In June 2026, Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering convened its 3rd Editorial Board Development Seminar together with a Youth Editorial Board Exchange Seminar, bringing experts  to chart the journal's long-term direction.

The Editorial Board used the seminars to set out a clearer, more systematic approach to running the journal, backed by four concrete steps: Diversifying and strengthening the manuscript pipeline by working with industry bodies and international platforms; introducing a formal assessment and incentive system to motivate board members; engaging interdisciplinary guest editors to lead special issues; and using international conferences and partnerships to raise the journal's profile abroad.

Younger board members, meanwhile, proposed that manuscript solicitation should track national research priorities and emerging cross-disciplinary areas more closely. They also pushed for closer ties with universities and research institutes, and for a broader, multi-channel promotion strategy to reach a wider academic audience.

The two seminars fully integrated senior editors' experience with younger members' fresh thinking to build a journal led by scientists. Going forward, the journal plans to act on this vision step by step — sharpening the quality of what it publishes, formalizing how the editorial board operates, and deepening international collaboration — with the aim of steadily building both its academic reputation and its standing in the field.