Announcements

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

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

About Professor Michele Parrinello

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

——Professor Michele Parrinello

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

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

Award Committee

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

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

——Professor Xin-Gao Gong

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

About the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and MDPI Awards

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

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

Find more information on awards here.

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

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

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

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

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed on 25 November, raises global awareness of violence against women and girls and promotes efforts to end it. Violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations, with nearly one in three women worldwide experiencing physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

To contribute to awareness, research, and collaboration on this urgent issue, MDPI journals across Clinical Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences and Psychology provide platforms for sharing research and fostering scientific dialogue. Through these collective efforts, MDPI supports the pursuit of practical solutions and a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by women and girls worldwide.

“Causal Factors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG): Perspectives from the Brazilian Higher Education Students”
by Muhammad Qasim Rana, Angela Lee, José Fernando Rodrigues Bezerra, Lekan Damilola Ojo and Guilherme Hissa Villas Boas
Societies 2025, 15(9), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15090261

“Cumulative Violence and Post-Traumatic Stress: An Integrative Model of Coping and Resilience Among Women Exposed to Sexual and Conflict-Related Violence”
by Naama Bar, Stav Shapira and Orna Braun-Lewensohn
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2025, 15(6), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15060110

“From Policy Reform to Public Reckoning: Exploring Shifts in the Reporting of Sexual-Violence-Against-Women Victimizations in the United States Between 1992 and 2021”
by Jessica C. Fleming, Ashley K. Fansher and Ryan Randa
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050701

““If You Are Raped, You Are Like Secondhand”: Systemic Barriers to Reporting Sexual Violence Against School-Aged Girls in a Rural Community in Kenya”
by Leso Munala, Hannah Resendiz Olson and Courtney Johnson
Sexes 2025, 6(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6010012

“The Role of Formal Schooling, Literacy, and Health Knowledge in Addressing Domestic Violence Against Women in West Africa”
by Amelia Van Komen and Hayley Pierce
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(11), 1492; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21111492

“Back to Industry—Evaluating Women’s Return to Chartered Accreditation Post-Maternity in the Built Environment Sector Professions”
by Sinead Clarkson and Lucy Hind
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14090204

“Metaphors Describing the Gendered Organization in the Career Advancement of Women: An Integrative Review”
by Sara Rocio Huaman-Morillo, Kara Lynette Vander Linden and Patrick Albert Palmieri
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14090196

“The Intersection of Gender-Based Violence and Vulnerance in Pastoral Care”
by Ute Leimgruber
Religions 2024, 15(7), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070776

“Institutional Solidarity in The Netherlands: Examining the Role of Dutch Policies in Women with Migration Backgrounds’ Decisions to Leave a Violent Relationship”
by Chloé Roegiers (Mayeux), Sawitri Saharso, Evelien Tonkens and Jonathan Darling
Societies 2023, 13(11), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110243

“Choice of Non-Disclosure as Agency: A Systematic Review of Non-Disclosure of Sexual Violence in Girlhood in Africa”
by Doris Kakuru
Women 2023, 3(2), 322-334; https://doi.org/10.3390/women3020024

“Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic: From Children to the Elderly”
by Cristina Soeiro, Rita Ribeiro, Iris Almeida, Rosa Saavedra, Sónia Caridade, Ana Oliveira and Manuela Santos
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(2), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12020091

“Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico”
by Leonor Rivera Rivera, Marina Séris Martínez, Luz Myriam Reynales Shigematsu, José Alberto Gómez García, Fernando Austria Corrales, Filiberto Toledano-Toledano, Alberto Jiménez Tapia, Diana Iris Tejadilla Orozco and Claudia I. Astudillo García
Healthcare 2023, 11(3), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030419

“Factors Associated with Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimisation” Guest Editors: Dr. Megan L. Willis and Dr. Rebecca O’Reilly Submission deadline: 31 January 2026	“Impact of Rape and Sexual Violence on the Relationships of Survivors” Guest Editor: Dr. Buuma Maisha Submission deadline: 28 February 2026
“Sexual Violence Against Women Across Contexts: Prevention, Education, and Intervention” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Yolanda Rodríguez Castro and Dr. Rosana Martínez-Román Submission deadline: 15 May 2026	“School Violence: A Study of Behavioral and Mental Health Risks Among Young People” Guest Editor: Dr. Mimar Ramis-Salas and Dr. Esther Roca Submission deadline: 15 September 2026

World Philosophy Day, which is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of November, highlights philosophy’s lasting importance in shaping human thought, culture, and individual growth. This day is promoted to recognize philosophy as both an inspiring discipline and a daily practice that fosters reflection and dialogue across cultures. By encouraging open discussion and critical thinking, philosophy nurtures tolerance, respect, and understanding, which are all key elements in addressing modern global challenges.

