Announcements

MDPI is delighted to announce the establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award. Named in honor of Professor Michele Parrinello, the award celebrates his exceptional contributions and his profound impact on the field of computational physical science research.

The award will be presented biennially to distinguished scientists who have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of computational physical science—spanning physics, chemistry, and materials science.

About Professor Michele Parrinello

"Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking what is going to happen to me and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”

——Professor Michele Parrinello

Born in Messina in 1945, he received his degree from the University of Bologna and is currently affiliated with the Italian Institute of Technology. Professor Parrinello is known for his many technical innovations in the field of atomistic simulations and for a wealth of interdisciplinary applications ranging from materials science to chemistry and biology. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, also known as the Car–Parrinello method, marking the beginning of a new era both in the area of electronic structure calculations and in molecular dynamics simulations. He is also known for the Parrinello–Rahman method, which allows crystalline phase transitions to be studied by molecular dynamics. More recently, he has introduced metadynamics for the study of rare events and the calculation of free energies.

For his work, he has been awarded many prizes and honorary degrees. He is a member of numerous academies and learned societies, including the German Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, the British Royal Society, and the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, which is the major academy in his home country of Italy.

Award Committee

The award committee will be chaired by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, a computational condensed matter physicist, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor at the Department of Physics, Fudan University. Professor Xin-Gao Gong will lead a panel of several senior experts in the field to oversee the evaluation and selection process. The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University (Shanghai, China), led by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, will serve as the supporting institute for the award.

"We hope the Michele Parrinello Award will recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of computational condensed matter physics and at the same time set a benchmark for the younger generation, providing clear direction for their pursuit—this is precisely the original intention behind establishing the award."

——Professor Xin-Gao Gong

The first edition of the award was officially launched on 1 November 2025. Nominations will be accepted before the end of March 2026. For further details, please visit mparrinelloaward.org.

About the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and MDPI Awards

The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing sustainable development through scientific progress and global collaboration. The foundation also oversees the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award. The establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award will further enrich the existing award portfolio, providing continued and diversified financial support to outstanding professionals across various fields. 

In addition to these foundation-level awards, MDPI journals also recognize outstanding contributions through a range of honors, including Best Paper Awards, Outstanding Reviewer Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Editor of Distinction Awards, and others. These initiatives aim to recognize excellence across disciplines and career stages, contributing to the long-term vitality and sustainability of scientific research.

Find more information on awards here.

Following from our two previous successful editions, we invite you to submit your abstracts and participate in the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers, taking place from 2 to 7 August 2026 in Jeju, South Korea.

Organized by MDPI and the open access journals Sensors, Micromachines, AI Sensors, Micro and Remote Sensing, this in-person conference will once again bring together experts and participating researchers who will share insights and innovations in sensors, sensing technology, transducers and artificial intelligence.

Start preparing your abstracts:
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work to peers and leading experts in AI-enhanced sensing systems and transducers. We will be announcing the session topics at AIS 2026 soon.

Find out more about the instructions for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#instructions.

Find out more about the publication opportunities available for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#Publicationopportunities.
Please feel free to share the information about this conference to your colleagues and students.

We look forward to welcoming you in Jeju!

The organizing committee of the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers (AIS 2026).

We are honored to recognize the 2024 MDPI Top 1000 Reviewers—scholars whose exemplary commitment to rigorous and constructive peer review is vital in upholding the highest standards of academic publishing.

Selected from a distinguished pool of 215,000 reviewers from 65 countries and regions worldwide, these honorees stand out for their exceptional expertise, diligence, and dedication to advancing research through timely and thoughtful reviews. Their constructive and impartial feedback ensures the publication of high-quality, impactful research, while their timely reviews facilitate swift revisions and faster publication of innovative work.

Peer review is the invisible foundation of academic progress. With gratitude and respect, we celebrate these 1000 scholars who made that foundation stronger in 2024. We respected all privacy preferences, with part of nominees opting for limited attribution.

The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

We are pleased to announce updates to our article template, aimed at improving the readability and visual appeal of our publications. The following updates will be applied to articles published in volumes in 2026, starting from 19 December 2025.

Left information bar:

• Updated the logo and URL for “Check for updates”;
• Removed the “Citation” section (Note: Citation details remain accessible via “Cite” in the online article version);
• Changed the link in “Copyright” to a hyperlink format.

Footer:

• Added a DOI link at the bottom-right corner of each page.

The updated template is now available for download from the Instructions for Authors page of each journal.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with better experience and make the process more convenient.

For any questions or suggestions, please contact our production team at production@mdpi.com.

