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4 March 2026
MDPI’s 2025 Best Paper Awards—Award-Winning Papers Announced
MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.
Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.
At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:
- Biology and Life Sciences;
- Business and Economics;
- Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
- Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
- Engineering;
- Environmental and Earth Sciences;
- Medicine and Pharmacology;
- Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
- Physical Sciences;
- Public Health and Healthcare.
About MDPI Awards:
To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.
Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click here.
8 April 2026
Meet Us at the 2026 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting, 26–29 May 2026, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
MDPI is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the 2026 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, taking place in Salt Lake City, UT, USA, from 26 to 29 May 2026.
In 2026, ACSM’s Annual Meeting Spotlight will focus on the powerful convergence of Physical Activity, Exercise, and Technology. Technology transforms how physical activity is studied, prescribed, and experienced—from wearable devices and AI-driven interventions to virtual platforms and advanced diagnostics. This year’s spotlight will explore the intersection of basic, applied, and/or clinical science as it relates to the collective impact of physical activity, exercise, and technological advancement. Sessions in this track should reflect how innovations in technology enhance scientific understanding, clinical outcomes, performance, or population health. Through this spotlight, ACSM aims to highlight research and initiatives that are not only shaping the future of the field but also advancing its mission to extend and enrich lives through the power of movement.
The following open access journals will be represented at the conference:
If you are planning to attend this conference, please get in touch with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://acsm.org/events-general/annual-meeting/exhibit-sponsor/.
3 April 2026
Meet Us at the 28th Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress, 28 October–1 November 2026, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Conference: 28th Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress
Organization: APLAR Executive Committee and Korean College of Rheumatology
Date: 28 October–1 November 2026
Place: COEX Convention & Exhibition Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
The APLAR Congress brings together world-class research and thought-leadership from rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, clinical immunologists, physiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, pediatricians and researchers from allied disciplines on a common platform that facilitates deliberations on all aspects of musculoskeletal diseases. The theme of the APLAR 2026 Congress will be reflected through the scientific program, harnessing amazing recent growth in the number of high-quality abstract submissions, pairing these advancements with the strengths of a local program supported by luminaries from the Korean College of Rheumatology.
The following open access journals will be represented:
- Gout, Urate, and Crystal Deposition Disease (GUCDD);
- Medicina;
- Rheumato;
- Sclerosis;
- Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM);
- Diseases;
- Journal of Personalized Medicine (JPM);
- Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (JFMK);
- Therapeutics;
- COVID.
If you attend this conference, please feel free to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.
2 April 2026
2026 Tu Youyou Award—Open for Nominations
We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Tu Youyou Award. Named after Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, whose discovery of artemisinin has saved millions of lives, this award recognizes researchers whose work advances the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, while also contributing to human health.
Prize
– CHF 100,000;
– A medal;
– A certificate.
The monetary prize will be shared equally should there be multiple recipients.
Who May Be Nominated?
– Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
Nominees must be individuals; team or group nominations are not permitted. Nominations are valid only for the current award cycle.
Who May Submit a Nomination?
– The director of the nominee’s host research institution or recognized scientists within the field.
Self-nominations will not be considered.
Nomination Materials
– A biographical sketch;
– A detailed description of the nominee’s contributions;
– 5–10 representative academic publications;
– A list of academic honors, awards, and funded projects;
– A nomination letter signed by two nominators.
How to Submit?
Submit nominations online via the following link: https://tuyouyouprize.org/nomination
Important Dates
– Nomination Deadline: 31 October 2026
– Winner Announcement: March 2027
For further information, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website (https://tuyouyouprize.org/). For any inquiries, please contact the Tu Youyou Award Team at tuyouyouaward@mdpi.com.
31 March 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #33 - 2025 Annual Report, Preprints.org, IWD, Recapping Viruses 2026 & Romania Salon
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

