Announcements

MDPI will be attending the 2024 ASA (American Society of Agronomy), CSSA (Crop Science Society of America), and SSSA (Soil Science Society of America) International Annual Meeting which will be held from 10 to 13 November 2024 in San Antonio, USA.

The 2024 ASA, CSSA, & SSSA International Annual Meeting draws over 4,000 professionals and is known for attracting a diverse group of scientists, researchers, educators, consultants, and policymakers specializing in areas such as plant breeding, soil health, agronomic systems, environmental sustainability, and crop management. This event provides a dynamic platform for sharing best-in-class research, exploring innovative solutions, and addressing the challenges of global food security and environmental stewardship.

For our MDPI community, this event is an invaluable opportunity for professional development, networking, and collaboration. It is not only a place to stay current with the latest scientific advancements but also to connect with like-minded professionals, expand your network, and explore career possibilities.

We encourage you to attend, connect, and grow alongside thousands of other professionals committed to making a difference in the field of agricultural science.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Agronomy (leading);
• Agriculture (leading);
• Plants;
• Land;
• Seeds;
• AgriEngineering;
• Nitrogen;
• Crops;
• Horticulturae;
• Technologies;
• Climate;
• Sustainability;
• Applied Sciences;
• Drones;
• Environments;
• Actuators;
• Robotics;
• Computers;
• Remote Sensing;
• AI.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, we encourage you to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit its official website at https://www.acsmeetings.org/.

As a leader in open access publishing, MDPI is eager to explore new collaboration opportunities, including the launch of new journals and the transfer of existing ones. At present, MDPI publishes over 400 journals, more than 160 of which have established partnerships with academic organizations. Additionally, we publish 19 association journals.

In order to enhance exchange and cooperation with scientific researchers and share the results of open science, MDPI invites experts and scholars from various fields to submit proposals for new journal collaboration opportunities. If your proposal is approved, you could take on the role of Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, or Editorial Board Member of the journal. This position allows you to manage the manuscript review process alongside our editorial department, participate in calls for papers, strengthen your network with scholars in the field, expand scientific research cooperation, enhance your personal and academic influence internationally, and play a leading role in academia.

Once the new journal is online, MDPI will provide a variety of promotional channels to market the journal internationally.

MDPI will offer various promotional channels to enhance its visibility and promote it internationally.

How can you determine the theme of a new journal?

• Assess research hotspots/academic frontiers;
• Assess pioneers in the field/key research directions of universities;
• Determine whether MDPI has already established a journal in the field.

You can browse MDPI’s existing journals at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

Advantages of collaborating with MDPI:

• MDPI is a global leader in open-access publishing with extensive academic resources.
• MDPI offers a professional publishing team that provides comprehensive support throughout the publishing process.
• MDPI’s diverse promotional platforms and channels help journals quickly increase their international visibility and influence.

We invite you to submit new journal proposal here, and contribute to academic development! In addition, if your institution (university, institute, college, national key laboratory, society, etc.) intends to establish a journal, you can also submit a draft to MDPI on its behalf.

MDPI journals frequently grant travel awards to empower junior researchers to showcase their latest research at academic conferences, thereby amplifying their impact within their research fields.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 103 recipients of MDPI's 2023 Travel Awards from different countries and territories for their exceptional presentations. These outstanding individuals were selected by the journal editors based on the strength of their research proposals and the anticipated impact of their presentations at academic conferences. We commend their exceptional contributions and wish them continued success in their academic endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about the list of awardees, please visit the following pages:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Public Health and Healthcare;
• Others.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

We are currently recruiting Editorial Board Members for all Sections. If you are interested, or can recommend potential candidates, please contact the Agriculture Editorial Office.

Agriculture (IF: 3.3, ISSN: 2077-0472) is an international, scholarly and scientific open access journal publishing peer-reviewed research papers, review articles, communications and short notes that reflect the breadth and interdisciplinarity of agriculture. The aim of Agriculture is to publish research on the science and technology of crop and animal production, biosecurity, postharvest handling of produce, agricultural technology, management of the natural resource base for agricultural production (land, soil and water), rural management and agricultural development, and agriculture in changing environments.

