Announcements
4 March 2026
MDPI’s 2025 Best Paper Awards—Award-Winning Papers Announced
28 February 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #32 - MDPI China and Thailand, China Science Daily, 1,000 Partnerships, R2R
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
Reflections from China: Year-End-Celebrations and Open Access Publishing
In February, I had the pleasure of joining over a thousand colleagues from our Tongzhou and Haidian offices at their end-of-year annual celebration in Beijing.
Spending time with our teams in China is also a powerful reminder of the scale and complexity of MDPI as a global organization. Our colleagues in Beijing, Wuhan, and across the country play a significant role in our day-to-day operations and long-term development. I’m grateful for the hospitality, collaboration, and commitment shown by our managers and teams in China, alongside colleagues worldwide, who have helped steadily build MDPI, brick by brick, over the years.
Below are some data on Open Access (OA) publishing in China and our collaboration in this important research market.
Open Access Publishing in China
China has been the world’s leading country in research and review article publication volume since 2019, exceeding one million publications in 2025. Over the past five years, the gap between China and the second-ranked country, the United States, has continued to widen.
In 2025:
- 47% of China’s research output was published Open Access
- Of those OA publications, 76% were Gold Open Access (approximately 382,930 articles)
- The overall OA distribution remained stable compared with 2024, with Gold OA increasing by 1%
Over the past five years (2021–2025):
- China published 4,398,050 research and review articles
- Approximately 48% of this output was OA
According to Dimensions, when comparing the top 20 countries by publication volume (2021–2025):
- China ranks 1st worldwide in publication volume
- China ranks 9th in citation performance within this group (for comparison, the US ranks 2nd in publication volume and 10th in citation ranking)
- Average citations per article: 12.51
Among the top 10 universities globally by publication volume, six are Chinese institutions, alongside Harvard University (USA), the University of São Paulo (Brazil), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the University of Oxford (UK).
MDPI and China
China is an important and long-standing part of MDPI’s global publishing ecosystem:
- In 2025, MDPI was the largest fully Open Access publisher in China
- MDPI published 22% of China’s Gold Open Access output (82,133 papers)
- We received 290,999 submissions from China-affiliated authors and published 82,133 articles
- There are 8,500+ active Editorial Board Members based in China
- 64% (5,438) have an H-index above 26
- MDPI works with:
- 117 Editors-in-Chief
- 103 Section Editors-in-Chief
- 71 China-based institutions currently hold IOAP agreements with MDPI, seven of which rank among the top 10 Chinese institutions by publication volume
China's scale in research output means that the publishing platforms chosen by Chinese scholars will continue to influence the direction of scholarly publishing. At the same time, MDPI’s strength comes from its international collaboration, with colleagues, editors, reviewers, and authors working together across regions and disciplines.
Thank you to all our colleagues in China, and around the world, who support MDPI’s publishing activities across departments and help advance open access research every day.
Impactful Research
“Progress in open science is built through trust, dialogue, and relationships”
Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with China Science Daily
During my trip to Beijing, I also had the opportunity to visit China Science Daily and take part in an interview and broader exchange with their team in Beijing. Visits like this matter because progress in open science is built not only through platforms and infrastructure, but also through trust, dialogue, and relationships across research communities and regions.
China Science Daily: History Museum
As part of the visit, I was given a tour of their History Museum, which offers a thorough perspective on the evolution of China’s first science and technology newspaper, established in 1959. The exhibition highlights how the organization developed into a trusted institution connecting research with the public and policymakers. It was a helpful reminder that at the core of publishing is stewardship, credibility, and long-term public engagement with science.
An Open Exchange on Open Science
During the visit, I met with Dr. Zhao Yan, Editor-in-Chief of ScienceNet. We had an open and engaging conversation about MDPI’s role in Open Access, the evolution of open science globally, and the potential for more collaboration going forward. He especially appreciated the candid and personal nature of our exchange, noting that this kind of dialogue feels important in a landscape where trust and transparency matter.
Interview on Open Access
I also participated in an interview with Ms. Yan Jie, from the Online Media Center and Editor-in-Chief of ScienceNet, China Science Daily. Our discussion covered the growth of Open Access over the past 30 years, MDPI’s mission and values, academic integrity, collaboration with the Chinese research community, and MDPI’s own 30th anniversary milestone. It was a great opportunity to reflect on how open science has matured, and where shared responsibility across publishers, institutions, and researchers continues to matter most.
“Progress in open science is built by more than scale and infrastructure”
I’m sharing a few photos from the visit as a glimpse behind the scenes. The full interview will be published by China Science Daily in due course, and I look forward to sharing it when it is available.
More broadly, visits like this reinforce something I’ve always believed in: progress in open science is built not only through scale and infrastructure, but also through continued dialogue, mutual respect, collaboration, and a willingness to listen across regions and perspectives. That remains central to our work, especially as MDPI reflects on 30 years of publishing, built together.
