Recently, HUST has officially reached a strategic cooperation agreement with OAE Publishing Inc. The two parties will collaborate to establish the academic journal Soft Science (abbreviated as SS), which focuses on cutting-edge fields such as flexible materials, flexible structures, flexible electronics, and flexible systems with the aim of creating a high-level global academic exchange platform in the field of flexible science and jointly leading a new chapter of innovative development in this area.
As a leading university in such disciplinary field as mechanical engineering, optoelectronic information, materials science, biomedical engineering, and healthcare, HUST has long maintained a leading position in China and enjoys international recognition in the field of flexible science. It serves as a core force driving the innovative development of flexible electronics, flexible materials, and advanced devices. Multiple research teams, represented by the team led by Professor Huang Yong'an from MSE of HUST, have achieved a series of internationally influential breakthroughs in key areas such as flexible materials, flexible sensing, healthcare, brain-computer interfaces, and soft robots, continuously leading the frontier exploration of flexible science. Relying on a well-established talent echelon and an interdisciplinary innovation platform, the university has continuously consolidated its comprehensive advantages in the field of flexible science, laying a solid foundation for this strategic cooperation.
It is reported that the Soft Science Journal was founded by OAE Publishing Inc. in 2021. Professor Huang Yong'an, the Deputy Director of the National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment and Technology of HUST, a recipient of the "Science Exploration Award," a selected member of High-Level Talent Programs, and a professor from MSE of HUST, serves as the Editor-in-Chief. Professor John A. Rogers, an Academician of both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, known as the "Father of Flexible Electronics," serves as the Honorary Editor-in-Chief. The journal focuses on the entire chain of research in flexible science, covering key areas from basic research to application and commercialization, including flexible materials, flexible structures, flexible electronics, flexible systems, and advanced manufacturing technologies. Since its inception, the journal has experienced rapid development. It obtained its first Impact Factor (IF) of 9.0 in June 2025, with its current Immediate IF exceeding 15.0 and a Citescore of 7.4. It has been indexed by international authoritative databases such as ESCI, Scopus, CAS, Lens, Dimensions, CNKI, and ASCI, firmly occupying the Q1 quartile and becoming a highly promising international academic journal in the field of flexible science.
In the future, our university will engage in in-depth collaboration with the SS Journal, focusing on areas such as the publication of high-level scientific research results, the organization of international academic events, the development of special topics, and the improvement of a global author service system. And this collaboration will further enhance the journal's international dissemination and influence, contributing the strength of HUST to accelerating the construction of a world-class university and promoting the high-quality development of flexible science. The two parties will take this cooperation as an opportunity to jointly promote the construction of the academic ecosystem in the field of flexible science and help build a landmark international academic platform with significant influence in this field.
