Announcements
14 April 2025
MDPI Open Science Insights: Scientific Publishing Workshop at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 22 April 2025
In collaboration with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Sustainability (ISSN: 2071-1050) and Coatings (ISSN: 2079-6412) are hosting a Scientific Publishing Workshop designed to educate attendees on the paper publication process and the ecosystem surrounding open access publishing. This session will cover a comprehensive introduction to the editorial process, providing valuable insights and instilling essential skills for structuring papers and replying to reviewers effectively. Additionally, participants will be instructed on methods to improve their scientific writing, with experts in the field leading the session to ensure a thorough understanding of how to escalate their publishing potential.
Date: 22 April 2025
Time: 13:00–17:00
Venue: ST602, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CF2VSH6
Schedule:
| Speaker | Program | Time |
| Prof. Xungai Wang (Chair) | Opening Ceremony | 15:00–15:10 |
| Ms. Sally Li | Open Access Insights and MDPI Introduction | 15:10–15:45 |
| Mr. Caleb Snider | How to Write and Structure a Journal Article | 15:45–16:20 |
| Ms. Tonia Yang | How to Respond to Peer Reviewers’ Comments | 16:20–16:55 |
| Closing Ceremony | 16:55–17:00 |
Profile:
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Prof. Xungai Wang (Chair) |
Prof. Wang is Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Technology and a Global STEM Scholar at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Textile Institute. |
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Ms. Sally Li |
Ms. Sally (Sijia) Li graduated from the University of Sydney and joined MDPI in 2019. Previously served as Assistant Editor for Sustainability and Managing Editor for Urban Science, JTAER, and Hardware. Currently working as the Journal Development Editor for Sustainability and Head of Marketing Events. Based in MDPI’s Hong Kong office, responsible for market expansion and scholar services in the Greater Bay Area. She is committed to providing researchers with efficient and professional publishing support. |
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Mr. Caleb Snider |
Mr. Caleb Snider holds a Master’s degree in the Study of Religion from the University of Toronto, another Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Ottawa, and a post-graduate certificate in publishing from Humber College, Toronto. He joined MDPI in 2017 as an English Editor, and in 2020 was chosen to help found MDPI’s first North American office in Toronto, Canada as Deputy Operations Manager. In April 2022, he was promoted to Operations Manager of the Toronto office and oversaw the strategic planning and implementation of operational initiatives across the United States and Canada. In 2024, he was promoted to Public Affairs and Strategic Partnership Manager, engaging directly with both high-level institutional and government stakeholders in the Asia Pacific and individual scholars on a grassroots level in the Asia Pacific region. |
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Ms. Tonia Yang |
Ms. Tonia Yang graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Currently, she serves as Chief Section Managing Editor of Coatings journal and the Deputy Section Leader (overseas) of MDPI Section “Materials Sciences”. Her main responsibilities include the operation of international cooperation projects for the Section “Materials Sciences” and the management of overseas employees in Romania, Poland, Serbia, Spain, the UK, and other regions. Deeply committed to facilitating a productive exchange between editorial teams and scholars, Ms. Yang endeavors to offer customized, top-notch publishing services to enhance the journal’s standing within the international academic community. |
2 April 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #21 - Annual Report, Swiss Consortium, IWD, ICARS, Serbia
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI Releases 2024 Annual Achievements Report
I’m pleased to share the release of MDPI’s 2024 Annual Achievements Report, which reflects our commitment to efficiency, transparency, and excellence in scholarly communication. The report showcases key themes related to our growth (highlighting our workforce expansion, new offices, journal milestones), excellence (editorial and publishing advancements), people (talent development and training), and community (partnerships, conferences, and outreach).
MDPI continues to build connections and drive scientific progress
Our mission remains clear: to support researchers worldwide by delivering an efficient, high-quality publishing experience while strengthening the global Open Access (OA) movement.