As an Editorial Board Member, your main responsibilities are as follows:

• Pre-screening and making decisions on new submissions related to your research interests;
• Setting up at least one Special Issue during your term on a topic related to your research interests (or supervising Special Issues related to your research field);
• Providing input or feedback regarding journal policies;
• Helping to promote the journal among your peers or at conferences;
• Attending Board meetings to suggest journal development strategies;
• Reviewing manuscripts;
• Helping to attract suitable expert authors and inviting young scholars to join the Topical Advisory Panel.

The benefits of being an Editorial Board Member are as follows:

• The opportunity to publish one free paper per year in Agriculture;
• A certificate in recognition of your position;
• Additional sponsorships for conferences organized by the Editorial Board Members of Agriculture;
• Travel grants for conferences that you attend or organize.

If you are interested in becoming an Editorial Board Member or have potential candidates to recommend, please contact the Agriculture Editorial Office. We believe that by combining our rigorous editorial policies with your expertise, we can build a high-quality journal. We thank you in advance for your interest and look forward to collaborating with you.

Agriculture Editorial Office

MDPI will attend the 23rd International Conference “Life Sciences for Sustainable Development”, which will take place from 26 to 28 Sep 2024 in Cluj, Romania, at The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca.

This conference is a dynamic forum for the exchange of scientific experiences, innovative ideas and concepts, future prospects in agriculture, plant and animal science, food science and technology, biotechnology, and veterinary medicine, as well as other interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary areas.

The 23rd International Conference “Life Sciences for Sustainable Development” includes invited conferences, presented by known international and national personalities, and oral and poster presentations, where recent advanced scientific and technical results can be seen, especially now, in the context of the new European Research Program “Horizon 2020” and of the national Research, Technological Development and Innovation Program, related to life sciences.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Agriculture;
• J;
• Foods;
• Plants;
• Veterinary Sciences;
• Sustainability;
• Dairy;
• Crops;
• Aquaculture;
• Poultry;
• Ruminants;
• Seeds.

If you plan to attend this conference, we invite you to visit our booth and converse with our delegates at the conference venue (The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Romania). We are excited to meet you in person and address any questions that you may have. For further details about the conference, please visit the following website: https://symposium.usamvcluj.ro/.

We are thrilled to announce an international conference organized by Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 31 March through 2 April 2025. This global event, under Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security, is significant, bringing together plant scientists worldwide to discuss and share their latest research and findings. The world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, just 25 years from now. This calls for a more concerted effort by scientists to increase agricultural production to feed the growing population and maintain a sustainable agroecosystem while increasing crop yields and quality. In addition, preserving waterways from contamination due to the excessive use of agrochemicals (herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers) and maintaining and increasing forest cover are essential issues. This conference addresses these topics through keynote talks and seven different sessions for presenting innovation and prospects for the future.

We will have seven main themes at this conference, where presenters can make their scientific discoveries known:

• Session 1: Plant responses to abiotic stress and climate change;
• Session 2: Plant–microbe interactions;
• Session 3: Emerging technologies in plant health;
• Session 4: Emerging technologies in plant breeding;
• Session 5: Emerging technologies in biotechnology and molecular research;
• Session 6: Seed technologies and seed enhancement;
• Session 7: Plant nutrition.

The conference organizers look forward to having experts in the field deliver keynote talks and invite other experts, postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, and anyone interested in plant research and innovation to attend this conference.

The conference will be held in Barcelona, a picturesque city where scientists from around the world can unwind and enjoy Spanish culture, food and the seaside. We, the conference chairs, look forward to welcoming you to Plants 2025.

Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Editor-in-Chief of Plants
Prof. Dr. Fermin Morales, Section Editor-in-Chief of Plants
Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente, Section Editor-in-Chief of Plants

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are granted to promising young scholars whose PhD theses are deemed exceptional within their respective research fields. These awards aim to encourage young scholars to continue their outstanding accomplishments and further contribute to their field.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 54 winners of the 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising early career scientists, acknowledge their contributions, and foster collaboration within the scientific community. We are proud to announce the recipients for 2023, who were carefully selected by the journals’ esteemed Award Evaluation Committee.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 79 winners of MDPI’s 2023 Young Investigator Awards for their excellent contributions in their research field. We look forward to seeing these rising stars continue to contribute to the advancement of science.

MDPI will continue to support and recognize the academic community. To explore details about the awardees by field, please visit the individual pages listed below:

Congratulations to all the winners for their exceptional contributions and dedication to advancing scientific research.

