Announcements
6 November 2025
MDPI Launches the Michele Parrinello Award for Pioneering Contributions in Computational Physical Science
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
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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
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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.
12 January 2026
Entropy Best Presentation Awards at the 44th International Workshop on Bayesian Inference and Maximum Entropy Methods in Science and Engineering (MaxEnt 2025)—Winners Announced
We are pleased to announce the winners of the Best Presentation Awards, sponsored by Entropy (ISSN: 1099-4300), at the 44th International Workshop on Bayesian Inference and Maximum Entropy Methods in Science and Engineering (MaxEnt 2025). This event was held from 14 to 19 December 2025, in Auckland, New Zealand. Congratulations to Vasudev Mittal and Johanna Moser!
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“Confronting the Cosmological Principle (CP)” by Vasudev Mittal
Cosmological Principle (CP) asserts that the universe is isotropic and homogeneous on large scales. It attributes the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) thermal dipole to our local peculiar motion, hence giving it the name of kinematic dipole. If this attribution is correct, then all sky surveys of other cosmological probes should show a similar dipole in their distribution throughout the sky. More than forty years ago, researchers postulated the presence of a number count dipole in source distribution (dubbed as the matter dipole) as a test for the CP. However, recent research has found a disagreement between the matter dipole and kinematic dipole, with claims reaching well over 5σ! In this talk, we test the CP by analysing an all-sky survey of quasars. Using Bayesian statistics, we show that a dipole aligned with the CMB is present. However, the amplitude of the dipole is still in tension with our expectations, bringing the validity of the cosmological principle into question. We also discuss some outstanding issues in the domain and possible methods to increase the sophistication of the number count dipole test.
“Parameter learning with physics-consistent Gaussian Processes” by Johanna Moser
The work discusses and compares methods of choosing a prior structure of the Gaussian Process such that the functions generated solve a chosen linear differential equation (PDE or ODE), or effectively speaking: ways of solving linear differential equations while accounting for uncertainty in data and parameters. We also present a python package ("PCGP") that implements those methods.
9 January 2026
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2025
We have expanded our open access portfolio with eight new journals publishing their inaugural issues in December 2025, as well as three journal transfers. These additions span physical sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, environmental and Earth sciences, medicine and pharmacology, and public health and healthcare. We extend our sincere thanks to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who are shaping these journals’ direction. All journals uphold strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
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New Journals |
Founding Editor-in-Chief(s) |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Dr. Elisa Felicitas Arias, Université PSL, France |
atomic clocks; time and frequency metrology; GNSS systems; relativity and relativistic timekeeping; fundamental physics in space | |
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Prof. Dr. José F.F. Mendes, University of Aveiro, Portugal |
complex systems; network science; nonlinear dynamics and chaotic behaviour; information theory and complexity; computational complexity | |
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Prof. Dr. Roberto Morandotti, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique—Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications (INRS), Canada |
light generation; light sources and applications; light control and measurement; human responses to light; lighting design | |
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Prof. Dr. Savvas A. Chatzichristofis, Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus |
generative AI and large language models in education; multimodal and embodied AI; personalization and adaptive systems; assessment, feedback, and academic integrity; learning analytics | |
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Prof. Dr. Jon Andoni Duñabeitia, Universidad Nebrija, Spain |
cognitive psychology; cognitive neuroscience; psycholinguistics; applied linguistics; experimental psychology | |
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Prof. Dr. Caiwu Fu, Wuhan University, China; Prof. Dr. Longxi Zhang, Peking University, China |
cultural practices; cultural theory; cultural policy; cultural heritage; transregional and transnational cultural flows| |
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Dr. Ghassem R. Asrar, iCREST Environmental Education Foundation, USA |
biosphere interactions, processes, and sustainability; ecosystem science and dynamics; biodiversity conservation; global change and environmental adaptation; biogeochemical cycles | |
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Dr. Giuseppe Mulè, University of Palermo, Italy |
cardiorenal syndromes; chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease; cardiorenalmetabolic syndrome; hypertension and diabetes in relation to the abovementioned syndromes; diagnostic techniques | |
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Transferred Journals |
Editor-in-Chief |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Peter Matt, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS), Switzerland |
cardiology; cardiovascular and aortic surgery; cardiovascular anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology; congenital heart disease and pediatric cardiology; cardiovascular regenerative and reparative medicine | |
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Prof. Dr. Oana Săndulescu, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania; National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals”, Romania |
infectious diseases across clinical and public health domains; epidemiology of communicable diseases; clinical microbiology and applied virology; vaccinology and immunization; host–pathogen interactions and immunity | |
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Dr. Roxana Elena Bohiltea, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania |
public health; disease prevention; screening and early detection; lifestyle interventions and health education; digital and innovative prevention | |
We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create more new journals, you are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).