Advancing Open Access: A Global Knowledge Hub
In 2024, we published 238,000 peer-reviewed OA articles, reaching over 25 million downloads. This reinforces MDPI’s role as a global knowledge hub, breaking down barriers to access and ensuring that high-quality research is freely available to everyone. As part of the OA movement, we are actively democratizing knowledge, making scientific advancements accessible to researchers, policymakers, educators, and the public, without the restrictions of traditional paywalls.
Expanding our Workforce and Strengthening Research Integrity
Our global presence grew in 2024 with the opening of a new Seoul office, and our workforce expanded to 6,650 staff across 21 offices. This reflects our continued growth mindset and investment in global accessibility. We also continued to take a proactive stance on our commitment to research integrity, tripling our team in this area and joining STM’s Integrity Hub and United2Act. This means more rigorous quality control, stronger safeguards, and collaboration with global initiatives to detect and combat unethical publishing practices at an industry level. Our growth is about reinforcing our role as a trusted, ethical, and accessible publishing platform for researchers worldwide.
Growing Partnerships and Impact in Scholarly Communication
MDPI’s partnerships continue to thrive, with over 900 institutional collaborations, including a landmark agreement with ZB MED in Germany, covering more than 100 universities. Additionally, more than 90% of evaluated MDPI journals have been accepted into Web of Science, including 60 new acceptances in 2024, with nearly 300 journals expected to receive a Journal Impact Factor in 2025. In the same period, 37 MDPI journals were accepted into Scopus, bringing our total indexed titles to 306. Most importantly, 95% of authors rate their experience with MDPI as excellent or good – an achievement that underscores our dedication to serving the research community.
I encourage you to read through our Annual Report, which highlights these milestones and our vision for the future. Thank you for being part of MDPI’s journey in advancing open science.
Impactful Research
MDPI Renews Partnership with CSAL to Support Swiss Universities
I am pleased to announce the renewal of our partnership with the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries (CSAL) for 2025. This extension reinforces MDPI's dedication to advancing open science through transparency, efficiency, and collaboration.
Our renewed agreement with CSAL strengthens support for Swiss universities, ensuring that gold open access publishing remains both accessible and affordable for researchers across Switzerland. Among the institutions participating in this agreement are ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne, along with 20 other leading institutions, further expanding the reach and impact of our collaborative efforts.
To date, over 3.9 million researchers have published their findings in MDPI journals, a testament to our role in enhancing Switzerland's position as a hub for university education and research.
Inside MDPI
Celebrating International Women's Day: Accelerating Action
In honour of International Women's Day, MDPI embraced the theme “Accelerate Action,” a global call to advance women's progress by implementing effective strategies and resources. As part of our commitment, we highlighted how open access publishing empowers female voices in research and academia.
Throughout March, we featured original blogs authored by MDPI’s female contributors, showcasing the successes of our journals and employees, and addressing pressing topics such as women's health.
“Open Access supports women in education”
Women Accelerating Action Outside of MDPI
MDPI employee Ana Zdravkovic is accelerating action outside of her MDPI role as a Production Assistant. Working with like-minded women at the award-winning Belgrade-based organization UZOR OsnaŽene (meaning ‘empowered women’), they identify serious flaws in cybersecurity, and help protect women and children against online predators by providing evidence to improve legislation and laws around cyber-attacks.
In this article, we interview Ana, celebrating the important and inspiring work that she and the organisation do.
How Open Access Supports Women in Education
Every day, women and girls face barriers in education or career progression. This is caused by a range of factors, including social expectations, poverty, and poor infrastructure.
Quality opportunities and participation in the education system by women is essential to achieving equality and fulfilling their human rights.
Here, we examine how Open Access supports women in education by removing barriers and ensuring that vital research is accessible.
Recent Advancements in Research on Endometriosis
March is Endometriosis Action Month. Endometriosis is a medical condition affecting women and young girls of reproductive age, often causing symptoms such as severe pelvic pain, irregular periods, and infertility.