About MDPI Awards:
To support the academic community, particularly young researchers, and to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help to elevate the profiles of talented individuals who have made outstanding achievements and are making significant contributions to advancements in their respective fields.

To find out more about MDPI awards, please click here.

In May, MDPI Romania held three author training sessions – one endorsing an external event and two stand-alone sessions.

The National Session of Scientific Student Communications took place at Technical University Cluj on 17 and 18 May 2024. MDPI Romania sponsored this event and contributed an author training session on the production of research papers and case study analyses. JRS Norbert Kiss gave a presentation called The World of Open Access to explain different open access publishing models and the benefits of open access publishing. His presentation highlighted the impact of open access publishing on scientific progress and innovation.

On 29 May 2024, MDPI Romania hosted an author training session for Ph.D. students, early career researchers, and professors at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In collaboration with Prof. Andreea Arsene, JRS Ioana Paunescu prepared two presentations: The Steps of the Publishing Process and Elaboration of a Peer Review Report. In her first presentation, she delved into MDPI’s history and mission, MDPI’s editorial process, and MDPI journals of various scopes that are accepting submissions. Her second presentation outlined the types of peer review, the contents of a peer review report by an MDPI reviewer, and the responsibilities of an MDPI reviewer.

MDPI Romania also hosted an author training session at the Iasi University of Life Sciences on 29 May 2024. JRSs Laurentiu Preda and Cosmin Artan gave four presentations: Efficient Writing of an ISI-Indexed Scientific Article, Benefits of Publishing in the Open Access Model, Various Methods of Open Access Publishing, and MDPI Guide for the Article Review Process. The first three presentations offered guidance on how to improve academic writing, the fourth focused on how to write peer review reports. A highly interactive discussion followed the presentations, during which the JRSs provided extensive answers to attendees’ questions.

MDPI is grateful for all the attendees, speakers, and organizers involved in these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

MDPI will be attending the 2024 Asian Plant Pathology Congress and Annual Academic Meeting of the Chinese Society of Plant Pathology in Changchun, China, which will take place from 3 to 7 August 2024. In order to strengthen academic exchange and promote the high-quality development of phytopathology in the country, we celebrate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Phytopathology Society. It is hosted by the Chinese Phytopathology Society and organized by Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin University, the Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Jilin Agricultural Technology Extension Station, and other units. The topics of the conference include plant pathogenic oomycetes, plant virology, plant pathogenic bacteriology, plant pathogenic nematology, plant disease control, etc.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Agronomy (leading);
• Life (leading);
• Agriculture;
• Plants;
• Pathogens;
• IJPB;
• IJMS;
• CIMB;
• JoF;
• Seeds.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to engage with us at our booth #B09. Our delegates look forward to meeting you and answering any questions that you may have.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Jianlin Shen has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture” in Agriculture (ISSN: 2077-0472).

Prof. Dr. Jianlin Shen is a professor of soil ecology and the agricultural environment at the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

He holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in plant nutrition from China Agricultural University (2010), and is currently a co-training Ph.D. student at the University of Hohenheim in Germany. His major research activities focus on the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., CH₄ and N₂O) and non-point source pollution (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus leaching, ammonia volatilization) from agroecosystems. He is the author of more than 100 papers indexed by Scopus and has supervised the graduate studies of more than 30 students. He has participated as a proposer or as a scientific partner in several R&D projects funded by various national and international research funding organizations, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a member of the scientific advisory group on total atmospheric deposition for the World Meteorological Organization.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Jianlin Shen, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role of Section Editor-in-Chief?
Firstly, I think open access journals will be increasingly welcomed in the future by readers as well as authors. Secondly, as Section Editor-in-Chief, I want to contribute to the publication of high-quality papers in the research field of ecosystems, environment and climate change in Agriculture (e.g., by organizing Special Issues, or by improving the quality of manuscripts).

2. Can you briefly introduce your current research?
My research focuses on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in agroecosystems and the related environmental effects. We have conducted field experiments, in situ monitoring, incubation experiments as well as modeling studies to find out how agricultural management measures affect greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions, as well as non-point source pollution from croplands and animal farms. 

3. What is your vision for the journal?
I hope that Agriculture will become a high-quality and internationally famous journal in the field of agricultural study.