31 December 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #30 - Scaling with Integrity, Highly Cited Researchers, KEMÖ Consortium, Michele Parrinello, and Best PhD Thesis Awards
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
With colleagues at MDPI headquarters in Basel, representing the people behind our global growth and shared commitment to integrity.
Scaling with Integrity: A Year of Growth, Responsibility, and Trust
When I look back on 2025, one phrase seems to sum up the year: “Scaling with integrity.” That was our watchword for 2025, and it will remain so as we move forward in to 2026.
Our journal portfolio continued to grow in 2025, reflecting the trust of a widening proportion of the scholarly community.
Today, MDPI has 355 journals indexed in Scopus and 330 in Web of Science – a testimonial to the scale at which our journals meet established external quality criteria. During the year, 45 of our journals were newly accepted into Scopus and 29 into Web of Science (this excludes transferred journals to our portfolio that were already indexed), following rigorous, independent evaluation by the world’s leading indexing bodies
Meeting external quality benchmarks
These results underline the fact that scaling responsibly is not only about expanding our catalogue, but also about meeting external quality benchmarks consistently, transparently, and at scale. Our indexing performance remains one of the strongest independent validations of MDPI’s commitment to rigor, trust, and long-term sustainability.
Over the course of 2025, we made targeted investments to ensure that the integrity of our editorial process scaled to keep pace with our growth. We strengthened our editorial governance by doubling down on our dedicated Publication Ethics department, appointing a Head of Ethics, and expanding our research integrity team by the addition of new specialists plus the creation of embedded editorial ethics roles across key journals. We also introduced new internal ethics guidelines, pre-review integrity checks, and monitoring dashboards to help teams identify potential issues and apply consistent standards across our portfolio.
Besides investing in systems and tools, we of course also invested heavily in our people and culture, delivering organisation-wide training on topics such as image integrity, AI use in publishing, and ethical oversight, while actively engaging with the wider publishing community through COPE and STM forums.
All these efforts reflect a simple principle: growth only matters if it is matched by rigor, responsibility, and trust.
Technology and AI: Supporting the editorial decision-making process
At MDPI, AI is designed to assist, not replace, editorial decision-making. It is one element in a broader system that combines people, technology, and processes to support scale responsibly.
In 2025, we continued to invest heavily in technology that supports quality rather than shortcuts. Our AI team doubled in size, ensuring that increased automation goes hand-in-hand with expertise and oversight. Proprietary AI tools such as Scholar Finder have significantly improved the precision of reviewer matching, while Ethicality has been widely adopted across editorial workflows to identify contextual signals, such as scope alignment and citation behaviour, so that human judgment can be applied where it matters most.
Partnerships: Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements and Societies
Our recent growth is also reflected in the strength of our partnerships. In 2025, we entered into more than 150 new IOAP agreements, bringing our total to 975 active agreements worldwide. This activity included the signing of our first-ever consortium agreements in North America, renewals of all major national consortia in the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Croatia, and the conclusion of several flat-fee agreements. At the same time, we concluded a total of 30 agreements, encompassing 24 new Society affiliations, four strategic publishing partnerships, and two journal acquisitions.
In 2025, we opened MDPI USA in Philadelphia – our latest global office, which complements our Toronto office in representing North America. MDPI USA is responsible for accelerating Open Access in the US through ongoing support of our scholars and for expanding our institutional and society partnerships.