More research on endometriosis is still urgently needed.
This research will help develop efficient diagnoses and better treatment for those struggling with the condition.
In this article, we explore what endometriosis is and discuss the latest research advancements on the disease.
We also curated a selection of MDPI journals, articles, and Special Issues focusing on gender equity, women in the workplace, and women’s health. Find out more about these by visiting our IWD – Accelerate Action landing page.
As I reflect on the month of March and International Women’s Day, I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank all of the incredible women at MDPI for your dedication to democratizing knowledge and shaping open access. Your contributions are invaluable, and they continue to shape the future of MDPI.
Coming Together for Science
The International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025)
The International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025) took place from 26–28 March 2025, in Barcelona, Spain. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Fabio Tosti from the Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing and Remote Sensing (UK), Prof. Dr. Andrea Benedetto from University Roma Tre (Italy), and Prof. Dr. Luis Ángel Ruiz from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV, Spain).
Over three days, the conference explored innovations in Earth and environmental sciences, engineering advancements, and practical applications in biological and agricultural fields.
I am pleased to share that the 1st edition of ICARS 2025 was a great success, with 133 attendees out of 146 registrations. The event featured 43 short talks, 64 posters, and 103 accepted abstracts, along with nine keynote speakers and a major panel with five expert panellists.
Over 60 attendees joined the conference dinner, and the event received outstanding feedback.
The main goal of ICARS2025 was to cover how advanced remote sensing technologies are transforming our approach to global challenges.
Awards
Four awards were presented at the conclusion of the conference, sponsored by the journal Remote Sensing: Best Poster Award (€400), Best Oral Presentation Award (€400), and two Early Career Researcher Awards (1st prize: €600 and 2nd prize: €200).
Thank you to our Partnering Societies
We are grateful for the support of our four partnering societies and nine media partners, who played an important role in promoting the conference. Special thanks to our partnering societies: the European Federation of Geologists (EFG), Geoscience Energy Society of Great Britain (GESGB), Asociación Española de Teledetección (AET) – the Spanish Association of Remote Sensing, and the International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE).
Upcoming In-Person Event
31 March–2 April 2025
Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
Location: Barcelona, Spain
This event will gather plant scientists to discuss the latest research on how to feed a growing population while maintaining a sustainable agro-ecosystem.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Serbia Salon 2025: A Gathering of Academic Excellence
On Tuesday, 18 March, we successfully concluded our first MDPI Serbia Salon in Belgrade. This event provided a great opportunity to showcase MDPI’s achievements, strengthen connections with the Serbian academic community, and highlight our role as the largest publisher in Serbia. We were honoured to welcome Prof. Dr. Sergej M. Ostojić, Editor-in-Chief of MDPI journal Clinical Bioenergetics, as a guest speaker.
Over the past five years, MDPI has experienced continuous growth in Serbia, with an increasing number of publications, an expansion of Editorial Board memberships, and a greater number of active peer reviewers. The Salon allowed us to express our thanks to the Serbian research community while gathering feedback from attendees representing several major universities.
Discussion topics
As part of the event, I delivered an opening speech highlighting MDPI’s achievements and direction.
The event featured presentations from MDPI colleagues, including discussions on open science, publishing ethics, and our achievements in Serbia.
A special thank-you to all our MDPI presenters, panellists, and organizers who made his event a success. I hope the MDPI Serbia Salon becomes a tradition for years to come, creating connections within the Serbian research community.
Visit to the Science Fund of Serbia and The Ministry of Science
During my visit to Belgrade, I had the opportunity to join my colleagues Emir Ramadani (Operations Manager) and Nevena Blagojev (Journal Relations Manager) in meetings with the Science Fund of Serbia and the Ministry of Science, where we received strong support for our work in Serbia.