4. What does the future of this field of research look like?
There will be more novel studies on how management measures affect agricultural ecosystem functions (e.g., yield, quality of agricultural products, soil quality), how agricultural production affects the environment and watershed at regional and global scales, how the negative environmental effects of agricultural production can be mitigated, and how climate change will affect agricultural production.

5. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Many new open access journals have been set up in recent years. This means that more and more published papers can be read for free and promotes academic exchange. So, open access journals will be more welcome in the future. To maintain the development of open access journals, high-quality papers are still needed. New media will be needed to introduce the high-quality papers published in open access journals.  

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Jianlin Shen as the Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture”, and we wish him every success in her new position.

Five new journals covering multiple subjects have launched their inaugural issue in June 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the Editorial Board Members and each journal will ensure its high-quality output using excellent editorial and rigorous peer review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Marco Ranucci, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	anaesthetic medications; blood and fluid management; pain management; critical care; critical illness | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Giovanni E. Cacciamani, University of Southern California, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr.  Gassan Hodaifa, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain | Editorial | view inaugural issue	laboratory management; laboratory safety; protective equipment; laboratory problems and challenges; laboratory Innovation | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Texas A&M University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	companion animals health and disease; veterinary care and nutrition; genetics and genomics; behavior and welfare; human-animal relations | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola, University of Naples Federico II, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	real estate appraisal; economic and financial valuation of real estate projects; sustainable real estate; housing and urban economics | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

It is our great pleasure to announce that MDPI will be attending the joint Congress for the Australian Association of Animal Science (AAAS) and the Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production (AAAP). Focusing on recent and future developments in animal science, this congress combines the 35th biennial AAAS conference and the 20th AAAP Congress into one meeting. This event will take place from 9 to 12 July 2024, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This congress aims to bring together the brightest minds in animal science from the Asia and Australasia regions to discuss recent developments and research findings in the field. The theme of the congress is “Embracing Disruption as an Opportunity for Animal Science”. Topics of discussion will include animal genetics, breeding, nutrition, health, behavior, and welfare across a wide variety of species. We encourage participants to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations that highlight their original research, innovative technologies, and best practices.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Animals;
• Veterinary Sciences;
• Applied Biosciences;
• Dairy;
• CIMB;
• Ruminants;
• JZBG;
• Agriculture;
• Pets.

If you are considering attending this conference, we encourage you to visit our booth #5 and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the official website at https://www.aaap2024.com/.

MDPI is pleased to announce the inclusion of 237 journals in the 2024 release of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and share the key results (see above).

This year, journals covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) received category ranks together with journals in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Overall, 139 MDPI journals indexed in ESCI are included in the new unified rankings for the first time.

Enhanced Comparability of Data

According to Clarivate, "the creation of unified category rankings [provides] a simpler and more complete category view for the evaluation of journal performance. [...] The category-first approach simplifies journal performance assessment with a holistic view of all journals in each subject category."

We are thrilled to announce that 72% of our ranked MDPI journals (171 of 237) are above average, in Q1 or Q2. Twenty-nine of our journals received their first Impact Factor this year, accounting for more than 5% of the journals accepted into the Web of Science last year.

MDPI Journals Ranked in JCR

The following data includes all MDPI journals indexed in SCIE, SSCI, ESCI and AHCI.

Source: 2023 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2024)

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to open science by making more research free and accessible to everyone. Over 3.5 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully open access titles.

We are pleased to inform you that Agriculture (ISSN: 2077-0472) has received a heightened CiteScore of 4.9.

CiteScore provides transparent metrics that enable well-informed publishing strategy, library collection development, and the benchmarking of journal performance. It is now a standard citation metric alongside SNIP and SJR that gives an up-to-date view of a journal’s impact.

The 2023 CiteScore provides an assessment of the scientific influence of journals in the 2020 to 2023 period.

This is a reflection of the excellent performance, support, and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers.

Agriculure’s CiteScore ranks as follows:

• Q1 (120 out of 516) in the “Plant Science” category;
• Q1 (101 out of 406) in the “Agronomy and Crop Science” category;
• Q2 (133 out of 389) in the “Food Science” category.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agriculture/stats.

Agriculture Editorial Office

On UNESCO’s 2024 Oceans Day, MDPI encourages the scientific community to increase the accessibility of ocean research to accelerate ocean conservation.