Scaling Open Access with Integrity: MDPI Annual Report 2025
I am pleased to share the release of MDPI’s 2025 Annual Report, reflecting our continued progress as one of the world’s leading open access publishers. The report highlights not only our growth, but also the continued evolution of our publishing model and our commitment to quality, transparency, and collaboration.
You can explore the full report here: https://mdpi-res.com/data/mdpi_annual_report_2025_0401.pdf?1775045421
Or visit the interactive page: https://www.mdpi.com/annual-report-2025/
A Year of Growth and Responsibility
2025 was a year of significant growth for MDPI. We received over 669,000 manuscript submissions, the highest in our history, while maintaining a rejection rate above 60%, reinforcing our commitment to both scale and quality.
We published 261,576 peer-reviewed open access articles across a portfolio of 500 journals, supported by a global community of more than 68,000 Editorial Board Members and 209,000 reviewers.
Scaling with Integrity
Growth alone is not the objective; how we grow matters.
Our 2025 Annual Report, Scaling Open Access with Integrity, reflects our continued focus on building the systems and processes that support reliable and trustworthy publishing. As submission volumes increase globally, so too does the importance of robust editorial workflows, research integrity frameworks, and the infrastructure required to support them.
In 2025, we continued to invest in:
- Research integrity and quality assurance processes
- Editorial support and reviewer engagement
- Transparency across the publishing workflow
These efforts ensure that scale does not come at the expense of rigor, but rather reinforces it.
Validation Through Indexing and Visibility
As MDPI continues to grow, validation of quality remains essential.
In 2025, the number of MDPI journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection increased from 298 to 329, while Scopus coverage reached 355 journals, including 45 new acceptances. Coverage in major biomedical databases (PMC/Medline/PubMed) expanded to 95 journals, and indexing in Ei Compendex increased significantly.
These milestones reflect the strength of our editorial processes and the trust placed in our journals by independent indexing bodies.
Importantly:
- 96% of all MDPI articles are indexed in Web of Science databases
- More than 1.75 million articles are indexed, with an average of 13 citations per article
Recognition through Journal Citation Reports also continues to grow:
- 298 journals received Impact Factors
- 65% ranked in the top half of their categories
- 61 journals achieved top-quartile positions
These developments demonstrate that growth and quality are advancing together, supported by strong editorial oversight and consistent performance across our journal portfolio.
Strengthening Partnerships and Community
Open access is a collaborative endeavor.
In 2025, we expanded our institutional partnerships to more than 1,000 IOAP agreements, helping simplify publishing for researchers and institutions worldwide.
We also hosted 60 in-person conferences and virtual events, bringing together more than 28,000 participants to exchange ideas, share research, and strengthen connections across the global scientific community.
At the heart of everything we do is this community of authors, editors, reviewers, and partners who make open science possible.
Looking Ahead
Open access continues to move toward becoming the standard model for sharing research globally. With that growth comes increased responsibility.
Our focus moving forward is to continue building a publishing ecosystem that is:
- Collaborative, to serve the research community
- Rigorous, to ensure quality
- Transparent, to support trust
- Scalable, to meet global demand
We believe that open access, when combined with strong editorial standards and integrity, is the most effective way to accelerate scientific progress.
Thank you to all the scholarly community who collaborated with us and our MDPI staff for your continued dedication and contributions in making 2025 a successful year.
Impactful Research

Celebrating Ten Years of Preprints.org: Accelerating Open Research
In 2026, MDPI’s preprints server Preprints.org marked its 10th anniversary as a platform dedicated to accelerating the dissemination of research. Since its launch, Preprints.org has grown into a global platform that hosts more than 120,000 preprints contributed by hundreds of thousands of researchers worldwide, generating tens of millions of views and downloads and demonstrating the value of sharing research openly and rapidly.
At MDPI, we are proud to celebrate ten years of Preprints.org supporting the mission of open science. Over the past decade, we have seen how early sharing of research can accelerate collaboration and help ideas move more quickly from discovery to impact.
The Evolution of Preprints
While Preprints.org launched in 2016, the idea behind it has deeper roots. The concept of rapid research dissemination has existed for decades, with early preprint servers showing how open sharing can accelerate scientific progress.
Over the past decade, preprints have become an increasingly important part of scholarly communication. Researchers across disciplines are looking at faster ways to share their discoveries, exchange ideas, and receive feedback from the global scientific community.
Preprints in a Growing Research Ecosystem
The global preprint landscape has expanded significantly over the past decade, with multiple platforms serving different research communities. The figure below (sourced from James Butcher newsletter), based on data from Dimensions (Digital Science), shows the growth of preprint outputs across several major platforms over time.