On the other side of the globe, meanwhile, we signed an IOAP agreement in India, allowing researchers discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs), streamlined APC management for universities, and visibility into submissions, supporting India’s push for wider Open Access by offering flexible models and helping institutions meet national mandates such as Plan S.
Sustainability, sponsorships and awards
We continued to expand our sustainability efforts during 2025, hosting the 11th World Sustainability Forum, awarding CHF 125,000 in sustainability-related funding, and launching the Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation conference, which will officially take place in January 2026.
We also saw a record year for conference sponsorships and awards (while establishing new awards such as the Michele Parrinello Award), recognising scholars across disciplines and reinforcing our commitment to supporting the global research community at every stage of the academic journey.
Deepening our relationships
In 2025, I had the opportunity to travel more widely than ever before on MDPI business, meeting many of our stakeholders face to face and relishing the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their science communication needs. It was also excellent to visit a large number of MDPI offices and witness the commitment and service orientation of so many of our colleagues around the world. I shall resume my itinerary in the new year, and I look forward to many more such interactions.
Looking ahead to 2026, we will be celebrating a very significant milestone: 30 years of MDPI. From our foundation as a single Open Access journal in 1996 to the global publishing organisation we are today, our mission has remained consistent: advancing Open Access through rigorous and trustworthy scientific communication.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders – authors, Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, and reviewers – who have placed their trust in us during 2025. On behalf of the entire MDPI team, I look forward to deepening our relationships yet further in 2026 and celebrating 30 Years of Open Science at MDPI, something we’ve built together.
Basel, Switzerland, where MDPI was founded in 1996.
Impactful Research
621 MDPI Editors Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2025
I am pleased to share an important milestone for our editorial community and for MDPI. In late November, Clarivate announced the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers, and 621 MDPI Editorial Board Members were included among the most influential scientific contributors over the past decade!
The 621 editors come from 33 countries, representing 21 scientific disciplines, and account for nearly one in every ten Highly Cited Researchers globally. This recognition speaks to the depth of expertise across our Editorial Boards and the strength of the scientific communities that choose to collaborate with MDPI. It is important to note that while citation metrics are not in themselves a proxy for quality, they do offer one lens on sustained scientific influence.
“Our strength comes from the scientific communities who choose to work with us”
Why this is important
Having more than 600 editors recognized on this list highlights:
- The high level of expertise guiding peer review across our journals
- The global and disciplinary diversity within our Editorial Boards
- Our commitment to maintaining strong, knowledgeable, and engaged editorial oversight
Impactful science is of course shaped by broad, diverse research communities, and no single metric captures the full picture of research quality. However, this recognition does serve as meaningful, independent affirmation of the calibre of many editors who contribute to MDPI’s work.
A closer look at the recognition
Clarivate’s methodology highlights researchers whose publications rank in the top one per cent by citation count, reflecting consistent influence over the past decade. The process includes:
- Evaluation of c. 200,000 highly cited papers
- Removal of retracted publications
- Filtering of papers with unusually large authorship groups to focus on clear contributions
That so many of our editors meet these thresholds reflects the impact of the communities behind our journals.
What this means going forward
This recognition underlines the fact that our strength comes from the scientific communities who choose to work with us.
For authors, partners, and readers, it confirms that:
- MDPI journals benefit from editorial guidance grounded in active, high-impact research
- Our Editorial boards include leaders who are helping shape the future direction of their fields
- MDPI continues to attract experts who value openness, efficiency, and scientific integrity
For our internal teams, it is a reminder that the work we do every day (supporting editors, refining workflows, and improving systems) directly contributes to the trust placed in MDPI by researchers worldwide.
Thank you to all our editorial teams, publishing staff, and journal relationship specialists, and to everyone who collaborates with our Editorial Boards. Achievements like this are only possible because of your ongoing hard work, dedication, and collaboration.
From our first annual MDPI UK Summit in Manchester, bringing together over 30 Chief Editors and Editorial Board Members to discuss MDPI’s mission, achievements, and collaborations in the UK.