Mrs. Zeynab Anbiaee is a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick and a research assistant at the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC). Her research focuses on cybersecurity, with a particular emphasis on AI-driven security models and intrusion detection systems (IDS) for next-generation networks.

Mrs. Zeynab holds a master’s degree in information technology engineering with a specialization in computer networks from Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, one of Iran’s top three universities. Her academic and professional interests center on securing AI protocols, developing resilient IoT security mechanisms, and advancing intelligent threat detection models. Through her doctoral research, she aims to contribute to the evolving landscape of AI security and the design of adaptive cybersecurity solutions for emerging digital ecosystems.

1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?
I am a PhD researcher at the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, University of New Brunswick. My research focuses on AI and IoT security, with a particular emphasis on intrusion detection. One of my papers, selected as an Editor’s Choice article, explores realistic intrusion detection in highly imbalanced IoT environments. I was delighted to see it recognized for its quality.

2. In your opinion, which research topics will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Proactive intrusion detection systems are likely to become a major research trend, moving beyond the current reactive approaches that only detect attacks after they occur. Also, there is a growing role of AI and large language models (LLMs) in intrusion detection. In addressing challenges such as imbalanced datasets, label-free and self-supervised learning approaches will be important directions for future research. Overall, I believe that AI integration will remain a central focus for many researchers in this field.

3. How do you manage your time and balance your responsibilities as a researcher?
One of the biggest challenges has been managing my time effectively. I have found that maintaining a strict schedule is absolutely essential to staying on track with my research, coursework, and other commitments. I balance my thesis, research projects, and family life by limiting distractions such as social media and entertainment. Through this disciplined approach, I have learned to work efficiently, manage priorities, and maintain a healthy work–life balance. One of the most valuable lessons I have gained from my PhD is developing the ability to think critically, organize my time effectively, and balance multiple aspects of life.

4. What qualities do you think young scientists need?
I believe that intellectual humility is crucial in research because results often contradict our initial expectations, and we need to be willing to adapt our perspectives. Systematic thinking is also important—being able to connect ideas to data and methods. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, especially given the interdisciplinary nature of modern research, like my work in IoT and the Internet of Medical Devices. It is important to understand different vocabularies, be patient, listen carefully, and work effectively with diverse teams. Overall, I think that humility, collaboration, communication, and systematic thinking are key qualities for young researchers.

5. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
I am a strong supporter of open access because it accelerates knowledge sharing and makes research accessible to students and smaller institutions worldwide that might not be able to afford subscription-based journals. I also believe that open access should go beyond just papers—it should include open artifacts like code, datasets, and configurations. Sharing these resources allows other researchers to replicate, validate, and build on existing work, which ultimately enhances transparency, collaboration, and scientific progress.

6. Have you had difficulties in your work? How did you approach those situations?
The challenges I faced were less about technical issues and more about managing ambitions and dealing with uncertainty. Balancing multiple ambitions with limited time and coping with uncertainty about my ideas and results was often difficult. Sometimes initial outcomes were disappointing, but those experiences taught me resilience, the importance of intellectual humility, and how to refine my approach. Over time, I learned to manage my expectations, stay motivated, and grow from both successes and setbacks.

Aviation is an engine of global connectivity. International Civil Aviation Day, observed on 7 December, aims to promote worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of states. It additionally seeks to reinforce the unique role of the International Civil Aviation Organization in helping states to collaborate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.

In recognition of this important day, we recommend the following related articles, Special Issues and journals spanning multidisciplinary fields. We believe that promoting such research will help increase public awareness of innovative ideas and technological advancements that support the safety, efficiency, and sustainable development of global civil aviation.

“Selection of Safety Measures in Aircraft Operations: A Hybrid Grey Delphi–AHP-ADAM MCDM Model”
by Snežana Tadić, Milica Milovanović, Mladen Krstić and Olja Čokorilo
Eng 2025, 6(11), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng6110295

“Fuzzy Model Predictive Control for Unmanned Helicopter”
by Łukasz Kiciński and Sebastian Topczewski
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(14), 8120; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15148120

“Does the Choice of Topic Modeling Technique Impact the Interpretation of Aviation Incident Reports? A Methodological Assessment”
by Aziida Nanyonga, Keith Joiner, Ugur Turhan and Graham Wild
Technologies 2025, 13(5), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050209

“Multi-Label Classification of Complaint Texts: Civil Aviation Service Quality Case Study”
by Huali Cai, Xuanya Shao, Pengpeng Zhou and Hongtao Li
Electronics 2025, 14(3), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14030434

“Land Use Around Airports: Policies and Methods for Third-Party Risk Assessment—A Review”
by Paola Di Mascio, Raducu Dinu, Giuseppe Loprencipe and Laura Moretti
Future Transp. 2024, 4(4), 1501-1519; https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp4040072