Both organizations highly value our presence in and commitment to Serbia, where we employ over 640 staff across our two offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad. We take great pride in creating job opportunities and supporting the community in Serbia.
“There’s a lot of exciting activity happening in MDPI Serbia”
Speaking with our Serbian Colleagues
Finally, I had the opportunity to speak with our Serbian colleagues about our initiatives to expand and to improve our marketing & communication and public relations activities.
It was great to have an open discussion with colleagues – both in person and with the hundreds who joined online.
This visit to Belgrade had been a long time coming for me. Serbia is our largest operation in Europe and there’s a lot of exciting activity happening in MDPI Serbia, including the launch of a new office floor in Novi Sad and the growth and expansion of our teams.
I look forward to returning soon and continuing to support our colleagues across our Serbian offices.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
1 April 2025
Meet Us at the 15th International Conference on Surface Engineering, 9–11 May 2025, Tianjin, China
25 March 2025
Meet Us at the First National Conference on Surface and Interface Science of the Chinese Chemical Society, 9–12 May 2025, Chengdu, China
21 March 2025
Meet Us at the 2025 Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS), 26–30 May 2025, Strasbourg, France
27 February 2025
More than 300 MDPI Journals Indexed in Web of Science
MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.
To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data.
This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide.
As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.
19 February 2025
Coatings | Title Story Articles from the Second Half of 2024
We are delighted to present a list of title story articles selected for display at the top of the Coatings (ISSN: 2079-6412) homepage for the second half of 2024. These articles cover a wide range of topics, including polymeric coatings, tribological properties, surface wettability, femtosecond laser modification, sputter deposition, hydrophobic coatings, plasma deposition, antifouling coatings, PVD and CVD, and wear resistant, to name a few. We hope you will find something of interest among these exceptional publications.
1. “The Use of Polyurethane Composites with Sensing Polymers as New Coating Materials for Surface Acoustic Wave-Based Chemical Sensors—Part II: Polyurethane Composites with Polylaurylmetacrylate, Polyisobutene, and Poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene-co-vinylidene Fluoride): Coating Results, Relative Sensor Responses and Adhesion Analysis”
by Mauro dos Santos de Carvalho, Michael Rapp, Achim Voigt and Marian Dirschka
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070778
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/778
2. “Tribological Properties and Surface Wettability of Coatings Produced on the Mg-AZ31B Alloy by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation”
by Mateusz Niedźwiedź, Marek Bara, Joanna Korzekwa, Sławomir Kaptacz, Maciej Sowa, Aleksander Olesiński and Wojciech Simka
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070780
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/780
3. “Characterization of Mechanical Properties and Surface Wettability of Epoxy Resin/Benzoxazine Composites in a Simulated Acid Rain Environment”
by Poom Narongdej, Riley Gomez, Daniel Tseng, Ehsan Barjasteh and Sara Moghtadernejad
Coatings 2024, 14(10), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14101279
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/10/1279
4. “Laser Control of Specular and Diffuse Reflectance of Thin Aluminum Film-Isolator-Metal Structures for Anti-Counterfeiting and Plasmonic Color Applications”
by Michał P. Nowak, Bogusz Stępak, Mateusz Pielach, Yuriy Stepanenko, Tomasz Wojciechowski, Bartosz Bartosewicz, Urszula Chodorow, Marcin Jakubaszek, Przemysław Wachulak and Piotr Nyga
Coatings 2024, 14(10), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14101298
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/10/1298
5. “First-Principles Study on the Influence of Crystal Structures on the Interface Properties of Graphene/Titanium Composites”
by Xiuli Han, Rui Wang, Pengchao Kang, Wanying Li and Gaohui Wu
Coatings 2024, 14(10), 1293; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14101293
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/10/1293
6. “Biochemical and Microbiological Properties of the Cotton–Copper Composite Material Obtained via Sputter Deposition”
by Małgorzata Świerczyńska, Zdzisława Mrozińska, Michał Juszczak, Katarzyna Woźniak and Marcin H. Kudzin
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070900
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/900
7. “Durable Superhydrophobic Aluminum Surfaces against Immersion and Hot Steam Impact: A Comparative Evaluation of Different Hydrophobization Methods and Coatings”