Inside MDPI
Bangkok Visit: Growth, Partnership, and Local Impact
In February, I also had the opportunity to visit our Bangkok office for the second time in two years to support their local meetings and deliver a training session on how we present MDPI at a corporate level.
It’s easy to spend time with our colleagues in Thailand. From Editorial and Production to Conferences, Marketing, Design, and our Regional Journal Relations Specialist (RJRS), the team continues to grow in scale and professionalism. I’d also like to recognize our local management and admin teams, who have been steadily expanding our office and supporting more than 500 colleagues on the ground.
Academic Partnerships
During the visit, we met with the Engineering Department at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). Our discussion focused on the recent MDPI developments, Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) opportunities, Author Publishing Workshops (APW), and the potential use of JAMS to support their institutional journal.
“MDPI is the third-largest OA publisher in Thailand”
We also shared insights into the growth of Open Access (OA) in Thailand and KMITL’s own publishing trends. These conversations matter because institutions are looking for sustainable ways to support their researchers. Our IOAP agreements are one simple example of how we can provide value in this area while maintaining accessibility for authors.
Thailand and MDPI: 2025 Snapshot
Our Bangkok office, officially launched in 2022, has been growing to support over 500 staff members while continuing to expand its engagement in scholar visits, workshops, and conference collaborations. As at 2025, Thailand submissions to MDPI have increased about 21% and publications by about 25%, maintaining a rejection rate close to the company average. MDPI is the third-largest OA publisher in Thailand, publishing 15% of all Gold OA output in 2025.
Representing MDPI Externally
During the visit, I delivered a training session on how we present MDPI at external events.
This session covered topics related to:
- Our aim and guiding principles
- High-level company milestones and Indexing facts and figures
- Industry partnerships and collaborations
- Market trends in OA and subscription publishing
- Country-specific publishing data and collaborations with MDPI
- Insights from our Voice of Community report
I find that while many colleagues are very familiar with the specific journal for which they have responsibility, fewer have visibility into the broader MDPI ecosystem and the company’s global positioning. These sessions help build alignment, confidence, and consistency in how we represent the company.
What stands out most is that MDPI’s growth is not abstract: it’s visible in the people, the partnerships, and the professionalism developing across our offices.
Coming Together for Science
1,000 Institutional Partners: A Milestone Built on Trust
This month, we reached an important milestone: more than 1,000 institutions worldwide are now part of MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). On paper, that is a number. In practice, it represents trust.
This milestone symbolizes thousands of conversations with libraries and institutions. It stands for negotiations, renewals, consortium expansions, and, most importantly, relationships built over time. It reflects the work of colleagues across publishing, institutional partnerships, marketing, editorial, finance, and many other teams who contribute to making these agreements operational.
In 2025 alone, more than 61,300 research articles benefited from article processing charge (APC) discounts through IOAP agreements. Tens of thousands of authors were able to publish through a simplified and structured process. At the same time, institutional administrators gained clearer oversight and streamlined workflows.
Why IOAP Matters
When we launched IOAP, the objective was straightforward: to reduce barriers for researchers while supporting institutions in navigating the evolving OA landscape. Over the past decade, the research ecosystem has changed. Funder mandates, national policies, and Plan S–aligned requirements have accelerated the transition to OA.
Institutions need publishing partners who provide transparency, scalability, and operational efficiency. IOAP was designed to support that reality.
For colleagues who would like to better understand the program, this blog-post overview of MDPI’s IOAP provides additional context, including common questions around the transition to OA and how our institutional partnerships are structured.
“Institutions need publishing partners who provide transparency, scalability, and operational efficiency”
Recent Examples
Our agreements continue to evolve across regions:
- In Sweden, MDPI signed a national Open Access publishing agreement with 96 institutions, enabling affiliated researchers to publish without managing individual APC payments.
- In Spain, we extended our flat-fee agreement with Universidad Católica de Valencia, reinforcing institutional support for OA publishing.
These examples show that institutions seek structured, predictable models that support their researchers at scale.
Looking Ahead
Crossing the threshold of 1,000 partners tells us that institutions see MDPI not just as a publisher but as a reliable operational partner in advancing open science. This milestone is not a finish line. It is a reminder that the work continues.
Thank you to the entire IOAP team and to all colleagues who contributed to reaching this achievement.
P.S. You can read about this milestone across industry outlets, including STM Publishing News, ALPSP, Research Information, EurekAlert, Brightsurf, among others. You can also read about the coverage in Poland (e.g., media-room, bomega) Korea (newstap), and Romania (EduLike).
Closing Thoughts
Reflections from the Researcher to Reader Conference
During 24–25 February, I attended the 2026 Researcher to Reader Conference in London, UK. Leaders from across scholarly publishing, research infrastructure, libraries, and technology gathered to discuss AI and research integrity, peer review reform, metadata and infrastructure, community engagement, open research policy, and the evolving role of publishers in a rapidly shifting ecosystem.