Among these platforms, arXiv (the pioneering preprint server) has experienced great growth in recent years. At the same time, other platforms have continued to expand their reach across disciplines, capturing increasing global interest in early research sharing.
Preprints.org contributes to this evolving ecosystem by providing a multidisciplinary platform that works in synergy with academic journals, helping researchers bridge the gap between rapid dissemination and the formal publication process.
Celebrating the First Decade
To commemorate this milestone, Preprints.org launched a 10th Anniversary celebration hub highlighting the impact of preprints and the researchers who contribute to them.

One of the central initiatives is the Popular Preprints of the Decade Award, recognizing influential preprints published between 2016 and 2026 across multiple research fields. Through community voting, the award will recognize research that has generated high engagement and visibility within the global research community.
Looking Ahead: The Next Decade of Preprints
As research communication continues to evolve, preprints will continue to play an important role in enabling faster collaboration, improving transparency, and expanding access to knowledge. The next decade may bring further integration between preprint platforms and journals, new tools for discovery and evaluation, and greater global participation in open science.
At MDPI, we remain committed to supporting researchers through platforms that encourage the open exchange of ideas. The success of Preprints.org over the past ten years reflects the engagement and trust of the global research community – authors, readers, reviewers, and collaborators who believe in the value of sharing knowledge openly.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the development and growth of Preprints.org over the past decade!
Inside MDPI

Beyond International Women’s Day: Supporting Women in Research
International Women’s Day (IWD) offers an opportunity to recognize the achievements of women around the world and reflect on how we can continue building a more inclusive future. In research and academia, this conversation carries particular importance, as scientific progress depends on diverse perspectives, and supporting women in science is essential to strengthening the global research ecosystem.
For MDPI, IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in research and highlight the initiatives, conversations, and collaborations that help support researchers across disciplines and career stages.
Highlighting Women in Science Across MDPI
This year, MDPI marked International Women’s Day with a global campaign highlighting research, awards, and perspectives that support women in science. Throughout the week, our teams shared content across MDPI’s social media channels sharing the work of women researchers and encouraging engagement across the academic community.

As part of this initiative, MDPI published several blog articles exploring important themes related to gender equity in research. One article, Give Support, Gain Progress: Retaining Women in Science, discusses the importance of mentorship, institutional support, and inclusive research environments in helping women build sustainable scientific careers.
Another featured article, Bridging the Gap in Women’s Health Research, highlights the ongoing need to address disparities in health research and ensure that women’s health receives the scientific attention and investment it deserves.
These topics capture the notion that supporting women in science benefits not only individual researchers but the entire scientific community. When researchers from diverse backgrounds can contribute their perspectives and ideas, the scope and impact of scientific discovery expand.
Creating Spaces for Dialogue
Beyond online content, MDPI is also supporting conversations about women in research through community engagement.

On 10 March, MDPI UK hosted the “Women in Research” event, bringing together researchers and professionals to share experiences and discuss the opportunities and challenges women face throughout their scientific careers. Events like these are an opportunity for open dialogue, mentorship, and networking to create more inclusive research communities.
Looking Beyond a Single Day
While IWD is an important moment of recognition, progress requires ongoing effort.
Supporting women in research involves many forms of engagement: from mentorship and collaboration to creating inclusive environments in which diverse voices are heard and valued. Publishers, institutions, and researchers all play a role in building this ecosystem.
At MDPI, we remain committed to supporting the global research community and to promoting open access publishing as a foundation for accessible and inclusive knowledge-sharing.
As we reflect on IWD this year, we recognize the many women who contribute to research as authors, reviewers, editors, mentors, and educators; we also recognize the impact they continue to have on the advancement of science. The influence of women in research extends far beyond a single day of recognition, reminding us that supporting them is a commitment that continues throughout the year.
Coming Together for Science

Highlights from Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology (11–13 March)
Through 11–13 March, we successfully delivered the Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology MDPI conference in Barcelona, bringing together an international community of researchers, editors, and partners dedicated to advancing the field of virology.
Conference Highlights
Viruses 2026 in numbers:
- 198 total registrations, with 171 attendees on site
- 233 submissions, with 122 accepted
- 42 short talks, 9 flash talks, and 80 posters
- 13 invited speakers and 1 keynote speaker

The strong level of participation and quality of submissions once again demonstrate the relevance of the Viruses community.
A standout moment was the keynote lecture by Dr. Ho, which also attracted an NBC documentary film crew, highlighting the broader impact of the research being presented.
Scientific Programme
The conference programme covered areas across modern virology, including viral replication, pathogenesis, immunology, and public health. Sessions explored topics on antiviral therapeutics and vaccines, innate immunity, virus–host interactions, and the structure and mechanisms of virus replication.
Together, these discussions highlighted both the fundamental biology of viruses and the translational challenges of addressing emerging infectious diseases, reflecting the breadth and continued importance of virology research in a global context. The programme also included a sponsored workshop on research data management in virology, further emphasizing the importance of data practices in advancing the field.
Thank You
Feedback from participants has been very positive, and I would like to thank the Conference team for the organization and delivery of this year’s event.

Thank you to our Viruses journal team and all colleagues involved behind the scenes in supporting the delivery of the event. As noted by Dr. Eric Freed (EiC of Viruses), the success of this edition gives us strong momentum as we look ahead to the next conference in 2028, with opportunities to further expand participation and engagement.
Closing Thoughts

Recap from MDPI Romania Salon in Cluj-Napoca (24 March)
On 24 March, we had the opportunity to meet with members of the Romanian research community in Cluj-Napoca at our MDPI Romania Salon. The event was a space for presentations, open discussion, and the exchange of perspectives on publishing and the research landscape in Romania.

We welcomed 39 participants, including 27 researchers from institutions across Romania, representing cities such as Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Reșița. Among them were Editorial Board Members, Associate Editors, and Guest Editors, all of whom play an important role in collaborating with MDPI and shaping the quality and direction of academic publishing.
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A Shared Commitment to Research Excellence
These events reflect MDPI’s commitment to connecting with and supporting researchers by means of transparency, dialogue, and collaboration. During the day, MDPI colleagues shared a series of presentations covering different parts of our publishing ecosystem:
- MDPI’s presence in Romania – Anamaria Vartolomei (Journal Relationship Specialist (JRS), Section Managing Editor (ME))
- MDPI’s performance, growth, and impact in Romania – Stefan Tochev (CEO)
- Academic services, initiatives, and projects supporting researchers – Ioana Preda (JRS, Section ME)
- Best practices and standards in publication ethics – Lavinia Rogojina (Research Integrity Manager)
- Panel session on ethics, AI, and peer review – Lavinia Rogojina, Ioana Preda, Doris Larisa Albu (JRS, Section ME), Cristina Georgiana Spelmezan (JRS, Section ME)
- Closing remarks – Lavinia Dumitrela Cozma (Operations Manager, Section ME)

Feedback from participants was very positive, particularly regarding the quality of discussions, the relevance of the topics, and the opportunity to engage directly with MDPI colleagues. What stood out most was the openness of the discussion. These events are important not only for the purposes of presenting what we do, but also as an opportunity to listen, understand concerns, and continue to build alignment with the research community.
Romania and the Growth of Open Access Publishing
The Romanian research landscape continues to show growth in open access (OA) publishing.
In 2025:
- 72% of all publications in Romania were published as OA
- Of these, 74% were Gold Open Access
Over the past five years, Romania has produced more than 109,000 publications, with approximately 71% available openly, highlighting a sustained shift toward accessibility and knowledge-sharing.
Within this landscape, MDPI continues to play a significant role:

- MDPI is the leading OA publisher in Romania, contributing 42% of all OA publications in 2025
- More than 37,000 articles have been published with MDPI by Romanian institutions since 1996
- This figure includes over 7,500 publications in 2025 alone
- More than 400 Editorial Board Members from Romania collaborate with MDPI across disciplines
These trends show the growth of OA and the strength of collaboration between MDPI and the Romanian research community.
Looking Ahead
As academic publishing continues to evolve, maintaining open and transparent communication with researchers is essential. Events such as our Salons and Summits provide great opportunities to exchange perspectives and to build trust and collaboration.
Thank you to all participants who joined us in Cluj, and to our teams in Romania for delivering a successful event. A special thank-you to Alina-Florina Agafitei (Marketing Specialist) for her care and attention to detail in delivering the Salon.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
25 March 2026
Acknowledging the Contributions of Our Reviewers in 2025
As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI maintains rigorous publication standards. This mission relies on the dedication and expertise of our reviewers, who invest their time and knowledge to ensure the quality and integrity of the research we publish.
In 2025, over 209,000 reviewers contributed to the peer-review process at MDPI, providing more than 1.3 million review reports for our journals. To express our gratitude, MDPI’s Reviewer Recognition Program highlights reviewers across over 400 journals, featuring those who have assessed at least one manuscript and agreed to be acknowledged.
In addition, MDPI has identified its Top 1000 Reviewers of 2024 to recognize those whose expertise, dedication, and thoughtful evaluations were particularly outstanding.
Many journals have also established Outstanding Reviewer Awards to honor our reviewers’ commitment to publication excellence. Together with the Exceptional Reviewer List, we showcase the importance of reviewers’ work and their time and dedication.
These initiatives serve to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude towards the whole reviewer community. In recognition of their contributions, we also welcome new researchers to join this community. If you would like to contribute to open access publishing, learn more about the reviewers’ benefits and sign up to join us.
24 March 2026
Topics Webinar | Evolving Excellence: The Rapid Expansion of Women’s and Para-Sport Across Health, Performance, and Policy, 27 March 2026
Message from the webinar Chair:
Welcome. I am delighted to introduce this upcoming webinar, entitled: Evolving Excellence: The Rapid Expansion of Women’s and Para‑Sport Across Health, Performance, and Policy.
This is an area of sport that is transforming at remarkable speed, and I could not be more excited to bring together such an exceptional group of experts to explore it. As women’s and para‑women’s sport continue to grow in scale, visibility, and complexity, so too does our responsibility to deepen the evidence base, challenge assumptions, and support athletes through every stage of their journey.
Being able to bring together a set of speakers across health, performance, and event management for both women’s sport and para‑sport is an important moment. Their insights, experience, and passion will help shape the conversations and collaborations that we urgently need to keep pace with this evolving landscape.
I am thrilled to welcome you to this event, and I hope it inspires new ideas, new partnerships, and new commitments to advancing excellence in women’s sport and para‑sport.
Thank you for joining us; your engagement is part of what drives this movement forward.
Andrew
Date: 27 March at 11:30 a.m. CET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 6:30 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 899 2906 4960
Webinar webpage: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-48
Register now for free!
Program:
| Speaker | Presentation Title | Time in CET | Time in GMT | Time in CST (Asia) |
| Dr. Andrew Soundy (Chair with Special Guest Dr. Richard Shipway/Dr. Gemma Parry) | Chair Introduction | 11:30–11:50 a.m. | 10:30–10:50 a.m. | 6:30–6:50 p.m. |
| Dr. Saidan Shetty | Session 1: Evidence-Based Insights to Optimize Female Athlete Health and Wellbeing in Sport | 11:50–12:10 a.m. | 10:50–11:10 a.m. | 6:50–7:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Holly Henderson | Session 1: Women’s elite sport and Lego Serious Play | 12:10–12:30 a.m. | 11:10–11:30 a.m. | 7:10–7:30 p.m. |
| Q&A and Panel Session 1 | 12:30–12:50 a.m. | 11:30–11:50 a.m. | 7:30–7:50 p.m. | |
| Dr. Andrew Soundy & Dr. Gemma Parry | Session 2: Women’s Sport: Care, Injury & the Lived Experiences of Female Athletes | 12:50 a.m.–1:10 p.m. | 11:50 a.m.–12:10 p.m. | 7:50–8:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Thomas Rietveld & Ms. Ellie-May Storr | Session 2: Quantitative and qualitative perspectives on female wheelchair rugby work on strength differences | 1:10–1:30 p.m. | 12:10–12:30 p.m. | 8:10–8:30 p.m. |
| Q&A and Panel Session 2 | 1:30–1:50 p.m. | 12:30–12:50 p.m. | 8:30–8:50 p.m. | |
| Dr. Andrew Soundy (Chair) | Closing of Webinar | 1:50–2:00 p.m. | 12:50–1:00 p.m. | 8:50–9:00 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic and 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 Chair and Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Andrew Soundy, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK;