by Panagiotis Sarkiris, Kosmas Ellinas and Evangelos Gogolides
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070908
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/908
8. “Shrouding Gas Plasma Deposition Technique for Developing Low-Friction, Wear-Resistant WS2-Zn Thin Films on Unfilled PEEK: The Relationship Between Process and Coating Properties”
by Dietmar Kopp, Christine Bandl, Reinhard Kaindl, Thomas Prethaler, Anna Maria Coclite and Wolfgang Waldhauser
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1365; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111365
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/11/1365
9. “Review of Progress in Marine Anti-Fouling Coatings: Manufacturing Techniques and Copper- and Silver-Doped Antifouling Coatings”
by Xiaolong Shi, Hua Liang and Yanzhou Li
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1454; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111454
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/11/1454
10. “Analysis of Wear Mechanisms Under Cutting Parameters: Influence of Double Layer TiAlN/TiN PVD and TiCN/Al2O3 Chemical Vapor Deposition-Coated Tools on Milling of AISI D2 Steel”
by Gustavo M. Minquiz, N. E. González-Sierra, Javier Flores Méndez, Ana C. Piñón Reyes, Mario Moreno Moreno, Alfredo Morales-Sánchez, José Alberto Luna López, Zaira Jocelyn Hernandez-Simon and Claudia Denicia Carral
Coatings 2024, 14(12), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14121491
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/12/1491
19 February 2025
Coatings | Title Story Articles from the First Half of 2024
We are delighted to present a list of title story articles selected for display at the top of the Coatings (ISSN: 2079-6412) homepage for the first half of 2024. These articles cover a wide range of topics, including coatings for energy, laser processing, food packaging, diamond-like carbon coatings, pulsed laser deposition, surface characterization, tribological properties, corrosion, and hard coatings, to name a few. We hope you will find something of interest among these exceptional publications.
1. “Fabrication of Piezoelectric ZnO Nanowires on Laser Textured Copper Substrate to Enhance Catalytic Properties”
by Hongbin Wang, Rui Zhou, Huangping Yan and Hongjun Liu
Coatings 2023, 13(11), 1963; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13111963
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/11/1963
2. “Using an Al-Incorporated Deep Black Pigment Coating to Enhance the Solar Absorptance of Iron Oxide-Rich Particles”
by Gözde Alkan, Peter Mechnich and Johannes Pernpeintner
Coatings 2023, 13(11), 1925; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13111925
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/11/1925
3. “Mechanisms of Action and Preservation Effects of Packaging Systems for Mushrooms: Novel Approaches to Preserve Irish Edible Mushrooms”
by Tigist Tadesse Shonte, Mehraj Fatema Mulla, Lorraine Foley and Shivani Pathania
Coatings 2024, 14(2), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020172
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/2/172
4. “Study of the Industrial Application of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings Deposited on Advanced Tool Steels”
by Eneko Barba, Adrián Claver, Francesc Montalà, José F. Palacio, Carmelo J. Luis-Pérez, Neus Sala, Carles Colominas and José Antonio García
Coatings 2024, 14(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020159
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/2/159
5. “Bioactivity and Mechanical Properties of Hydroxyapatite on Ti6Al4V and Si(100) Surfaces by Pulsed Laser Deposition”
by Salizhan Kylychbekov, Yaran Allamyradov, Zikrulloh Khuzhakulov, Inomjon Majidov, Simran Banga, Justice ben Yosef, Liviu Duta and Ali Oguz Er
Coatings 2023, 13(10), 1681; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13101681
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/10/1681
6. “Tribocatalytic Reaction Enabled by TiO2 Nanoparticle for MoDTC-Derived Tribofilm Formation at ta-C/Steel Contact”
by Daiki Matsukawa, Jae-Hyeok Park, Woo-Young Lee, Takayuki Tokoroyama, Jae-Il Kim, Ryoichi Ichino and Noritsugu Umehara
Coatings 2024, 14(6), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14060773
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/6/773
7. “Enhancing UV Radiation Resilience of DLC-Coated Stainless Steel with TiO2: A Dual-Layer Approach”
by Paulo Fabrício Macário, Carolina Hahn da Silveira, Angela Aparecida Moraes Vieira, André Ricardo Marcondes, Francisco das Chagas Marques, Guilhermino José Macêdo Fechine and Lúcia Vieira
Coatings 2024, 14(6), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14060777
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/6/777
17 February 2025
MDPI Celebrates Excellence in Medical Research with Early Career Researcher Awards
MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.
