In order to further improve the level and academic quality of the USTB  International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials  (IJMMM) (English Edition), give full play to the role of the editorial board in academic guidance, strengthen communication and exchange with experts on the editorial board, and formulate a long-term development plan for the subject of journal materials. The journal held the 2021 materials editorial board meeting in Xiamen, Fujian Province. Prof. WU Aixiang, editor-in-chief, Prof. WANG Luning, deputy editor and vice president, Prof. ZHANG Tongyi, academician of Chinese Academy of Science and advisory committee member, as well as more than 40 members of the materials and youth editorial board attended the conference. The meeting was presided over by Prof. JI Shujuan, director of the Journal Center.

On behalf of USTB, Prof. WANG Luning expressed his gratitude to the academicians, editorial board members, and experts for the long-term support and help to the construction and development of the university’s journal.

Prof. WU Aixiang, on behalf of the journal, welcomed the academicians, editorial board members and experts of materials discipline. He introduced the latest progress made by the journal in 2021 with the support of the USTB’s “True and Innovative Journal Plan”, including the progress made in the latest academic indicators, the fruitful results in the recruitment of contribution, the new progress in the construction of new media platform, e-mail push, and academic community, etc.

JIANG Wei, deputy editor of IJMMM (English Edition) and deputy director of the Journal Center, introduced the work of the journal in 2021 to the experts in detail. She described China's latest policy background, the development status of the journal, the construction of the “True and Innovative Journal Plan”, the main problems, and development ideas.

Afterward, the award ceremony for outstanding papers of the journal was held.

The seminar was hosted by Prof. WANG Luning. The editorial board members discussed how to benchmark the international first-class journals, the development goals and positioning of the journals, how to invite high-quality articles, the topic selection direction, how to strengthen communication with the same industry, improve the services and shorten the time of publication, how to improve the popularity and its international influence, and how to give full play to the role of the editorial board. The experts expressed that they will actively perform the duties of editorial board, participate in the construction of the journal in all-round way, strive to improve the academic quality, and help the journal to quickly enter the world first rank.