Basel, Switzerland, June 7, 2024: MDPI, a leading open access (OA) publisher, is proud to announce its active support for World Oceans Day 2024, celebrated under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade framework. MDPI’s CEO, Stefan Tochev hopes that “the latest ocean research can be made freely accessible to help empower scientists and communities at large to save our oceans,” under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade until 2030.

Open Access: A Catalyst for Ocean Action

MDPI’s presence at the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference 2024 highlights our unwavering commitment to using OA to advance ocean science, support research communities, and promote sustainable ocean management.

"Our involvement in the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference underscores MDPI's commitment to the underfunded Ocean SDG. By promoting OA to scientific articles and books on SDGs, we aim to inspire critical actions," said Tochev. "Our initiatives, like the World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Award, further demonstrate our dedication to advancing sustainability.”

Showcasing MDPI’s Contributions to Ocean Research

Over the past three years, MDPI has published 30,000 papers focused on ocean research and related topics. Key MDPI journals contributing to this body of work include:

• Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (4.9k papers)
• Remote Sensing (2.6k papers)
• Sustainability (2k papers)
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) (1.7k papers)
• Marine Drugs (1.5k papers)
• Water (1.5k papers)

These publications highlight MDPI’s contributions to ocean science, reinforcing our role in the broader sustainability agenda by promoting blue innovation and economy.

Additionally, MDPI has launched Oceans, an international, peer-reviewed forum specifically aimed at publishing studies related to all branches of oceanography with an emphasis on the functioning of the ocean and the sustainable use of its resources and ecosystem services.

Affirming MDPI’s Commitment to Ocean Science

MDPI’s commitment to OA is pivotal in addressing critical global challenges, from climate change to ocean sustainability. Our efforts resonate with Outcome 4 of the UNESCO Ocean Decade action roadmap: an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information, technology, and innovation. By aligning with UNESCO’s goals, MDPI continues to contribute to shaping a sustainable future for our oceans, reinforcing our position as a forward-thinking publisher dedicated to environmental stewardship and scientific excellence.

For more information, contact Rui Duarte at [email protected] or +41764313242.

About MDPI

95% of authors rate MDPI’s publication process as excellent or good, setting a new benchmark in scientific publishing – reveals 2023 Annual Report. 

Basel, Switzerland, June 4, 2024: MDPI, the leading open access (OA) publisher, proudly announces the release of its 2023 Annual Report, detailing remarkable achievements and reaffirming its leadership in advancing OA publishing. In 2023, MDPI received 655,065 submissions, of which 285,244 articles were published. The company now commands a 17% market share in gold open access articles, with a median publication time of six weeks.

Stefan Tochev, MDPI's CEO, stated, "As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI has long been a game-changer in the scholarly community, serving millions of authors around the world to ensure the latest research is freely available. Reflecting on our incredible journey at MDPI, 2023 has been marked by growth in paper submissions, ambitious projects and initiatives aimed at improving our internal processes and delivering top-notch services to our scientists."

MDPI's 2023 Annual Report highlights several key achievements:

• 17% market share in gold open access articles across all disciplines.
• Record satisfaction rates: 95% of authors, 82% of reviewers, and 85% of guest editors.
• Enhanced editorial standards and feedback processes.
• Increased reach and impact with 54 new MDPI journal inclusions in Scopus, 29 in Web of Science, and 77 in DOAJ.

MDPI’s unwavering commitment to advancing OA has transformed the landscape of scholarly publishing, making high-quality research freely accessible to the global scientific community. The continuous improvement in our editorial standards and feedback processes underscores MDPI’s dedication to ensuring academic integrity and excellence.

Global Reach and Collaboration

MDPI’s global footprint continues to expand, with authors from diverse regions: 37% from Asia/Pacific, 36% from Europe, 15% from the Americas, and 12% from other parts of the world. The company’s fully OA platform attracted nearly 14 million monthly visitors in 2023, reflecting its widespread influence in the scientific community.

Commitment to Partnerships

With over 800 institutional partners, MDPI continues to demonstrate its dedication to providing reliable and collaborative publishing services. The introduction of a transparent flat-fee model highlights MDPI's ongoing efforts to enhance affordability and support to the academic community. For more details read our 2023 Annual Report.