“Urban Aviation: The Future Aerospace Transportation System for Intercity and Intracity Mobility”
by Graham Wild
Urban Sci. 2024, 8(4), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8040218

“Estimation of Radiation Exposure for Various Flights from Athens International Airport”
by Anastasia Tezari, Argyris N. Stassinakis, Panagiota Makrantoni, Pavlos Paschalis, Dimitris Alexandridis, Maria Gerontidou, Helen Mavromichalaki, Pantelis Karaiskos, Norma Crosby and Mark Dierckxsens
Atmosphere 2024, 15(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020149

“A Review of the Current Regulatory Framework for Supersonic Civil Aircraft: Noise and Emissions Regulations”
by Thomas Rötger, Chris Eyers and Roberta Fusaro
Aerospace 2024, 11(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11010019

“Explainable Data-Driven Method Combined with Bayesian Filtering for Remaining Useful Lifetime Prediction of Aircraft Engines Using NASA CMAPSS Datasets”
by Faisal Maulana, Andrew Starr and Agusmian Partogi Ompusunggu
Machines 2023, 11(2), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines11020163

“Aviation Science and Technology Applications” Guest Editor: Dr. Graham Wild Submission deadline: 31 December 2025	“Aviation Emissions and Their Impact on Air Quality” Guest Editors: Dr. John Christodoulakis and Dr. Martin Gera Submission deadline: 27 March 2026

Conference: The 40th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence
Date: 20–27 January 2026
Location: Singapore, Republic of Singapore

MDPI will participate as an exhibitor at the 40th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-26). We welcome researchers and professionals to visit our booth and engage with our team.

Organized by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), the conference serves as a leading international platform for the exchange of advances in AI research, ethical practices, and emerging applications.

AAAI-26 will feature technical presentations, special talks, invited speakers, workshops, tutorials, poster sessions, competitions, and an exhibition program, bringing together experts and young scholars from across the AI community.

The following open access MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Applied Sciences;
• AI;
• Electronics;
• Virtual Worlds;
• Blockchains;
• Computers;
• Make;
• MTI.

If you are planning to attend the above event, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information, please visit https://aaai.org/conference/aaai/aaai-26/.

We are pleased to announce that Entropy 2026: Exploring Complexity and Information in Science will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 1 to 3 July 2026.

This conference, organized by MDPI's open access journal Entropy (ISSN: 1099-4300; IF: 2.0), offers an exciting opportunity to explore cutting-edge advances and foster collaboration in the rapidly evolving fields of fundamental and applied physics, information theory, mathematics, and complex systems. We anticipate that Entropy 2026 will bring together more than 200 participants from around the world.

Topics of interest:
S1. Complex systems and network science;
S2. Information theory, data science, and artificial intelligence;
S3. Quantum information and quantum computing;
S4. Thermodynamics and energy systems;
S5. Non-equilibrium systems and entropy production;
S6. Statistical physics and stochastic processes;
S7. Soft and living matter;
S8. Applications of entropy in science and engineering.

Conference Chairs:

• Prof. Dr. Miguel Rubi, University of Barcelona, Spain;
• Prof. Dr. Kevin H. Knuth, University at Albany, USA.

Important dates:

• Abstract submission deadline: 1 March 2026;
• Acceptance notification deadline: 30 March 2026;
• Early bird registration deadline: 31 March 2026;
• Registration: 15 June 2026.

For any enquiries regarding the event, please contact entropy2026@mdpi.com. We look forward to seeing you at Entropy 2026.

World Sustainable Transport Day, observed on 26 November, highlights the vital role of transport in promoting connectivity, trade, economic growth, and employment, while addressing its significant greenhouse gas impact. Sustainable transport provides mobility systems that are safe, affordable, accessible, efficient, and resilient, while minimizing emissions and environmental harm. It drives sustainable development. This day reminds us that the road to a better future depends on cleaner and greener transportation systems.

In recognition of World Sustainable Transport Day, MDPI supports the global call to advance low-carbon, inclusive, and efficient transport solutions. Through open access publishing, we invite readers to explore selected articles, Special Issues, and journals that contribute to building cleaner and more resilient societies.