The conversations were open and honest, and at times uncomfortable – exactly what we need at times. Below are a few reflections that stayed with me.
The Battle for Knowledge: What Becomes Accepted as ‘True’?
One recurring theme was not whether science evolves but whether our infrastructure is resilient enough to sustain trust at scale. Science does not promise certainty: it promises process. As publishing systems grow more complex and become more technologically mediated, the question is how intentionally we design, monitor, and strengthen that process.
Peer Review: Speed, Credentials, and Structural Loops
Researchers consistently call for faster peer review. At the same time, reviewer credentials are often tied to publication records. This creates a structural loop. Publishing history opens reviewing opportunities, reviewing strengthens credentials, and those without early access remain outside the cycle.
There is a need for us to reflect on how opportunity circulates within our systems: we should ask how we create more inclusive pathways for researchers globally to participate in peer review.
Community Engagement Workshop
One of the highlights of R2R was the workshop format, whereby small groups met repeatedly over two days and moved from ideas to tangible strategies.
I joined the Community Engagement workshop led by Lou Peck (CEO at The International Bunch) and Godwyns Onwuchekwa (Principal Consultant at Global Tapestry Consulting). We explored two deceptively simple questions: What is a community? and What does engagement truly mean?
“Engagement requires shared design and shared responsibility”
Too often, organizations equate communication with engagement. The framework discussed mapped a maturity spectrum – from enablement (broadcasting, informing and consulting) to true engagement (collaborating and co-creating).
It was a useful reminder of the fact that if we want trust and loyalty, engagement must go beyond announcements and surveys. It requires shared design and shared responsibility.
AI: Democratization or Digital Colonialism?
I especially enjoyed the thought-provoking presentation from Nikesh Gosalia (Chief Partnership Officer at Cactus Communications), which highlighted an uncomfortable reality:
- 93% of AI-generated content is in English
- Approximately 2% is in French
- Approximately 2% is in German
- More than 7,000 languages are represented in less than 5% of the content within large AI systems
The implications are profound. Is AI democratizing access to scholarly publishing (making it easier for researchers everywhere to participate in global knowledge production)? Or are we encoding colonialism at scale (entrenching linguistic and structural hierarchies, and making it harder for voices from the Global South to be heard)?
AI is already reshaping how research is created, reviewed, discovered, and shared. Its potential is enormous. But its impact depends not only on capability, but on governance, design, and intentionality. Publishers, funders, and researchers all share responsibility in shaping how these systems evolve.
Ethicality in practice (Lightening Talk)
It was also great to have our colleague Dr Miloš Čučulović (Head of Technology Innovation at MDPI) present MDPI’s Ethicality platform during a lightning talk.
“Technology alone is not the answer”
Ethicality embeds AI-driven checks directly into the submission workflow, supporting editors proactively rather than reacting after publication. As we scale, tools like this help balance trust, efficiency, and research integrity.
This goes back into the underlying theme of the conference that technology alone is not the answer. However, technology embedded thoughtfully within clear governance frameworks can strengthen confidence in the editorial process.
Final thought
The question is no longer whether technology will transform research infrastructure: it is already doing so. The real question is what role each of us will play in shaping that transformation deliberately, with structural maturity, inclusive governance, and engagement that moves from informing to co-creating.
Science needs to evolve, responsibly. And that responsibility extends not only to what we publish, but also to how the systems behind publication are designed. Some important topics to continue reflecting on both internally and within our broader community.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
28 February 2026
World Wildlife Day—“Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods”, 3 March 2026
The 3rd of March is World Wildlife Day, a global observance dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness about the world’s wild fauna and flora. As highlighted by the UN, wildlife is fundamental to healthy ecosystems, which provide essential services—from food security and livelihood to climate regulation and cultural value. Yet an estimated one million species are now threatened by extinction due to habitat loss, illegal trade, climate change and human–wildlife conflict. Protecting wildlife safeguards biodiversity, which underpins resilient ecosystems and supports the well-being of communities worldwide, particularly Indigenous peoples and local populations who depend directly on natural resources.
Join us in observing World Wildlife Day by exploring research that advances global conservation goals, such as Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land). Together, these studies amplify the call to action, uniting scientists, policymakers, and local stewards to ensure a future where wildlife thrives and continues to sustain both people and the planet.
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Biology & Life Sciences |
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Medicine & Pharmacology |
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Engineering |
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Invited speakers:
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Prof. Dr. Vanessa Steenkamp, |
Dr. Alessandra Carrubba, |
Register for this webinar for free here!
