make up over two-thirds of the team, all demonstrating exceptional capabilities.
Additionally, a significant proportion of the participants in our various science education activities are girls.
Moreover, in the vibrant month of March, we celebrated the 115th International Women’s Day. Our team organized a Women’s Day themed event series titled “Brilliance in Bloom, Radiance in Light”, meticulously designed with three segments:
- “Her Strength”: A fun ring-toss game encouraging female teachers and students to participate and showcase teamwork.
- “Her Bloom”: Bouquet-making and postcard-writing activities to express admiration and blessings for women.
- “Her Brilliance”: Photo opportunities to capture beautiful moments, accompanied by servings of fruit tea and milk tea to convey warmth and gratitude, fully embodying respect and care for women.
We are committed to making science education a stage for everyone, not an exclusive domain for any single gender.
Special Groups: Enabling the “Excluded” to Become “Co-creators of the Rules”
“Inclusivity is not about ‘lowering standards for special groups,’ but about allowing them to redefine what ‘standards’ mean.”
Our project began with addressing bacterial diseases in agriculture by developing PhAgri, a bacteriophage-based bio-pesticide. However, we did not stop there. Driven by a deeper understanding and inclusivity toward the issue of “drug-resistant pathogens”, we turned our attention to a vulnerable group severely affected by it - patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
We explored the potential of applying our bacteriophage technology platform to human healthcare and actively raised awareness by disseminating information to foster public understanding and compassion for this special group. This journey from the fields to the wards not only demonstrated the adaptability of our technology but also embodied our commitment to humanistic care and inclusive innovation.
Conclusion
Science becomes inclusive through being “translated”, not through being “disseminated”. We are not simply “popularizing science for ethnic minorities/girls/special groups” but rather allowing them to tell us “what science should be”. We are not “pulling marginalized groups in” but reconstructing science itself as a language that “belongs to everyone”.
Our work not only identifies inclusivity barriers in science education but also strives to expand accessibility through innovative activity designs and context-specific strategies. By engaging in in-depth dialogue with target groups, we ensure their needs and values become the core of educational design. At the same time, we meticulously document the processes and outcomes of all activities, providing replicable templates and insights for future science education practitioners.
Through these efforts, we have demonstrated that inclusivity in science education is not an abstract ideal but a goal achievable through concrete actions. We hope our work will inspire more teams to join the exploration of inclusive science education and collectively shape a more open and equitable future for science.