For more information, contact Rui Duarte at [email protected] or +41764313242.

About MDPI

We are pleased to announce MDPI’s Transfer Service.

This service provides a convenient method of transferring your manuscript file, along with any reviewer comments, to another journal within our publishing portfolio.

We are committed to helping authors find the right home for their research, and we will provide authors with guidance and technical support through all stages of the transfer process. Authors will be able to choose to transfer in the following two situations:

1. Select alternative journals on submission.

2. Authors are encouraged to transfer manuscripts to other MDPI journals.

More details about the Transfer Service can be found at the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/authors/transfer-service

In order to commemorate the International Day for Biological Diversity, MDPI is launching a special webinar to encourage researchers to come together, take action, and highlight how the exchange of findings facilitates efforts to raise awareness in all walks of life.

Climate change, man-made changes to nature, and crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture, and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of the planet’s destruction. This webinar aims to encourage connection and collaboration among researchers and the international open access community to help fight against negative human-induced effects on the Earth.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you at the MDPI International Day for Biological Diversity Webinar. Please find below an up-to-date outline of the presenters.

Date: 22 May 2024 at 10.00 a.m. CEST | 4:00 a.m. EDT | 4:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 880 4396 0569
Sciforum webpage: https://sciforum.net/event/MIDfBDW2

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will inform you when the recording is available.

Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Georgios C. Koubouris, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Greece;
• Dr. Adolfo Cordero-Rivera, Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Spain;
• Dr. Maria A. Tsiafouli, Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Relevant Special Issues:

Agriculture
“Modern Reproductive Biotechnology Assists Farm Animal Conservation and Genetic Rescue”
Guest Editors: Dr. Monika Trzcińska and Prof. Dr. Marcin Samiec
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024

“Exploring Cereal Biodiversity for Climate Change Mitigation in Agricultural Production”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Jerzy Henryk Czembor
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2024

Insects
“Assessing Insect Pollinator Populations Using Molecular Methods—Approaches and Metrics on Species Diversity, Abundance and Genetic Diversity”
Guest Editors: Dr. Wiebke Sickel and Dr. Frank M. J. Sommerlandt
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024

“Genetic Diversity of Insects”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Pairot Pramual and Dr. Luis M. Hernandez-Triana
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025

“Diversity and Function of Collembola”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Liang Chang and Prof. Dr. Meixiang Gao
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024

“Invertebrate Conservation: Challenges and Ways Forward”
Guest Editor: Dr. Richard V. Glatz
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024

“Aquatic Insects: Diversity, Ecology and Evolution”
Guest Editor: Dr. Marija Ivković
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024

Animals
“Wildlife Trade and Crime”
Guest Editor: Dr. Harry Wels
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024

“Assessing the Environmental Adaptation of Wildlife and Production Animals: Applications of Physiological Indices and Welfare Assessment Tools (Volume II)”
Guest Editor: Dr. Edward Narayan
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024

“Importance of Sanctuaries and Rehabilitation Centres for Wildlife”
Guest Editors: Dr. Marco Campera and Dr. Michela Balestri
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2024

“Recent Advances and Innovation in Wildlife Population Estimation”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bakaloudis
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2024

“Wildlife Genetic Diversity”
Guest Editors: Dr. Heliodor Wierzbicki, Dr. Magdalena Moska and Prof. Dr. Anna Rząsa
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024

Biology
“Effects of Heavy Metals and Microplastics on Wetland Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function”
Guest Editors: Dr. Hualong Hong and Prof. Dr. Mohammad Belal Hossain
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025

“Aquatic Alien Invasions and Their Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Volume II)”
Guest Editors: Dr. Paraskevi K. Karachle, Dr. Elena Tricarico, Dr. Giorgio Mancinelli and Dr. Baran Yoğurtçuoğlu
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024

“Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Global Change”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Shucun Sun and Prof. Dr. Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024

Fishes
“Aquatic Biodiversity Challenges in the Third Millennium”
Guest Editor: Dr. Doru Bănăduc
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024

Forests
“Fungal Diversity in Forests”
Guest Editors: Dr. Bernardo Ernesto Lechner, Dr. Izabela Kałucka and Dr. Izabela Kałucka
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024

“Transforming Forest Governance and Rural Livelihoods to Address Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Jinlong Liu, Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala and Dr. Peter Edwards
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2024