“Preliminary Studies on In Vitro Antibacterial Activity Against Staphylococcus aureus of Supercritical Fluid Extract from Juniperus oxycedrus: Evidence on Phenols Effect”
by Ilir Mërtiri, Leontina Grigore-Gurgu, Liliana Mihalcea, Iuliana Aprodu, Mihaela Turturică, Gabriela Râpeanu and Nicoleta Stănciuc
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19020287
“Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Diversity of Greece: Biodiversity Knowledge, Ethnobotany and Sustainable Use—A Short Review”
by Alexandra D. Solomou, Aikaterini Molla and Elpiniki Skoufogianni
Diversity 2026, 18(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18010056
“Biochemical Diversity and Nutraceutical Potential of Medicinal Plant-Based Herbal Teas from Southwestern Türkiye”
by Halil Ibrahim Sagbas, Saban Kordali, Sena Sahin, Selçuk Küçükaydın and Elif Uyduran
Plants 2026, 15(1), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15010125
“Sea-Derived Organic Amendments Enhance Growth and Nitrogen Dynamics in Sage Cultivation (Salvia officinalis L.)”
by Aikaterini Molla, Alexios Lolas and Elpiniki Skoufogianni
Nitrogen 2026, 7(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen7010005
“Intercropping Medicinal and Aromatic Plants with Other Crops: Insights from a Review of Sustainable Farming Practices”
by Milica Aćimović, Juliana Navarro Rocha, Alban Ibraliu, Janko Červenski, Vladimir Sikora, Silvia Winter, Biljana Lončar, Lato Pezo and Ivan Salamon
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2692; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122692
“A Hybrid Deep Learning Model for Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Species Classification Using a Curated Leaf Image Dataset”
by Shareena E. M., D. Abraham Chandy, Shemi P. M. and Alwin Poulose
AgriEngineering 2025, 7(8), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering7080243
“Antioxidant Potential and Its Changes Caused by Various Factors in Lesser-Known Medicinal and Aromatic Plants”
by Sona Skrovankova and Jiri Mlcek
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010104
“Nutraceutical Value of Eleven Aromatic Medicinal Plants and Azorean Camellia sinensis: Comparison of Antioxidant Properties and Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents”
by Lisete Sousa Paiva, Madalena Hintze Motta and José António Bettencourt Baptista
Processes 2024, 12(7), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071375
“Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) from Alentejo (South Portugal)—Ethnobotany and Potential Industrial Use”
by Orlanda Póvoa, Noémia Farinha, Violeta Lopes, Alexandra M. Machado and Ana Cristina Figueiredo
Foods 2024, 13(6), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060929
“The Most Relevant Socio-Economic Aspects of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants through a Literature Review”
by Maria Pergola, Enrica De Falco, Angelo Belliggiano and Corrado Ievoli
Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030405
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“Omics Era in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Towards a New Age of Agriculture and Sustainability” |
“Plant Diversity Discovery and Resource Utilization” |
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“Ethnobotany in a Changing World: Strategies for Plant Conservation” |
“Progress in Wildlife Conservation, Management and Biological Research—2nd Edition” |
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“New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops, 2nd Edition” |
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20 February 2026
MDPI Virtual Academic Publishing Workshop (New Harvest), 25 February 2026
This Academic Publishing Workshop will be led by MDPI Regional Journal Relations Specialist, Dr. Sally Wu, on “Author Training”. Participants will receive practical advice on essential aspects of writing academic articles. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the academic publishing landscape and how to successfully contribute to it.
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EST
Schedule:
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Speaker |
Program |
Time in EST |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
Introduction |
11:30–11:40 a.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
Tips for Writing Great Research Papers
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11:40 a.m.–12:15 p.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
How to Respond to Peer Reviewers
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12:15–12:50 p.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
AI in Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities
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12:50–13:30 p.m. |
Speakers:
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Dr. Sally Wu received a PhD in medical science from the University of Toronto in the fall of 2025. She joined MDPI in February 2025 as an Assistant Editor for Cells. She was recently promoted to Regional Journal Relations Specialist position in August. In this role, she works with many journals, liaising with authors, board members, and EiCs. She has attended several conferences across North America, hosted scholar visits, and taken part in other outreach events. |
20 February 2026
Foods Webinar | Advances in Food Nutritional Biochemistry: Omics, Bioavailability and Gut Health, 25 February 2026
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to this webinar entitled “Advances in Food Nutritional Biochemistry: Omics, Bioavailability, and Gut Health”, organized in the context of the Foods Special Issue dedicated to these topics.
This webinar aims to bring together researchers working at the intersection of food science, nutritional biochemistry, and gut health, providing a platform to share recent advances, discuss emerging methodologies, and foster scientific exchange across disciplines.
We are delighted to host an excellent group of speakers who will present their latest research and perspectives. We sincerely thank all speakers and attendees for their participation and contribution to this event.
We hope this webinar will stimulate insightful discussions and inspire future collaborations.
Date: 25 February 2026 at 3:00 p.m. CET | 9:00 a.m. EST
Webinar ID: 848 2287 8283
Landing page: https://sciforum.net/event/Foods-7?subscribe
Register now for free!