Inside MDPI
MDPI Launches the Michele Parrinello Award for Computational Physical Science
In case you missed it, in November, we announced the launch of the Michele Parrinello Award. This new biennial international award will recognize pioneering contributions in computational physical science. The award honours Michele Parrinello, one of the most influential scientists of the past half-century in atomistic simulations and computational materials research.
This award reflects MDPI’s long-standing commitment to recognizing scientific excellence, supporting foundational research, and inspiring the next generation of scholars across disciplines.
“Be confident that what you do is meaningful”
Honouring a transformative scientific legacy
Professor Parrinello’s work has fundamentally reshaped how scientists model matter at the atomic scale. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, widely known as the Car–Parrinello method, opening new pathways in electronic structure calculations and molecular simulations. His subsequent contributions, including the Parrinello–Rahman method and metadynamics, have become core tools across physics, chemistry, materials science, and increasingly biology.
“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
A global, community-led award
The award committee is chaired by Xin-Gao Gong, Professor of Physics at Fudan University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University will serve as the supporting institute, reinforcing the award’s international and cross-cultural foundation.
Nominations for the first edition of the Michele Parrinello Award opened on 1 November 2025, with submissions accepted until March 2026. The award will recognize scientists whose work has advanced computational physical science across physics, chemistry, and materials research – fields increasingly central to energy, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, and technological innovation.
Why this matters for MDPI
The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which supports science as a driver of long-term societal progress.
Alongside other foundation-level honours, including the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award, this new prize builds on our role in supporting excellence across career stages and disciplines.
MDPI journals and programs continue to recognize researchers through Best Paper Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards. Together, these initiatives reflect a simple belief: strong scientific communities are built through recognition, trust, and sustained support.
As MDPI approaches its 30th anniversary, the launch of the Michele Parrinello Award highlights our commitment not only to publishing research but also to helping shape the future of science by celebrating those who expand its boundaries.
Coming Together for Science
KEMÖ Consortium (Austria) Extends Open Access Agreement with MDPI until 2027
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has renewed its Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreement with the Austrian library consortium KEMÖ, extending our partnership through 2027.
The renewed agreement now includes 23 Austrian institutions, with the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) joining the partnership. Participating institutions benefit from APC discounts across MDPI’s more than 495 journals, with centralized funding options further reducing the administrative burden for researchers and libraries.
“This renewal reflects shared commitment to advancing Open Access publishing in Europe”
Austria continues to be an important and engaged research community for MDPI, with 525+ Austrian Editorial Board Members, eight Editors-in-Chief, and 15 Section Editors-in-Chief contributing to our journals.
This renewal reflects long-term trust and shared commitment to advancing Open Access publishing in Europe, and improves MDPI’s collaboration with national OA infrastructures such as the Open Access Monitor Austria. Such long-term agreements show how MDPI’s growth is increasingly built on institutional trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to Open Access.
A big thank-you to the IOAP team and everyone involved in supporting this partnership.
Closing Thoughts
Celebrating the Next Generation of Scholars: MDPI’s 2024 Best PhD Thesis Awards
One of the privileges of working in scholarly publishing is supporting the beginning of new scientific journeys. We recently announced the recipients of MDPI’s 2024 Best PhD Thesis Awards, recognizing some of the most promising emerging researchers across disciplines.
These awards do more than celebrate academic excellence. They reflect something deeper about our mission: supporting the next generation of authors and the future of Open Science.
Recognition of Excellence
This year, we made awards to 55 early-career researchers across seven fields:
- Biology and Life Sciences
- Chemistry and Materials Science
- Computer Science and Mathematics
- Engineering
- Environmental and Earth Sciences
- Medicine and Pharmacology
- Interdisciplinary ‘Other’ fields
For those of you who have completed a PhD, you’ll know first-hand that behind each number is a story of perseverance, curiosity, and sustained effort. These researchers represent institutions around the world, with thesis topics spanning:
- Brain–machine interfaces and neural engineering
- Sustainable materials and next-generation batteries
- Cancer genomics, tumour microenvironments, and immunotherapy
- AI-driven image analysis, robotics, and computational models
- Climate change monitoring and environmental risk assessment
- Regenerative medicine, biomaterials, and drug development
These dissertations are early signs of the scientific directions that will shape the coming decade.
“Our mission is about building a global community of authors”
Why this is important
Every year, millions of scholars begin their research careers with limited visibility and few platforms for sharing their work. By recognizing outstanding PhD theses, we elevate authors early in their academic journeys, build MDPI’s connection to the global research community, reinforce our commitment to quality and rigor, and highlight the depth and breadth of scholarship published across our portfolio (from biology to materials science to mathematics).
A foretaste of the future
These 55 awardees represent the next generation of researchers whose work will influence science, policy, and society in the years ahead. What we support today helps shape the scientific ecosystem of tomorrow. Our mission goes beyond publishing papers. It is about building a global community of authors who will define the next era of scientific discovery.
To explore more about MDPI Awards, including current and upcoming Best PhD Thesis Awards, please click here.
Thank you to the editors, reviewers, and teams across MDPI who make these awards possible each year.
Everything we achieved this year was made possible by the collective effort of our global teams and the trust placed in us by the scholarly community. Thank you again, and here’s to the successful continuation of our collaboration in 2026!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
11 December 2025
Meet Us at the 247th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), 4–8 January 2026, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
11 December 2025
Article Layout and Template Revised for Future Volumes
3 December 2025
Dr. Nikolaos Pappas Appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of Section “Information Theory, Probability and Statistics” in Entropy
28 November 2025
Asia-Pacific Summer School and Conference on Networks and Complex Systems, 9–12 June 2026, Singapore
13 November 2025
Entropy | Research by the Shannon Award Winners
4 November 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #28 - WSF11, Nobel Laureates, Proofig AI, Romania Summit, STM and FBF
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
Highlights from the 11th World Sustainability Forum in Barcelona
I’m pleased to share some highlights from the 11th World Sustainability Forum (WSF 11), held in Barcelona on 2–3 October 2025 under the theme Sustainable and Resilient Cities.
Why WSF matters
The WSF series is a flagship initiative for MDPI and is supported by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation. It serves as a transdisciplinary platform for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to engage on sustainability challenges. WSF is now held annually as part of our commitment to maintain momentum in the sustainability discourse.
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This year’s Barcelona edition focused on urban resilience, landscape design, and social community impact in the sustainability space. Over 48 hours of sessions, we brought together leading minds across disciplines to translate vision into practice. With participants from 53 countries across all continents, WSF 11 was truly global in scope.
“WSF is now held annually as part of our commitment to maintain momentum in the sustainability discourse”
What made WSF 11 especially successful (from my vantage point) was the level of positive engagement with our participants. Chief editors, researchers, and attendees repeatedly told me how professionally executed the event was, highlighting the high energy, logistical smoothness and quality of MDPI’s event management. That kind of recognition from peers really builds our reputation as more than just a publisher, but as a convener of meaningful scientific dialogue.
Our conferences are a form of experiential marketing as they create memorable and immersive connections between a brand and attendees. These positive associations build promotion and brand loyalty, ultimately impacting the MDPI’s trust and reputation for the better.
WSF 11: By the numbers
Here’s a quick snapshot of WSF 11’s scale and reach:
- 181 registrations across global participants.
- 8 keynote speakers and 5 invited speakers.
- 144 abstracts accepted (over 355 submitted), resulting in 75 short talks and 69 posters.
- 53 countries were represented across all continents, making it a truly international event.
- First time that we ran parallel sessions for WSF (an ambitious program).
- A dedicated awards ceremony to honour outstanding sustainability research: World Sustainability Award (WSA) x 2 winners, and Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) x 3 winners.
Interviews with our World Sustainability Award Winners
One of the most rewarding parts of WSF is recognizing researchers whose work advances sustainability in powerful ways. In our Blog series, Daniella Maritan-Thomson (Content Specialist, MDPI) interviewed the two winners of the World Sustainability Award, Professor Dr. Stuart Pimm and Dr. Abdelbagi M. Ismail, who offered insights to the human side of sustainability research, the people behind the data, and the stories behind the science.
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Prof. Stuart Pimm, whose decades of conservation work make him a leader in biodiversity preservation, reflected on his WSF Award experience and research in this interview: [Interview: Prof Stuart Pimm] |
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Dr. Abdelbagi M. Ismail, an expert in crop improvement and winner of the WSF Award, shares his journey and perspectives here: [Interview: Dr Abdelbagi M. Ismail] |
“Our conferences create memorable and immersive connections”
Emerging Sustainability Leader Award winners
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Prof. Dr. Vhahangwele Masindi, Dr. Katya Rhodes, and Prof. Dr. Myriam Ertz (left to right).
We also recognized three recipients of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award: Prof. Dr. Vhahangwele Masindi, Dr. Katya Rhodes, and Prof. Dr. Myriam Ertz, for their contributions as early-career researchers advancing sustainability through innovation, impact, and academic excellence across the field.
What this means for MDPI
- Building our global identity in events
WSF is a marquee MDPI event, not just a gathering, but a statement of how we wish to position ourselves in the global sustainability ecosystem. The positive feedback helps us build on our approach for future editions, so that we remain a reference point for quality, relevance, and engagement. - Expanding capacity across offices
The success of WSF 11 in Barcelona’s would not have happened without great teamwork from Basel, Barcelona, Romania, the UK, and the APAC Conference team. Thanks to everyone for their work to bring this ambitious event to life. - Supporting MDPI’s mission
At this event, I had the opportunity to present on MDPI's role in Open Access, sustainability publishing, and the intersection of science and policy. WSF is not only about the science; it’s also a platform for us to position MDPI as a thought leader and a collaborator in shaping the future of sustainable research.
I look forward to the WSF momentum as we work towards WSF 12 in Hong Kong, which is scheduled for August 2026.
MDPI Colleagues at the 11th World Sustainability Forum in Barcelona, Spain, 2–3 October 2025.
Impactful Research
Celebrating 2025 Nobel Laureates who have published with MDPI
October is always an inspiring month in science. It’s when the world turns its attention to the Nobel Prize announcements, recognizing discoveries that have changed how we understand the world.
Over the years, many distinguished researchers who have received the Nobel Prize have chosen to publish their work with MDPI. These are scientists whose breakthroughs have shaped entire fields of research, and who have entrusted our Open Access journals to share their findings with the world.
“The work we support can be world-class and world-changing”
Congratulations to the 2025 Laureates
Dozens of Nobel Laureates have published in our journals: as at 2024, more than 40 laureates had contributed over 115 articles across more than 35 MDPI journals. Congratulations to the three 2025 Nobel prize-winners who have published with MDPI during their careers. Below are links to their MDPI publications and announcements for further reading:
- Omar M. Yaghi (Chemistry)
- Awarded for his pioneering work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). MDPI published his article “Covalent Organic Frameworks: Organic Chemistry Beyond the Molecule” in Molecules (2017).
- MDPI Announcement: https://www.mdpi.com/news/13455
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry – The Science Behind the Prize
- Shimon Sakaguchi (Medicine)
- Recognized for discoveries in immune-system self-tolerance and regulatory T-cells. Published in Cancers (2021).
- MDPI Announcement: https://www.mdpi.com/news/13443
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – The Science Behind the Prize
- John M. Martinis (Physics)
- Recognized for quantum tunnelling in electrical circuits. MDPI’s Journal of Nuclear Engineering (2025) includes his co-authored work.
- MDPI Announcement: https://www.mdpi.com/news/13450
- Nobel Prize in Physics – The Science Behind the Prize
These connections strengthen our mission to make research freely available and ensure that transformative ideas reach the widest possible audience.
Publishing at the leading edge of knowledge
The privilege of hosting such contributors resonates deeply with our editorial teams. It shows that top-tier scientific work has a home at MDPI, which builds our visibility in the research community. It signals that our publishing model, our editorial workflows, and our commitment to Open Access are respected at the very highest levels of science. It also gives our authors, reviewers, editors and staff the message that the work we support can be world-class and world-changing.