“Biodiversity in Forests: Management, Monitoring for Conservation”
Guest Editors: Dr. Víctor Rincón, Dr. Javier Velázquez Saornil and Dr. Derya Gulcin
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2024

“Vitality of Forest Ecosystems through Genetic, Epigenetic, Physiology and Biodiversity Exploitation”
Guest Editors: Dr. Evangelia V. Avramidou, Dr. Evangelia Korakaki and Dr. Evangelia Korakaki
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 9 December 2024

In acknowledgment of the groundbreaking achievements of Professor Tu Youyou, the Nobel laureate credited with the discovery of artemisinin, MDPI is proud to announce the Tu Youyou Award. This award, inaugurated in 2016, seeks to honor scholars who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Prize:

• CHF 100,000 in total (If there is more than one winner, the prize will be divided equally amongst the winners);
• An award medal for each winner.

Who should be nominated?

• Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Who can submit a nomination?

• Academic research institutes
• Universities
• Academic societies

Any personal nominations are not accepted.

How do I submit a nomination?
Candidates’ institutional affiliations need to submit their nominations for final candidates to the Tu Youyou Award Team directly by email after internal screening, and each institution can only nominate a maximum of two candidates for each edition of the Tu Youyou Award. Please note that the nominations cannot be modified once they are submitted and confirmed by the Tu Youyou Award Team.

Required nomination materials:
Nomination Form (Download)

Schedule:
Nomination deadline: 31 December 2024;
Winner announcement: 30 April 2025.

Contact:
Tu Youyou Award Team ([email protected])

More information can be found on the Tu Youyou Award official website. For any inquiries, do not hesitate to contact the Tu Youyou Award Team.

MDPI Romania sponsored four events over the month of April, contributing author training sessions to each event.

The NutriSciLabs 2024 conference was held at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy on 12 April 2024. Organized by the Association of Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy Studies, the conference aimed to enhance students’ academic writing and research skills, and bolster their confidence in participating in the academic world. Ioana Paunescu, journal relations specialist for MDPI Romania, led the training session. Paunescu first outlined MDPI’s history and core values, then explained academic writing techniques, ethics, and similarity percentages. The presentation covered the entire editorial process, highlighting the amount of attention paid to details throughout manuscript processing. Paunescu also discussed common errors that authors make while writing, and how to avoid such errors.

On 13 April 2024, the NextGEN 2.0 Student Conference took place at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. NextGen Healthcare organized this event with the university’s European Students’ Society to discuss European and international current affairs. MDPI Romania contributed an author training session called Steps of the Publication Process. Irina Codruta Zaharia, journal relations specialist, began the session with a general introduction of MDPI before diving into different article types, different layout formats, possible journals to submit to, the MDPI submission checklist, and the MDPI editorial process. By explaining the fundamentals of writing and publishing academic papers, Zaharia imparted valuable industry knowledge to the curious minds present. Participants were eager to engage with Zaharia in the subsequent Q&A session.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the International Conference “Students for Students” has long been a gathering place for undergraduate and postgraduate students of all nationalities to present their work and exchange ideas with each other. This year’s conference was held on 18 April 2024, with MDPI Romania contributing an author training session called The World of Open Access. Key speakers included Dr. Norbert Kiss from MDPI Romania and Prof. Dragos Horvath from Strasbourg University. Dr. Kiss discussed the history of open access, differences between open access publishing and traditional publishing, and implications for open access in the future. Attendees expressed keen interest in the subject, approaching Dr. Kiss with questions about academic publishing as well as his career trajectory.

Most recently, on 26 April 2024, MDPI Romania sponsored the National Symposium of Students from Geology and Geophysics Faculties. The AAPG Students Chapter at the Babes-Bolyai University organized this event as an opportunity for geology students from all Romanian universities to present their work and confer with other researchers. Dr. Kiss gave his lecture The World of Open Access at this event as well.

MDPI is thankful to all the participants, speakers, and organizers who attended these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

MDPI will be attending the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences held in Florence, Italy, from 19 to 21, at booth #11.

