World Scientific

World Scientific
Name	World Scientific Publishing
Founded	1981
Founders	Phua Kok Khoo, Barry Ninham
Country	Singapore
Headquarters	Pasir Panjang
Distribution	International
Topics	Science, Technology, Medicine, Economics

World Scientific is an academic and professional publisher founded in 1981 in Singapore by Phua Kok Khoo and Barry Ninham. It publishes books, journals, and conference proceedings across subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, biosciences, and economics, collaborating with international societies, universities, and research institutes. The company operates alongside global publishers and engages with platforms, indexing services, and academic awards to disseminate scholarly works.

History

World Scientific was established in the early 1980s during a period of expansion in scholarly publishing marked by the rise of regional centers such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei. Founders Phua Kok Khoo and Barry Ninham positioned the press to serve authors affiliated with institutions like Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, and research agencies such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research. Early collaborations included conference proceedings from meetings held by organizations like the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the International Mathematical Union. Over time the publisher expanded its footprint through partnerships with societies including the International Society for Optical Engineering and the American Chemical Society-affiliated groups, and by recruiting editorial boards featuring scholars from Cambridge University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and Oxford University.

Publishing Programmes and Imprints

The publisher's program encompasses monographs, textbooks, reference works, and edited volumes in fields represented by institutions such as the Royal Society, Institut Pasteur, and the Max Planck Society. Imprints and series have targeted audiences connected to bodies like the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations University through regionally themed titles. Subject series often reflect collaborations with centers such as the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, addressing topics linked to awards like the Nobel Prize laureates' research and themes from the Fields Medal and the Turing Award.

Journals and Proceedings

The publisher maintains a portfolio of peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings tied to professional societies including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Institute of Physics, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Journals span specialties represented at conferences such as the International Conference on Machine Learning, the International Conference on High Energy Physics, and meetings organized by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Proceedings outlets have published work from symposia hosted by universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and regional conferences in Beijing, Seoul, and Bangkok.

Notable Authors and Titles

Authors published include scholars affiliated with institutions such as Cambridge University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, University of Chicago, and Yale University. Titles have covered work influenced by figures connected to the Nobel Prize (for example research aligned with laureates at CERN and the Max Planck Institute), foundational texts used in courses at University of Oxford and series cited in reports by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Edited volumes have compiled papers from conferences featuring contributors associated with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, the American Physical Society, and the Society for Neuroscience.

Business Operations and Partnerships

Operationally the company engages in distribution arrangements with international partners in markets such as United States, United Kingdom, China, India, and Japan, collaborating with wholesalers, libraries, and indexing services including those linked to Scopus and Web of Science. Partnerships have been formed with academic societies and university presses, and with technology providers to support digital platforms utilized by libraries at institutions such as Columbia University, University of California, University of Tokyo, and Peking University. The publisher participates in book fairs and exhibitions alongside organizations like the Frankfurt Book Fair, the London Book Fair, and regional events in Kuala Lumpur.

Controversies and Criticisms

The publisher has faced scrutiny common to the scholarly publishing sector, including debates over pricing models discussed in forums involving Association of American Publishers, International Publishers Association, and library consortia at OCLC and JSTOR. Criticisms have arisen related to peer review standards in niche proceedings venues and in comparisons with large commercial houses such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley-Blackwell. Discussions in academic forums and at meetings of organizations like the Committee on Publication Ethics and the Council of Science Editors have addressed transparency, indexing practices in databases like Scopus and Web of Science, and relations with editorial boards drawn from universities including University of Melbourne, University of Toronto, and National University of Singapore.

Category:Academic publishers Category:Publishing companies of Singapore