- Dr. Saidan Shetty, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India;
- Ms. Ellie-May Storr, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences / The Centre for Para and Disability Sport Innovation, Loughborough University, UK;
- Dr. Gemma Parry, University of Bath, UK;
- Dr. Holly Henderson, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK;
- Dr. Richard Shipway, Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Sciences, School of Allied Health and Exercise Sciences, Bournemouth University, UK;
- Dr. Thomas Rietveld, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences / The Centre for Para and Disability Sport Innovation, Loughborough University, UK.
Relevant Special Issue:
“Gathering Evidence and Supporting Progress of Female Elite Sport and Para-Sport”
Guest Editors: Dr. Andrew Soundy, Dr. Gemma Parry and Dr. Rosalyn Cooke
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 April 2027
3 March 2026
Academic Publishing Workshop at the High Performance Sport Institute, 26 March 2026
MDPI Singapore is pleased to announce our upcoming Academic Publishing Workshop, organised in collaboration with the High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI), Singapore. The session will be led by MDPI Regional Journal Relations Specialists, Dr. Steven Moay and Ms. Natasa Miladinovic. This workshop aims to enhance participants’ understanding of the scholarly publishing landscape, strengthen research visibility, and provide practical guidance on best practices for successful manuscript preparation and submission.
Learning objectives:
- Understanding the scholarly publishing landscape;
- Choosing the right journal for your research;
- Preparing a high-quality manuscript;
- Insights into MDPI’s editorial and peer-review processes.
Date: 26 March 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
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Program and content |
Time |
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Registration |
10:00–10:20 a.m. |
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Opening Remarks by Head of the Sport Science and Sport Medicine |
10:20–10:30 a.m. |
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Dr. Steven Moay MDPI, Open Access and Journal Introduction
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10:30–10:40 a.m. |
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Dr. Steven Moay How to Write and Structure a Journal Article
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10:40–11:20 a.m. |
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Ms. Natasa Miladinovic How to Respond to Peer Reviews
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11:20 a.m.–12:05 p.m. |
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Dr. Danny Lum Publishing Insights
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12:05–12:25 p.m. |
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Closing Remarks |
12:25–12:30 p.m. |
Speakers:
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Dr. Steven Moay completed his PhD in materials science at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in August 2024. His research focused on the valorization of human-hair keratin for burn-wound treatments. Since joining MDPI in May 2023, Dr. Moay has served as both an Assistant Editor and a Section Managing Editor for the Bioengineering journal under the engineering section. He also serves as the group leader for the following Sections: “Pharmaceutical Sciences”, “Engineering”, Biodiversity”, “Physics”, “Polymer Science”, and “Technology”. He has actively participated in numerous scholar visits, showcasing outstanding communication skills in his interactions with scholars and local colleagues. |
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Natasa Miladinovic has a master’s degree in spatial planning, as well as a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Belgrade. She joined MDPI in 2020 and worked as Assistant Editor and Special Issue Editor for several years. Since 2022, she has worked as a Journal Relations Specialist and senior conference representative at MDPI. |
28 February 2026
Meet Us at the TERMIS-EU 2026 Conference, 21–24 April 2026, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Conference: TERMIS-EU 2026 Conference
Date: 21–24 April 2026
Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
From 21 to 24 April 2026, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, MDPI will be attending the TERMIS-EU 2026 Conference as an exhibitor, welcoming researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas.
Under the theme of “Accelerating multidisciplinary innovation to close the gap in clinical translation”, TERMIS-EU 2026 promises an enriching experience where leading academic and clinical researchers and industry experts will converge to share their expertise, explore emerging trends, and foster collaborations that will drive the field forward.
We look forward to welcoming you to Palma de Mallorca for an unforgettable experience at TERMIS-EU 2026!
The following MDPI journals will be represented:
- JFB;
- IJMS;
- Bioengineering;
- Prosthesis;
- Biomedicines;
- JFMK;
- Biomimetics;
- BioMed;
- CIMB;
- Medical Sciences;
- JPBI.
If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information, please visit https://eu2026.termis.org/.
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