The custodian of soil science will celebrate its centennial contribution to nature and wellbeing in 2024. The event will also empower the linkages with different disciplines, policymakers, stakeholders, institutions, and associations to effectively address the civil needs of society within agriculture, forestry, environment, urban planning, energy, education, and other societal issues. The celebration will take place on May 19th and will be followed by two intense days of congress, with plenary and parallel scientific sessions. Both soil scientists and specialists from other disciplines will participate in each session, focusing on past achievements and future challenges.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Agronomy;
• Agriculture;
• Agrochemicals;
• Land;
• Geotechnics;
• Environments;
• Sustainability;
• Grasses;
• Soil Systems;
• Forests;
• Nitrogen.

Our representatives at booth #11, Mr. Nemanja Nisavic and Ms. Martina Buljovcic, are eager to answer your questions and address any inquiries you may have.

If you are attending this conference, please chat with us at our booth. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://centennialiuss2024.org/.

Conference: The European Horticulture Congress 2024 (EHC 2024)
Organization: University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest
Date: 12–16 May 2024
Place: Palace of Parliament, str. Izvor nr. 2-4, sector. 5, Bucharest
Booth: #C59-B

MDPI will be attending EHC 2024 as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Bucharest, Romania, from 12 to 16 May 2024.

The European Horticulture Congress is a major event addressing issues facing horticulture in current turbulent times. The conference will gather at least 1000 attendees from many European countries, including scientists, teachers, and engineers from both academic and industry sectors representing different disciplines who are working on horticultural crops.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Horticulturae;
• Agronomy;
• Plants;
• Agriculture;
• International Journal of Plant Biology.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth #C59-B. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://ehc.usamv.ro/.

MDPI, the leading Open Access (OA) publisher, announced on Monday that it opened its Korean branch office on 29th April 2024. With this addition, MDPI now operates 21 offices in 12 countries worldwide. Claude Seo, with over 20 years of experience in the academic journal publishing industry, including Nature Publishing Group (NPG), has been appointed as the Office Manager of the Seoul office.

With the establishment of a Seoul office, MDPI aims to actively support Korea scientific communities to further promote the publication of OA journals in the region. As of the end of 2023, Korea ranked sixth worldwide in both submissions and publications of MDPI research papers. MDPI is the number one OA publisher in Korea.

Sungkyunkwan University Joins MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program

In addition, MDPI announced that Sungkyunkwan University joined MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). This program offers free access to MDPI online submission system for the institutions and APC discounts to affiliated authors. Thirteen major Korean universities, including Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University, Chung-Ang University and Catholic University of Korea, have adopted IOAP in Korea.

OA aims to break down barriers that have traditionally restricted access to science, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of financial situation or institutional affiliations. Authors, academia, and scientific communities are rapidly moving toward OA. MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020.

MDPI CEO Visits Seoul, Korea

In March, Stefan Tochev, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MDPI, visited Korea and met with various stakeholders including government agencies, research and academic institutions, universities. During his visit, Stefan highlighted that MDPI continues to pave the way for a world where science is accessible to all, supporting a global community of inclusive innovation and collaborative solutions.

Stefan expressed excitement about the new venture, stating, "Today marks a significant milestone for MDPI as we celebrate the opening of our new office in Seoul, Korea. This expansion is more than just an increase in our physical footprint, it is a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to making scientific knowledge more accessible, participatory, and inclusive across the globe."

Claude Seo, reflecting on his new role, commented, "I am delighted to have been offered this position of trust within MDPI, the no. 1 scholarly OA publisher. As we establish our presence in Korea, we are dedicated to integrating into the local community and contributing to its vibrant culture. Our commitment goes beyond business growth; it is about creating a more informed and innovative society by embracing and promoting diversity within the scientific community.”

For further inquiries, please contact our Seoul office directly.

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to open science by making more research free and accessible to everyone. Over 3.3 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6000 diligent, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 430 fully OA titles.

In recognizing the exceptional efforts of our reviewers in 2023, we express our sincere gratitude for upholding the high standards of Agriculture. Their commitment ensured the rigorous peer review that is integral to quality academic publishing.

In 2023, Agriculture received 8848 review reports, from 6022 reviewers. This past year, we worked with reviewers from 113 countries and regions, reflecting the diversity in our collaboration with research communities. Their dedication shapes scholarly discourse and advances global research. The editorial team expresses gratitude for the vital role played by each reviewer in the Agriculture family throughout 2023, and we look forward to their continued support in 2024.

The following are the reviewers who have consented to show their names: