(ECNS)-- The first print issue of Vita, an international academic journal series in the life sciences led by China, was officially released on Wednesday, marking a significant step forward in China’s contribution to global scientific publishing.

Named after the Latin word for “life,” the publication adopts a “main journal + sub-journals” model.

The initiative is supported by the Life Science Open Alliance, which was founded in Hong Kong on August 12, 2025, by 15 leading universities and research institutions from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The alliance has since expanded to include 39 member institutions.

Aiming to benchmark itself against the world’s leading academic journals, Vita seeks to build a world-class platform for life sciences research. 

To foster a healthier research ecosystem, the journal is introducing an innovative “article-based journal evaluation” system.

Rather than relying primarily on traditional metrics such as the Science Citation Index (SCI), the publication will assess its academic standing based on the peer-reviewed quality of the original research papers it publishes, to refocus scientific research on academic quality and substance.

(By Helen Mo, intern Lin Qiaochu)