MDPI Korea hosted the very first MDPI Seoul Salon, hosting over 20 valued researchers and professors serving on the Editorial Boards of MDPI journals.

Held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Hotel, the event served as a platform for lively discussions and notable presentations about the ever-evolving landscape of medicine in South Korea and across the globe, and how MDPI’s open access publishing model can initiate and support advancements in this field. It was also an opportunity for MDPI Korea to establish a stronger presence in the domestic academic community since its establishment just last year in April.

The Salon featured a series of presentations given by both MDPI employees and influential professors, as well as ample time for meaningful networking. The event kicked off with opening remarks and a first presentation by Mr. Caleb Snider, Managing Director (Asia), who spoke about MDPI and our open access mission. It was then followed by a presentation by Mr. Claude Seo, Representative Director of MDPI Korea, regarding the Seoul office’s efforts to support the South Korean academic community, primarily through the Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). To finish off the first session, Mr. Bogdan Berezoschi, Journal Relations Specialist, gave an in-depth briefing on the ethical standards of publishing in medical journals.

Following the coffee break, the first presentation of the second session was given by Prof. Dr. Young-Joon Surh of Seoul National University, a current Editorial Board Member of Oxygen. As an esteemed expert in cancer, his engaging presentation took a multifaceted approach to tackling the daunting question of whether humanity will be able to conquer the disease. The next speaker was Prof. Dr. Kwang-Sig Lee of Korea University, who has served as a Guest Editor for several MDPI Special Issues. He delved into the role of generative AI and reinforcement learning in social contexts, highlighting technicalities and advances. Last but not least, Prof. Dr. Jin-Won Noh of Yonsei University presented on planetary health—a relatively new term in the field of public health—including its definition, implications, and long-term objectives.

Looking ahead

The first MDPI Seoul Salon was a huge success in bringing together prominent academics to connect and share valuable insights about modern research topics in the field of medicine. We would like to thank all the guests for their time, enthusiasm, and support in the expansion of open science in South Korea. This Salon will serve as a stepping stone for more future events to be held by MDPI Korea that will encourage lively networking and knowledge exchange.