Publishing at the leading edge of knowledge isn’t just about individual papers – it’s about the ecosystem of support, transparency, and accessibility that makes discovery possible. Let’s continue to build a publishing platform and provide a service that attracts and enables both everyday research and the breakthroughs of tomorrow.
Inside MDPI
Strengthening Research Integrity: MDPI partners with Proofig AI
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has entered a multi-year partnership with Proofig AI, a leader in AI-driven proofing and integrity software for scientific publishing. This follows the success of our pilot program, in which Proofig AI proved highly effective in detecting duplicated, altered, and manipulated images across biomedical submissions.
Safeguarding the credibility of the research we publish
Research integrity is at the core of MDPI’s mission. The life sciences, in particular, face increasing risks of image-related issues due to advanced editing tools and generative AI. By integrating Proofig AI into our workflows, we improve our ability to detect issues early, reduce post-publication corrections, and safeguard the credibility of the research we publish.
Pilot outcomes
- Successful detection of duplicated confocal and histology images, even when altered to disguise similarities.
- Early results showed a significant drop in post-publication image manipulation flags year-on-year.
- Positive feedback from editors and staff highlighted the tool’s ease of use and reliability.
Dr. Dror Kolodkin-Gal (co-founder and CEO of Proofig AI) said:
“The MDPI team conducted a highly professional and carefully monitored pilot, achieving excellent results in detecting problematic images.
Their fast and effective integration process was impressive, and we are excited to contribute to this important collaboration.”
Sanita Meijere (IT Product and Project Manager, MDPI), shared:
“For more than a year, we’ve tested all the available image manipulation detection tools. Proofig AI’s quality and ease of use, alongside positive feedback from our internal users, made their software a clear stand-out.
We’re thrilled to be moving forward with this partnership, ensuring we do our utmost to protect MDPI’s biomedical journals. Using this advanced image proofing software reaffirms MDPI’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards in research integrity.”
Raising the bar for integrity
This partnership sets a new benchmark for quality control in biomedical publishing.
As Tim Tait-Jamieson (Head of Publication Ethics, MDPI), explains:
“The life sciences are disproportionately affected by research integrity issues, making vigilance in this field especially critical. This is driven, in part, by the increasing sophistication of image editing software and generative AI.
Whether accidental or deliberate, image manipulation can have a lasting impact on credibility. By integrating Proofig AI into our editorial workflows, we strengthen our ability to detect scientific misconduct early and reduce post-publication amendments.”
Faster and more accurate quality control
Proofig will automatically flag potentially problematic images during submission checks, giving our editors more confidence in the integrity of manuscripts and freeing up time to focus on editorial decisions. The tool will also reduce the burden of manual checks, while supporting faster and more accurate quality control. This partnership reinforces MDPI's reputation as a publisher that takes integrity seriously and continues to invest in tools to support authors, editors, and reviewers alike.
A big thank-you to all colleagues who supported the pilot and rollout. You can read more in our MDPI Blog post.
Coming Together for Science
The MDPI Romania Summit 2025
On 21–22 October, I had the pleasure of joining our colleagues in Bucharest for the MDPI Romania Summit 2025. The event was organized by our Romania Marketing team, with support from colleagues across our Romanian offices. It brought together academics, policymakers, and collaborators to discuss the country’s evolving research landscape.
Over two days, we welcomed more than 30 participants, including Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, and policy-makers from the Romanian research and education sectors, including representatives from the Romanian Academy and the National Commission for the Accreditation of Academic Titles (CNATDCU).
The discussions and presentations reflected the strength and growth of Romania’s research community and its active engagement in Open Access publishing.
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“The discussions and presentations reflected the strength and growth of Romania’s research community”
Romania’s role in Open Access
Romania loves Open Access and has emerged as one of MDPI’s most engaged national research communities. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 67% of all publications in Romania were Open Access in 2024.