“A Real-Time Collision Warning System for Autonomous Vehicles Based on YOLOv8n and SGBM Stereo Vision”
by Shang-En Tsai and Chia-Han Hsieh
Electronics 2025, 14(21), 4275; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14214275

“Does the Choice of Topic Modeling Technique Impact the Interpretation of Aviation Incident Reports? A Methodological Assessment”
by Aziida Nanyonga, Keith Joiner, Ugur Turhan and Graham Wild
Technologies 2025, 13(5), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050209

“Greening Sustainable Supply Chain Performance: The Moderating and Mediating Influence of Green Value Co-Creation and Green Innovation”
by Banji Rildwan Olaleye and Sara Faysal Mosleh
Adm. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15050183

“A Review of Passenger Counting in Public Transport Concepts with Solution Proposal Based on Image Processing and Machine Learning”
by Aleksander Radovan, Leo Mršić, Goran Đambić and Branko Mihaljević
Eng 2024, 5(4), 3284–3315; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5040172

“The Transition Pathways to Sustainable Urban Mobility: Could They Be Extended to Megacities?”
by Sierra Rey-Tienda, Manuel Rey-Moreno and Cayetano Medina-Molina
Urban Sci. 2024, 8(4), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8040179

“The Impact of Spoofing Attacks in Connected Autonomous Vehicles under Traffic Congestion Conditions”
by Zisis-Rafail Tzoannos, Dimitrios Kosmanos, Apostolos Xenakis and Costas Chaikalis
Telecom 2024, 5(3), 747–759; https://doi.org/10.3390/telecom5030037

“An Investigation of Historic Transportation Infrastructure Preservation and Improvement through Historic Building Information Modeling”
by Rnin Salah, János Szép, Kitti Ajtayné Károlyfi and Nóra Géczy
Infrastructures 2024, 9(7), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9070114

“Willingness to Participate in Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) in Sweden, 2022—Using an Electric Vehicle’s Battery for More Than Transport”
by Rahmat Khezri, David Steen and Le Anh Tuan
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051792

“Particulate Matter Emission and Air Pollution Reduction by Applying Variable Systems in Tribologically Optimized Diesel Engines for Vehicles in Road Traffic”
by Saša Milojević, Jasna Glišović, Slobodan Savić, Goran Bošković, Milan Bukvić and Blaža Stojanović
Atmosphere 2024, 15(2), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020184

“Sustainability-Driven Design of Aircraft Composite Components”
by Angelos Filippatos, Dionysios Markatos, Georgios Tzortzinis, Kaushik Abhyankar, Sonia Malefaki, Maik Gude and Spiros Pantelakis
Aerospace 2024, 11(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11010086

“Deep Learning and Statistical Models for Forecasting Transportation Demand: A Case Study of Multiple Distribution Centers”
by Fábio Polola Mamede, Roberto Fray da Silva, Irineu de Brito Junior, Hugo Tsugunobu Yoshida Yoshizaki, Celso Mitsuo Hino and Carlos Eduardo Cugnasca
Logistics 2023, 7(4), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics7040086

“Ship Autonomous Collision-Avoidance Strategies—A Comprehensive Review”
by Hongguang Lyu, Zengrui Hao, Jiawei Li, Guang Li, Xiaofeng Sun, Guoqing Zhang, Yong Yin, Yanjie Zhao and Lunping Zhang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(4), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11040830

Conference: The 19th Chinese Conference on Biometric Recognition
Date: 21–23 November 2025
Location: Nanchang, China

MDPI will be attending the 19th Chinese Conference on Biometric Recognition as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The Chinese Conference on Biometric Recognition (CCBR) is a leading academic event in the field of biometric recognition in China, hosted by the China Society of Image and Graphics (CSIG), the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI), and the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since 2000, CCBR has been successfully held 18 times in cities including Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Jinan, Shenyang, Tianjin, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Zhuzhou, Shanghai, and Xuzhou, significantly promoting academic and technological development in this field domestically.

The 19th Chinese Conference on Biometric Recognition (CCBR 2025) will be held in Nanchang on 21–23 November 2025. It is jointly organized by Nanchang Aviation University and Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, and co-organized by the Biometric Recognition Professional Committee (Preparatory) of the China Society of Image and Graphics, the Youth Working Committee of the China Society of Image and Graphics, the Visual Big Data Professional Committee of the China Society of Image and Graphics, the IEEE Beijing Section Biometrics Council Chapter, the Nanchang Member Activity Center of the China Society of Image and Graphics, and the Jiangxi Provincial Public Security Science and Technology Innovation Federation. This conference will bring together a large number of domestic researchers engaged in the theoretical and applied research of biometrics and invite international peers to share the latest theoretical and technological achievements in biometrics research in my country, providing everyone with a wonderful academic feast.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Algorithms;
• Computers;
• Virtual Worlds;
• Blockchains;
• Cryptography;
• Electronics;
• Journal of Imaging;
• Multimodal Technologies and Interaction;
• AI.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://ccbr99.cn/index.html.