Announcements
6 June 2026
Summary of the MDPI Academic Publishing Workshop at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU), Chiang Rai, Thailand
MDPI was pleased to partner with Mae Fah Luang University (MFU) in Chiang Rai on 18 May 2026 for an incredibly productive workshop dedicated to advancing academic publishing and scholarly communication. The event brought together experts and members of the academic community to explore cutting-edge trends and developments across a range of scientific fields. Through lively discussions and hands-on knowledge exchange, participants gained valuable practical skills in scientific writing, data visualization, and layout, responding to peer-reviewer comments, and navigating the MDPI editorial process. The audience comprised participants from various academic levels—including professors, undergraduate students, and postgraduate researchers—with strong engagement maintained throughout the day.
We were honored to have Prof. Dr. Sujitra Wongkasemjit, Vice President of Mae Fah Luang University, open the floor for the Academic Publishing Workshop in collaboration with MDPI. In her opening remarks, she emphasized that the workshop provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen the publication environment within the faculty and encouraged all faculty members to actively develop their research and publishing skills. She also highlighted the importance of ensuring that research publications maintain high quality, academic integrity, and meaningful impact in society and the research community.
The Academic Publishing Workshop was opened by Professor Dr. Sujitra Wongkasemjit, Vice President of MFU. She delivered the opening remarks and emphasized that all scholars and researchers should value their own research with utmost care. Selecting a suitable journal to submit your paper requires a comprehensive understanding of the scholar’s purposes, along with the criteria and requirements that the university has provided. Professor Dr. Saorat Rawdhuen, a distinguished Thai food scientist and academic leader (recognized as one of the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2022–2025 by Stanford University in Food Science), followed up to provide appreciation for the workshop that MDPI has offered.
The first session was presented by Dr. Krit Inthajak, Regional Engagement Editor of the MDPI Bangkok office, with an introduction to MDPI, sharing insights on the trends of open access journals and MFU’s current status. He also introduced the earliest journal of MDPI, Molecules, as a valuable option for researchers who are interested in submitting or reading publications related to chemistry. The session was followed up by a talk with Ms. Janine Li, Publisher of Processes, who introduced the journal, which welcomes process/systems-related research across multiple categories.
The second session was a panel talk by Prof. Dr. Saroat Rawdkeun on the topic of “The Importance of Publishing Manuscripts for the University”. Various topics, including an overview of postgraduate students, their research mission, and academic promotion, were discussed to ensure scholars could submit and publish their manuscripts in an area that fits the criteria of every department.
Dr. Krit returned to provide the third session on “How to Write Scientific Papers”. This session comprised how to prepare literature reviews before deciding to write a manuscript and the contents of the front matter, main text, and back matter. Authors should emphasize the importance of their experimental results and provide clear implications and connections through their introduction and literature review.
In the fourth session, Ms. Pratthana Kruekantha presented on “Data Visualization and Layout Guidelines for Scientific Papers”. In order to help participants acquire the skills necessary to write papers that are both readable and appropriate for publication, she offered helpful guidance on how to clearly present research data using well-designed figures, tables, and graphical abstracts. The session led to a communicative Q&A, where participants asked about usage of AI tools and whether disclosure is required, recommended tools and possible discounts for graphical abstract design, and journal requirements regarding the number of pages, references, figures, and tables. The session’s intense interest in AI-related subjects indicated that this is a significant issue for attendees and a good area to concentrate on in future workshops.
The fifth session was led by Dr. Siriporn Tantiwatcharothai, Regional Engagement Editor at the MDPI Bangkok office, who delivered a presentation on the MDPI editorial process, covering the importance of the review system, the pre-check stage, the peer-review stage, and the final editorial decision process. She emphasized that MDPI not only focuses on maintaining the quality and standards of each publication but also prioritizes transparency, ethicality, and reliability throughout the publishing process. She further highlighted that all manuscripts submitted to MDPI journals must undergo a rigorous and strict peer-review process conducted by qualified academic experts before acceptance for publication.
The sixth session, titled “How to Respond to Peer Reviewers”, was delivered by Ms. Hathaipat Kittirojana, Regional Journal Relations Specialist at MDPI. She provided an overview of the peer-review process at MDPI before guiding participants through how to revise a manuscript professionally and effectively. The session also covered key tips for revision preparation and practical strategies for organizing a clear and well-structured response to reviewer comments. In closing, Ms. Hathaipat encouraged all attendees to approach the revision process with a positive mindset, remaining open-minded and professional when replying to reviewers.
The last session, titled “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Scientific Publishing”, was delivered by Ms. Ploy Assavajamroon, Regional Engagement Editor at MDPI’s Bangkok office. The session opened with an overview of AI technologies and their growing role in academic research and scholarly publishing. During the presentation, she discussed both the capabilities and limitations of generative AI, with particular focus on widely used large language models. Although these tools can efficiently assist with a range of research-related tasks, she stressed that researchers should refrain from depending solely on AI-generated information without adequate assessment. In line with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the session also introduced MDPI’s policies on the responsible use of AI by authors and reviewers, highlighting the importance of transparency and appropriate disclosure practices. The session concluded with an introduction to several AI-powered tools developed by MDPI, designed to streamline editorial workflows and enhance the publishing experience for both authors and editors.
The workshop concluded with a closing talk and certificate awarding ceremony, celebrating the achievements of all participants who had engaged throughout the day. This collaboration underscores the shared commitment of MDPI and Mae Fah Luang University to fostering interdisciplinary research and promoting global excellence in academic output. The event not only strengthened the partnership between MDPI and the university but also laid a solid foundation for continued collaboration and future academic advancement.