- MDPI accounts for 39% of the country’s total OA publications (14,779 in 2024).
- Over the last five years (2020–2024), Romanian institutions published over 33,000 papers with MDPI.
- There are 460 active Editorial Board Members from Romania, including 8 Chief Editors.
- 29 institutions are part of our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), with 8 new members joining in 2025.
These numbers reflect the trust and reliable partnership we have built with the Romanian academic community.
Highlights from the Summit
The program covered a wide range of topics from MDPI’s achievements and updates to our editorial processes, peer-review quality, AI in publishing, IOAP and Open Access funding models, and publication ethics.
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Agenda Highlights:
- MDPI Introduction, Performance & Achievements, and Collaboration with Romania – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI).
- Trust the Process: Editorial Workflow and Quality in Publishing – Dr. Liliane Auwerter (Scientific Review Group).
- Publication Ethics at MDPI: Safeguarding the Integrity of the Published Scholarly Record – Diana Cristina Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist).
- Institutional Partnerships – Becky Castellon (Institutional Partnerships Manager, MDPI).
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Sanita Meijere (AI Product Manager).
- Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI).
Participants shared feedback and ideas for future collaborations, including organizing author workshops, possible conference collaborations, and strengthening our engagement with national institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Research and the National Council of Romanian Rectors.
As Acad. Dr. Nicolae-Victor Zamfir, Vice President of the Romanian Academy, noted during the discussions:
“The organization of the event is very timely, because MDPI is a publishing house in full development and expansion. The opinion of researchers is important for increasing the quality of published works.”
A collaborative future
Events like this remind us how essential it is to engage locally and listen directly to the voices of our editors, authors, and institutional partners. They help us build relationships, improve our understanding of the local market, and align our shared goals in advancing Open Access and research quality.
Thank you to everyone involved, especially our Romania Marketing team, who organized the event, and to all colleagues who continue to build relationships with our academic communities around the world.
Thank you!
A special thank-you to the Romanian Marketing team and all colleagues behind the scenes who made this Summit such a success. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. We look forward to building on this momentum with future Summits in Europe and beyond.
Closing Thoughts
STM and FBF 2025: Connecting Through Science and Publishing
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Constanze Schelhorn (Head of Indexing, MDPI) at STM Conference, Frankfurt, 14 October 2025.
On 13–14 October, I attended the STM Frankfurt Conference 2025, my fourth visit to the Frankfurt event, and it continues to be one of the most valuable gatherings in our industry.
The STM meeting brings together the publishing community and key opinion leaders to speak on current trends and challenges shaping our industry.
This year’s theme – “Science Diplomacy: What is it and How Does it Work?” – unpacked the growing intersection of science, policy, and publishing.
Discussion topics ranged from what is science diplomacy and how publishers can contribute to global collaboration to how science communication can help maintain trust during an era of disruption.
I was joined by Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, our Head of Indexing, who met with representatives from Scopus, Web of Science, Digital Science, ProQuest, and other partners. These meetings give us a chance to share feedback on our collaborations, learn about new updates being developed, and build our relationships with indexing bodies.
“The STM meeting brings together the publishing community and key opinion leaders”
STM also provides a space to connect with industry peers, as I did with colleagues from Elsevier, Frontiers, Clarivate, Sage, and STM itself, reinforcing MDPI’s engagement within the broader publishing community. It was also nice to bump into some former colleagues and see them continuing to grow in their publishing careers.
At the Frankfurt Book Fair
The MDPI booth at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair.
Following STM, I spent the next day at the Frankfurt Book Fair (15–19 October) – one of the largest and most influential events in the publishing world.
It’s always inspiring to see the scale and energy of this global gathering, which spans everything from books and education to digital innovation and academic publishing.
We set up an MDPI booth to host discussions with partners, vendors, and researchers.
The Fair ran into the weekend, with colleagues from several MDPI departments attending to represent the company and connect with the scholarly community.
Events like STM and FBF are a nice reminder of how dynamic and interconnected our industry is, and how important it is for MDPI to continue taking part in global conversations about science, communication, and the future of publishing.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