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Honoring Excellence in Research
The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:
Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:
- Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
- Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
- Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.
Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:
- Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;
- Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
- Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.
Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.
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Looking Ahead to 2025
Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.
Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.
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5 February 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #20 - Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, JAMS, Jisc
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
2024 Annual Meeting – Beijing (15 January 2025)
You haven’t truly experienced a New Year’s celebration until you’ve attended one of MDPI’s Chinese Annual Meeting festivities. This year I visited our annual meeting in Beijing, held on the 15th of January.
Imagine this: stepping into a banquet hall filled with 140 tables and about 1,400 colleagues from our Beijing offices, all gathered to share in a six-hour event. The agenda included year-end speeches and presentations, a variety of performances by our colleagues, a selection of awards honouring local employees for their work, group photos for the memories, and a dinner.
This may have been one of the largest events I have attended. For those unaccustomed to such an event, it might seem overwhelming, but it was quite the opposite. The atmosphere was one of celebration as everyone came together to support their peers and celebrate the achievements of 2024.
I was honoured to deliver the opening speech and a presentation highlighting our growth and investment in MDPI’s most valuable asset: our people.
“Our editorial teams represent MDPI at its finest”
I want to give special recognition to the editorial department, across all of our offices, which forms the heart of our business. These teams are the frontline communicators with our authors, reviewers, and guest editors, creating a smooth experience of processing our manuscripts. Their professionalism and kindness are often highlighted as key drivers of satisfaction with MDPI. For this, I extend my deepest gratitude to all our editorial staff, across every office. They truly represent MDPI at its finest.
Beijing is home to two of our offices, with just over 800 employees in Tongzhou and over 600 in Haidian. Thank you to our administrative teams and everyone involved in organizing these New Year’s celebrations across all offices. These events provide a moment to reflect on our shared accomplishments and appreciate the positive impact each of you has on our culture.
MDPI Offices in China
While the history of MDPI begins in Basel, Switzerland, the story of MDPI is very much rooted in China. Below is a list of MDPI’s current offices in China and their respective dates of inauguration:
- 2008: Beijing (Tongzhou, Haidian)
- 2013: Wuhan (Hankou, Guanggu)
- 2019: Tianjin
- 2021: Dalian
- 2021: Nanjing
To date, over 381,000 MDPI research articles have been published by authors affiliated with Chinese institutions, making China our largest market. This is reflected not only in the volume of publications but also in the scale of our workforce supporting local operations and contributing to global success.
While no new offices in China were launched between 2022 and 2024 due to the pandemic and strategic planning, we remain committed to future growth here. Our plans include expanding operations as we continue to build our global workforce.
We look forward to a year filled with continued collaboration, growth, and shared success.
“We remain committed to future growth in China”
Impactful Research
MDPI and Jisc Consortium Extend Open Access Agreement for 2025
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has extended its agreement with the Jisc consortium in the UK for 2025. This renewal strengthens our partnership with UK institutions and reaffirms our shared commitment to advancing open access publishing.
