To build a global virtual community for Chinese-speaking scientists.

ScienceNet is a social enterprise. Rather than maximizing its profits, ScienceNet aims to promote scientific exchange and science spirit in the Chinese science community.

Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations that apply market-based strategies to achieve a social purpose.The movement includes both non-profits that use business models to pursue their mission and for-profits whose primary purposes are social. Their aim – to accomplish targets that are social and or environmental as well as financial – is often referred to as the triple bottom line. Many commercial businesses would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social or environmental purpose remains central to their operation. For more information on Social enterprise, please refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_enterprise.

There are four social goals of ScienceNet:

1.  To promote innovation and scientific development of China.

2.  To promote open, fair and equal communication within the Chinese scientific community. To promote a more democratic and transparent progress of its science policy making. To change its science infrastructure to better serve the national goal of an innovation country.

3.  To promote science education and effective communication between the science community and the general public.

4.  To promote science spirit and science methodology in China.