Last week, MDPI Canada hosted the MDPI New York Editors Salon, bringing together 50+ editors, researchers, and academics to engage in important discussions that helped to not only shape the publishing processes of MDPI moving forward but also push open access research forward as a whole. Held at Columbia University’s Faculty House, which was constructed in 1923 and has hosted many influential dignitaries such as Martin Luther King Jr., the Salon provided an outlet for industry difference-makers to convene. With the plethora of discussions, presentations, knowledge exchange, and networking opportunities, the event aided MDPI Canada in reinforcing its commitment to the North American scientific community, both now and in the future.

The event began with opening remarks given by our Journal Relations Specialist, Ms. Sofia Zelko, before transitioning to presentations from our Operations Manager, Ms. Summer Huggard, and Journal Relations Specialist, Dr. Zach Churcher, who provided an inside look at MDPI Canada’s operations and initiatives in North America, open access and its entry into mainstream publishing, and the IOAP and Institutional Partnerships. Following an award presentation celebrating a select few distinguished attendees, the festivities began anew with a presentation on Publication Ethics at MDPI given by Dr. Stephen Mora, highlighting key facts regarding our own internal processes and dispelling concerns typical within the industry. The final session consisted of a roundtable discussion on a variety of key topics such as MDPI’s incredibly fast review process and its safeguards, collaborative promotion of MDPI journals on a broad scale, applications of AI use in publishing, and the potential development of publishing protocols to increase the Impact Factor of various journals. Each attendee was given the chance to offer feedback to the panel, and the collaborative insights gained and shared between scholars and the publisher provided a foundation for MDPI to improve its processes and relationships, both on an academic and institutional level, while maintaining the efficiency and quality in scholarly publishing that our editors have come to expect.

Best Contribution Awards

The MDPI Best Contribution Award is presented to editors to recognize their outstanding dedication and efforts in supporting their journals and acknowledge their exceptional contributions in various key areas, including providing thorough and insightful reviews, making informed and fair decisions, ensuring the quality and integrity of the publication process, and facilitating the timely submission of high-quality manuscripts. Moreover, the award celebrates the recipient’s commitment to their journal's growth and success through their continued support and collaboration with both authors and the editorial team alike. This prestigious recognition honors this vital and demanding role in upholding the academic excellence and credibility of their journal(s). The following four winners were recognized at the 2025 New York Salon:

Looking Ahead

The MDPI New York Salon was a celebration of academic excellence, and as our first North American Salon outside of Canada, it served as a baseline from which we can expand our reach into all areas of the continent in which MDPI editors reside. We extend our gratitude to every attendee, speaker, and award winner for their participation and contributions. As MDPI Canada continues to support open access research and scientific publishing, we look forward to hosting more gatherings such as this to allow the brightest minds in academia to gather.