Program
| Speaker | Presentation Title | Time in CET | Time in EST |
| Dr. Gianfranco Picone & Dr. Mattia Santoni | Webinar Opening & Relevant Special Issue Introduction | 3:00–3:10 p.m. | 9:00–9:10 a.m. |
| Dr. Andrew P. Neilson | Polyphenols: A Strategy to Inhibit Production of Trimethylamine, a Gut Microbial Metabolite Associated With Aging and Atherosclerosis | 3:10–3:30 p.m. | 9:10–9:30 a.m. |
| Dr. Carmen Espinós | Potential Gut Microbiota-Associated Biomarkers in Wilson Disease | 3:30–3:50 p.m. | 9:30–9:50 a.m. |
| Dr. Julia Castillo González | Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids As Regulators of Gut Barrier Integrity and Bacterial Translocation in Stroke. | 3:50–4:10 p.m. | 9:50–10:10 a.m. |
| Dr. Chenglin Zhu | Effects of Postbiotic/ Bletilla striata Polysaccharides Synbiotics on Transcriptional Regulation, Metabolic Homeostasis and Gut Microbial Remodeling in the Liver of Obese Mice | 4:10–4:30 p.m. | 10:10–10:30 a.m. |
| Assoc. Prof. Lorenzo Nissen | MICODE Platform for Functional Assessment of Innovative Bakery Foods Towards the Gut Microbiota | 4:30–4:50 p.m. | 10:30–10:50 a.m. |
| Q&A Session | 4:50–5:10 p.m. | 10:50–11:10 a.m. | |
| Internal Presentation – Ms. Anna Vanesa | Foods Introduction, Overview of Submission Process | 5:10–5:20 p.m. | 11:10–11:20 a.m. |
| Dr. Gianfranco Picone & Dr. Mattia Santoni | Closing of Webinar | 5:20–5:30 p.m. | 11:20–11:30 a.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations made with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Gianfranco Picone, Department of Agricultural and Food Science – University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy;
- Dr. Mattia Santoni, Department of Agricultural and Food Science – University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy;
- Dr. Andrew P. Neilson, Plants for Human Health Institute, and Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutritional Sciences, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, USA;
- Dr. Carmen Espinós, 1 Department of Genetics, Universitat de València-INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain; 2 Unit of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF), València, Spain; 3 Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain;
- Dr. Julia Castillo González, Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland;
- Dr. Chenglin Zhu, Department of Food Science and Health, College of Pharmacy and Food Science, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China;
- Assoc. Prof. Lorenzo Nissen, Università Telematica San Raffaele Roma, Italy.
Relevant Special Issue:
“Advances in Food Nutritional Biochemistry: Omics, Bioavailability and Gut Health”
Guest Editors: Gianfranco Picone and Mattia Santoni
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 October 2026
18 February 2026
MDPI’s Open Access Program Reaches 1,000 Institutions Worldwide
13 February 2026
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Foods in 2025
12 February 2026
Foods | Invitation to Read the Editor’s Choice Articles in Q4 of 2025
11 February 2026
World Pulses Day—“Pulses of the World: From Modesty to Excellence”, 10 February 2026
World Pulses Day is celebrated on 10 February 2026, marking the 8th annual observance with the theme “Pulses of the World: From Modesty to Excellence”.
This theme elevates pulses from simple staples to celebrated, versatile foods. Pulses, such as beans and lentils, are champions of resilience. They naturally enrich soil by fixing nitrogen, requiring less water and fertilizer than other crops. Nutritionally dense, they provide essential plant-based protein, fiber, and minerals. This day calls for increased awareness and consumption of pulses, encouraging everyone to integrate them into their diet, for a healthier planet and people.
On World Pulses Day, we recommend MDPI’s Biology & Life Sciences journals, which are relevant scientific communication platforms to support the production and consumption of pulses and promote sustainable food system and healthy meals.
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“Escaping Maturation Stress: Late Sowing as a Strategy to Secure High-Vigor Soybean Seeds in Subtropical Low-Altitude Environments”
by Jose Ricardo Bagateli, Ricardo Mari Bagateli, Giovana Carla da Veiga, Ivan Ricardo Carvalho,
Willyan Junior Adorian Bandeira and Geri Eduardo Meneghello
Seeds 2025, 4(4), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds4040064
“Integration of Genetic and Imaging Data to Detect QTL for Root Traits in Interspecific Soybean Populations”
by Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Jeong-Dong Lee, Qijian Song, Hyun Jo and Yoonha Kim
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031152
“Carob-Based Functional Beverages: Nutritional Value and Health Properties”
by Carla Buzzanca, Angela D’Amico, Enrica Pistorio, Vita Di Stefano and Maria Grazia Melilli
Beverages 2025, 11(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11010001
“Harnessing Multi-Omics Strategies and Bioinformatics Innovations for Advancing Soybean Improvement: A Comprehensive Review”
by Siwar Haidar, Julia Hooker, Simon Lackey, Mohamad Elian, Nathalie Puchacz, Krzysztof Szczyglowski, Frédéric Marsolais, Ashkan Golshani, Elroy R. Cober and Bahram Samanfa
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2714; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192714
“Screening New Mungbean Varieties for Terminal Drought Tolerance”
by Sobia Ikram, Surya Bhattarai and Kerry B. Walsh
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081328
“Solid-State Fermentation of Mucuna deeringiana Seed Flour Using Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus”
by Andrés Álvarez, Leidy Y. Rache, Sandra Chaparro, María H. Brijaldo, Luis Miguel Borras and José J. Martínez
Fermentation 2024, 10(8), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10080396
“Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of CCT Gene Family from Microalgae to Legumes”
by Yi Xu, Huiying Yao, Yanhong Lan, Yu Cao, Qingrui Xu, Hui Xu, Dairong Qiao and Yi Cao
Genes 2024, 15(7), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15070941
“Genotypic Variability in Response to Heat Stress and Post-Stress Compensatory Growth in Mungbean Plants (Vigna radiata [L.] Wilczek)”
by Vijaya Singh and Marisa Collins
Crops 2024, 4(3), 270-287; https://doi.org/10.3390/crops4030020
“Isolation and Identification of Salinity-Tolerant Rhizobia and Nodulation Phenotype Analysis in Different Soybean Germplasms”
by Tong Yu, Xiaodong Wu, Yunshan Song, Hao Lv, Guoqing Zhang, Weinan Tang, Zefeng Zheng,
Xiaohan Wang, Yumeng Gu, Xin Zhou et al.
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(4), 3342-3352; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46040209
“Cross-Species Transferability of SSR Markers for Analyzing Genetic Diversity of Different Vicia species Collections”
by María Isabel López-Román, Lucía De la Rosa, Teresa Marcos-Prado and Elena Ramírez-Parra
Agronomy 2024, 14(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14020326
“Tailoring the Techno-Functional Properties of Fava Bean Protein Isolates: A Comparative Evaluation of Ultrasonication and Pulsed Electric Field Treatments”
by Saqib Gulzar, Olga Martín-Belloso and Robert Soliva-Fortuny
Foods 2024, 13(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030376
“Understanding the Molecular Regulatory Networks of Seed Size in Soybean”
by Ye Zhang, Javaid Akhter Bhat, Yaohua Zhang and Suxin Yang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031441
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“Fermented Plant-Based Beverages: Nutritional Composition and Functional Properties” |
“Genetic and Functional Genomics Insights into the Genetic Improvement of Stress Resistance in Economic Crops” |
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“Fermented Cereals and Legumes: Innovation for the Development and Characterization of Functional Foods” |
“Functional Characterization of Key Agronomic Trait Genes in Soybean” |
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“Diversified Cropping Systems: Current Research and Future Perspectives” |
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2 February 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #31 - MDPI 30 Years, 500 Journals, UK Summit, Z-Forum Conference, APE
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 at 30: Three Decades of Open Science, Built Together
As we begin 2026, we approach a meaningful milestone in MDPI’s history: 30 years of advancing Open Science.
What began in 1996 as a small, researcher-driven initiative has grown into a global open-access publisher, supporting hundreds of journals, millions of researchers, and a shared belief that scientific knowledge should be openly available to all. Over these three decades, Open Access has moved from the margins to the mainstream, and MDPI has been proud to help shape that transformation.
To mark this anniversary year, we are pleased to share our MDPI 30th Anniversary logo.
The Anniversary logo is intentionally simple, confident, and enduring, designed to work across cultures, disciplines, and digital environments. It reflects both continuity and progress, honouring MDPI’s established identity while representing the company we are today. The green accent symbolizes our connection to the research communities we serve and the collaborative nature of Open Science itself.
Alongside the visual identity, we are also introducing our 30th Anniversary tagline:
30 Years of Open Science, Built Together.
This phrase captures what has always defined MDPI. Open Science is not the work of a single organization: it is a collective effort shaped by researchers, editors, reviewers, institutions, and the many teams who support the publishing process every day. MDPI’s role has been to provide the infrastructure and commitment that allow this collaboration to thrive.
Throughout 2026, we will mark this anniversary through regional events, global conversations, and editorial initiatives that reflect on MDPI’s evolution, its impact across disciplines, and the communities that make this work possible.
“Open Science is a collective effort”
Whether you have been part of MDPI’s journey for decades or are engaging with us for the first time this year, this milestone belongs to all of us. The past 30 years have shown what is possible when openness, trust, and collaboration are placed at the centre of scholarly communication.
As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: continuing to strengthen quality, integrity, and partnership – so that Open Science can keep moving forward, together.
Impactful Research
A Shared Milestone: MDPI’s Journal Portfolio Reaches 500 Titles
MDPI has reached an important milestone: our journal portfolio grew to more than 500 academic journals last year, spanning the fields of chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, environmental sciences, the social sciences, and beyond.
The number itself is significant, but what matters more is what supports it: hundreds of scholarly communities that have chosen to collaborate, grow, and publish with MDPI.
From our beginnings nearly 30 years ago with a single Open Access journal (Molecules), MDPI has been guided by a simple aim: advancing Open Science. Reaching 500 journals is not an endpoint. It reflects the diversity of disciplines, ideas, and research cultures that now form part of our shared ecosystem.
Growth with Purpose
Every journal exists because a specific community believes there is a need for focus, visibility, and dialogue in a particular field. As our portfolio has expanded, so has our responsibility to ensure that scale is matched with strong editorial standards, robust research integrity practices, and meaningful academic leadership.
This milestone comes as we enter MDPI’s 30th anniversary year, a fitting moment to reflect on what scale in scholarly publishing truly requires: not only reach, but also dedicated long-term stewardship.
New Journals, New Communities
In December 2025 alone, MDPI welcomed eight newly launched journals and three journal transfers (details below), all of which published their inaugural issues by year-end.
Each of these journals is shaped by its Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members, who define its scope, standards, and direction. We are grateful for the time, expertise, and commitment they bring to building these new communities.
Welcoming Transferred and Acquired Journals
We were pleased to publish the first MDPI issues of three recently transferred or acquired journals:
- Cardiovascular Medicine – advancing research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease
- Germs – addressing infectious diseases through clinical, public health, and translational perspectives
- Romanian Journal of Preventive Medicine (RJPM) – supporting population health, early detection, and preventive care in collaboration with the Romanian Society of Preventive Medicine
Each of these journals brings an established identity and legacy. Our role is to support their continued development with the same editorial rigor, transparency, and Open Access principles that guide our broader portfolio.
A Collective Achievement
Reaching more than 500 journals is not the achievement of any single team or individual. It is the result of collaboration across the entire scholarly ecosystem. As such, I would like to thank our authors, reviewers, academic editors, and Editorial Board Members, as well as our colleagues across MDPI, who support these communities every day.
As we look ahead, we will continue to expand the breadth and depth of our publishing activities while remaining attentive to the evolving expectations of Open Science, research integrity, and responsible growth.
This milestone is a reminder that Open Access publishing is not only about making research available. It is about building platforms where knowledge can be shared, challenged, improved, and trusted, at scale, and with care.
Inside Research
MDPI UK Summit 2026 in Manchester (21–22 January)
On 21–22 January, we had the pleasure of hosting the MDPI UK Summit 2026 in Manchester. Over two days, we welcomed more than 20 Editors-in-Chief (EiC), Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC), and Associate Editors for an open, in-depth conversations about how MDPI supports Open Science, editorial independence, and research standards across our journals.
What stood out most was not just the quality of the discussions, but the openness, curiosity, and mutual respect that shaped every session.
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What We Covered
The programme was designed to give insight into how MDPI works behind the scenes and how different teams collaborate to support our journals and editors. Topics included:
- MDPI overview and the evolving Open Access market
- MDPI–UK collaboration and local engagement
- Editorial and peer-review processes
- Research integrity and publication ethics
- Institutional partnerships
- Indexing, journal development, and academic community engagement
Sessions were led by MDPI colleagues across editorial, research integrity, indexing, partnerships, and UK operations, showing how cross-functional our work truly is.
What We Heard
The feedback from editors was both encouraging and grounding:
- 92% rated the Summit Excellent (8% Good)
- 100% said their understanding of MDPI’s values, editorial processes, and local collaborations had significantly improved
- 69% attended primarily to stay informed about academic publishing and research integrity
- 85% felt fully heard and engaged
A few comments that stayed with me:
- “Today’s event truly gave me the opportunity to see the heart of MDPI UK.”
- “The summit was very informative – I really enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes operations.”
- “Keep being open to discussions and making editors feel part of the MDPI family.”
These reflections remind us that transparency, listening, and dialogue are not nice-to-haves: they are foundational to trust.
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Looking Ahead
The UK Summit is one of more than 10 MDPI Summits we are organizing this year across North America, Europe, and APAC. Each one is an investment in relationships, shared understanding, and improvement.
Thank you to the MDPI UK team and supporting colleagues across departments who made this event possible. This was a positive step in strengthening our editorial engagement and kicking off a year of MDPI Summits.
Coming Together for Science
Recapping the Z-Forum 2026 Conference on Sustainability and Innovation (15–16 January 2026)
In January, MDPI supported and participated in the Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation, held across Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the city of Baden. With 96 participants and more than 30 speakers and panellists, the forum brought together leaders from government, academia, industry, and innovation ecosystems to explore how sustainability, Open Science, and innovation intersect in practice.