Jisc is the UK’s not-for-profit digital, data, and technology agency supporting tertiary education, research, and innovation. Through initiatives such as our agreement, Jisc helps institutions access essential digital resources and infrastructure to support researchers. Currently, 62 UK institutions are part of our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) through this partnership.
Authors from participating institutions benefit from discounts on article processing charges (APCs), with even greater support for institutions that centrally fund APCs. This helps researchers focus on their work while simplifying the publishing process.
A full list of participating institutions can be found here.
As Becky Castellon, our Institutional Partnerships Manager, puts it: “Extending our agreement with Jisc is a reward for the strong partnership we’ve built with research institutions throughout the UK.”
At MDPI, we are dedicated to making research more accessible while reducing administrative burdens for institutions and authors. Open access publishing is at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to expand its reach in the UK and beyond.
Inside MDPI
Visit to MDPI's Singapore office
During my January trip to some of our APAC offices, I also had the pleasure of visiting our Singapore office for the first time. It’s exciting to see how much the team has grown, now numbering over 55 staff members, with more joining us in February.
Welcoming and Supporting New Team Members
“Experienced staff play an important role in mentoring new hires”
I had the opportunity to connect with both experienced colleagues and new team members who are currently embarking on their careers. This visit reminded me of what it was like when I was in their shoes. I encourage all of us to engage new colleagues with empathy, as we have all been in their position. By creating a welcoming and supportive environment, we can help them settle in and learn about the corporate world, MDPI and our mission.
Experienced staff play an important role in mentoring and guiding new hires, most of whom are transitioning from academia to their first job. I’m especially grateful to colleagues such as Colin Chen, Alicia Ren, Yu Nwe Soe, Colin Wee, Amy Cham and other senior members who have contributed to shaping the culture and work environment in Singapore.
Building MDPI’s Positive Reputation
During my visit, I spoke with the office staff about the importance of their roles in building a positive reputation that helps create trust in MDPI. I shared how every interaction and communication point contributes to the marketing of MDPI and our journals. I also highlighted the career development opportunities available as MDPI continues to grow.
Connecting with the Singapore Marketing Team
I also spent time connecting directly with the Singapore Marketing team, which has quickly grown to 15 young and ambitious members. They are eager to learn and are actively contributing to our journal and corporate marketing activities. I shared insights into our corporate marketing structure and strategy and look forward to supporting them as they grow.
During the visit, I was joined by my colleague Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, Head of Indexing, who provided training on indexing. This training was greatly appreciated by the local staff.
Meeting with Prof. Dr. Manoj Gupta
Lastly, we had the privilege of meeting Prof. Dr. Manoj Gupta, Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Technologies since 2016 and Section EiC of Metals.
Prof. Gupta is an active decision-maker for the journal and a great brand ambassador for MDPI.
Prof. Gupta has helped sustainably scale Technologies, which now has a 4.2 Impact Factor and a 6.7 CiteScore, ranking Q1 in the JCR category of Engineering and Q1 in the CiteScore category of Computer Science.
During our meeting, we discussed strategies for Institutional Open Access Partnership agreements and ways to promote MDPI journals in Singapore.
PS. During the visit, we also had the chance to participate in Lo Hei, also known as Yee Sang or the “prosperity toss.” This is a raw fish salad traditionally enjoyed during Chinese New Year and is particularly popular among Chinese communities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Everyone gathers around the table as the ingredients are added one by one, and then the salad is mixed together. It was a fun experience to take part in this New Year tradition!
Coming Together for Science
JAMS – Journal & Article Management System
I am excited to announce the official relaunch of JAMS (Journal & Article Management System), one of MDPI’s key initiatives to support academic publishers worldwide.
With this relaunch, JAMS now offers new pricing models and flexible solutions for small-scale journals, commercial publishers, and university presses. We have also redesigned the JAMS website to enhance the user experience.
“JAMS is a testament to our commitment to simplifying the publishing process”
Explore the new website here: jams.pub
It’s also great to see the JAMS team expanding our presence at conferences and on social media to engage more effectively with the academic community.
Recently, Facundo Santomé (Senior Marketing Manager) and Alex Ramos (Senior Marketing Specialist) represented JAMS at the APE 2025 conference in Berlin, highlighting how our platform empowers small and independent publishers to streamline and scale their journal management.
JAMS was built to change that by adapting to the unique requirements of each publisher.
At MDPI, we continually invest in our growth – not only by expanding our operations and staff but also by developing innovative products that serve the academic and publishing community at large. JAMS, with its comprehensive suite of journal management tools, is a testament to our commitment to simplifying the publishing process for our partners.
Imagine a submission system that frees up your time for strategy, innovation, and impactful publishing.
Under the leadership of Silvano Bonfatti (Product Manager, MDPI), the JAMS team has conducted in-depth market research to understand the challenges publishers face: endless administrative tasks, inefficient workflows, and systems that don’t always meet their needs.
If you believe JAMS could benefit any of your network contacts, please share our website. Contact the JAMS team. They are always ready to assist with your publishing needs.
What Sets JAMS Apart?
- Scalability – Whether you're a niche journal or managing thousands of submissions, JAMS grows with you.
- End-to-End Workflow – From submission to peer review and final publication, everything is in one place.
- Automation That Works for You – Say goodbye to chasing reviewers and formatting issues, so that you can focus on quality instead.
- Built by Publishers, for Publishers – JAMS is backed by MDPI’s expertise; we know exactly what it takes to run a journal smoothly.
- Flexible & Fair Pricing – Supporting journals of all sizes, with special rates for non-profits and publishers in the Global South.
Partners Who Already Trust JAMS
If you believe JAMS could benefit any of your network contacts, please share our website. Contact the JAMS team. They are always ready to assist with your publishing needs.
Closing Thoughts
Visit to MDPI's Bangkok office
To conclude my APAC trip, I had the pleasure of visiting our Bangkok office from 22 to 24 January. The office has grown significantly, closing 2024 with a total of 445 colleagues across various departments, including Editorial, Production, Conference, Training, Journal Relationship Specialists (JRS), Managing Editors, and supporting teams in HR, Admin, IT, and Finance.
I would like to praise our Bangkok management team for their excellent work in supporting our growth and creating a positive work environment. Our colleagues here are humble, talented, hardworking, and appreciative of MDPI’s mission.
Thailand was among MDPI’s top 30 markets in 2024 for total publications. With our office in Bangkok, we have an opportunity to further promote open access while supporting local researchers and institutions. This includes open access discounts, author training sessions, conference sponsorships, and other initiatives. We currently have 25 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from Thailand and will work on expanding this network.
Engaging with Group Leads
“Group leads play an important role in creating a safe, positive environment”
During my visit, I met with our group leads to highlight their crucial role in managing journal performance and mentoring new employees, especially given our increased hiring targets. Many new hires are early in their careers and require training, development, and support. Group leads play an important role in creating a safe, positive environment that fosters professional growth while maintaining MDPI’s reputation for service quality.
To wrap up the session, I added a personal touch by holding the door and giving everyone high-fives – a small gesture to show appreciation, boost morale, and strengthen team spirit. It’s important for our colleagues to feel seen, heard, and valued.
University Visit: King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB)
We also visited King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) to explore collaboration opportunities.
Our discussions focused on: Institutional Open Access Partnership (IOAP), Author training sessions, Conference sponsorships, Student employment initiatives, and more.
This visit reinforced the importance of building strong relationships with local universities, ensuring we continue to support and engage with the academic community in Thailand.
“My time in Bangkok was productive and inspiring”
My time in Bangkok was productive and inspiring. The senior team has done a great job in growing the office and creating a supportive, high-performing environment. I look forward to seeing continued success from our colleagues in Thailand.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