Why this mattered for MDPI
As a Swiss-based publisher with global reach, our investment in Z-Forum reflects a strategic intent: to anchor MDPI more deeply within Swiss research networks while contributing to national and international conversations on sustainability and innovation.
This was not only about visibility; it was also about relationship-building and long-term engagement with institutions shaping research policy and practice in Switzerland.
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High-level participation and credibility
The forum was supported and sponsored by several key Swiss institutions, including:
- The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) – Switzerland’s central research funding body
- ETH Zurich
- The University of Zurich
- The University of Basel
- Swiss Innovation Park Central
The sponsorship of SNSF lent the forum strong institutional credibility and signalled the relevance of the themes discussed, especially around sustainability, innovation frameworks, and responsible research practices.
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Beyond the Room: Extending the Conversation
While attendance was intentionally focused to encourage dialogue, the forum’s reach extended well beyond the venue. Multiple LinkedIn posts before and during the event (e.g., Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, and more) built on the discussions and helped position MDPI as an active and credible contributor within Switzerland’s research and innovation landscape.
A Broader Strategic Signal
Z-Forum is part of a wider effort to:
- Build on MDPI’s Swiss institutional relationships
- Reinforce our leadership in Open Science and sustainability
- Engage proactively with funders, universities, and innovation bodies
- Ensure MDPI remains a visible and constructive partner in the ecosystems where research policy and practice are shaped
Thank you to our Conference team and everyone involved in supporting this event, both behind the scenes and on the ground. These moments of engagement may be small in scale, but they are foundational in impact.
Closing Thoughts
Reflections from the Academic Publishing in Europe Conference
During 13-14 January, I attended the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) Conference in Berlin, a long-standing forum for discussing scholarly publishing and the deeper principles that support it.
MDPI was proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the 20th Anniversary of the APE conference, reflecting our continued commitment to supporting the scholarly community to engage in critical industry discussions.
This year’s program covered a range of topics, from AI and research integrity to policy, infrastructure, and trust, but one theme stood out clearly for me: academic freedom, and what it means to protect the conditions under which knowledge can be produced, evaluated, and shared responsibly.
Before turning to that, I would like to highlight the opening keynote by Carolin Sutton (CEO, STM), which helped set the tone for the conference.
An Independent Publishing Industry: The Case for Checks and Balances
In her opening remarks, Carolin focused on the importance of continually evolving systems of checks and balances, both operationally and at the marketplace level, to prevent any single actor from dominating knowledge production. Her framing emphasized shared responsibility across publishers, institutions, and research communities, rather than placing the burden on any one group.
As part of this, she revisited the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, and his CUDOS norms of scientific ethos, first articulated in his 1942 work, The Normative Structure of Science.
Merton outlined four ideals that support healthy scientific systems:
- Communalism – knowledge as a public good
- Universalism – evaluation based on merit, not status or identity
- Disinterestedness – orientation toward truth over personal or financial gain
- Organized Skepticism – systematic, critical scrutiny of claims
While these are ideals, and not guarantees that are perfectly lived up to, they remain powerful reference points today for research systems and organizations as they aim to grow and scale.
It was interesting to see how closely these norms align with foundational principles of Open Access. For example, making research openly available supports communalism. Transparent peer review and editorial processes reinforce universalism and organized skepticism. Strong ethics frameworks and governance help counter conflicts of interest and support disinterestedness.
“Merton’s ideals remain powerful reference points today”
Safeguarding Research: Academic Freedom
Several of the conference sessions touched on the pressures faced by researchers, editors, and institutions: geopolitical tensions, online harassment, misinformation, reputational risk, shrinking resources, and politicized narratives around science.
“Integrity is not static. It must be actively maintained as systems grow.”
A particularly timely presentation came from Ilyas Saliba, who talked about academic freedom. His remarks resonated strongly and underlined the fact that safety in academia is not only physical or digital, but also intellectual.
Academic freedom means safeguarding the ability to ask difficult questions, challenge consensus, publish negative or unexpected results, and participate in scholarly debate without fear of undue personal, political, or commercial consequences. These discussions were a reminder that publishers play an important role in supporting the integrity, accessibility, and credibility of scholarly knowledge, particularly as researchers and institutions face mounting external pressures.
Looking Ahead
The discussions at APE reminded me that integrity is not static. It must be actively maintained as systems grow, expectations evolve, and pressures increase. This applies equally to research integrity, academic freedom, and the broader trust placed in scholarly communication.
I left APE encouraged by the openness of the dialogue and the willingness across publishers, institutions, and communities to engage with difficult questions rather than avoid them. Forums like this play a pivotal role in helping our industry pause, reflect, and recalibrate.
As MDPI continues to grow and as we enter our 30th anniversary, these conversations remind me of the core purpose of science: advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