To contribute to this ongoing discussion, MDPI journals offer platforms for advancing philosophical inquiry across a wide spectrum of philosophical disciplines. Through our Special Issues, research articles, and scholarly perspectives, these journals explore how philosophy intersects with ethics, politics, technology, religion, and literature.

MDPI’s journals aim to facilitate philosophical dialogue, encouraging the exchange of ideas that deepen our understanding of humanity’s place in an increasingly complex world. By promoting reflective analysis, these journals aim to help illuminate fundamental questions about knowledge, existence, values, freedom, and human responsibility.

“Thus Spoke… Friedrich Nietzsche on the Sophists”
by Laura Viidebaum
Humanities 2025, 14(7), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14070141  

“Plato Under Review: What Is Going Wrong in Academic Philosophical Writing”
by Giacomo Pezzano
Humanities 2025, 14(6), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14060116  

“Hölderlin: Between Kant and the Greeks”
by Àlex Mumbrú Mora
Humanities 2025, 14(4), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040083  

“Effectual Truth and the Machiavellian Enterprise”
by Dustin Gish
Literature 2025, 5(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/literature5010006

“Faith, Knowledge, and the Ausgang of Classical German Philosophy: Jacobi, Hegel, Feuerbach”
by Todd Gooch
Religions 2024, 15(5), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15050618  

“Συνουσία in Late Antique Neoplatonic Schools: A Concept between Social History, History of Education and History of Philosophy”
by Marco Alviz Fernández and David Hernández de la Fuente
Literature 2024, 4(1), 45–61; https://doi.org/10.3390/literature4010004

Special Issues:

“The Thinker as Artist and the Artist as Thinker—Literature and the History of Political Philosophy” Guest Editor: Dr. Dustin Gish Submission deadline: 30 April 2026	“Logic in Traditional Chinese Academic Study” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Bo Chen and Prof. Dr. Jincheng Zhai Submission deadline: 30 June 2026

“Situated Religious Cognition in Jamesian Pragmatist Philosophy of Religion”
by Sami Pihlström
Religions 2024, 15(7), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070815  

“From Circle to Cycloid: The Philosophical Value of Religious Cult in Maurice Blondel’s L’Action”
by Jonathan Martin Ciraulo
Religions 2024, 15(3), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030283  

“From Philosophy of Religion to Philosophy of Religious Experience: On New Tendencies in French Phenomenology of Religion”
by Przemysław Zgórecki
Religions 2024, 15(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010120

Special Issues:

“Continental Philosophy and Catholic Theology” Guest Editor: Dr. Glenn Morrison Submission deadline: 31 March 2026	“Perspectives in Contemporary Catholic Philosophy: Ethics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, and Metaphysics” Guest Editor: Dr. Alan Vincelette Submission deadline: 1 June 2026

“Feminist Values and Plumwood’s Account of Logic”
by Mansooreh Kimiagari
Logics 2025, 3(3), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/logics3030007

“Knowability as Continuity: A Topological Account of Informational Dependence”
by Alexandru Baltag and Johan van Benthem
Logics 2025, 3(3), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/logics3030006   

“On the Interpretation of Denotational Semantics”
by Felice Cardone
Philosophies 2025, 10(3), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies10030054

“Future Actuality and Truth Ascriptions”
by Andrea Iacona and Giuseppe Spolaore
Philosophies 2025, 10(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies10020041

“Why Logics?”
by Jean-Yves Beziau
Logics 2023, 1(3), 148–156; https://doi.org/10.3390/logics1030007  

“A Fundamental Non-Classical Logic”
by Wesley H. Holliday
Logics 2023, 1(1), 36–79; https://doi.org/10.3390/logics1010004  

“Henri Bergson’s Haunted Epistemology: Consciousness Unframed”
by Adam Lovasz
Literature 2023, 3(1), 66–79; https://doi.org/10.3390/literature3010005

Special Issues:

“The Dawn of Aspects: Wittgenstein and the Life of Meaning” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Victor J. Krebs, Prof. Dr. Gordon Bearn and Dr. Niklas Toivakainen Submission deadline: 10 February 2026	“Debating Temporal Ontology: The Existence of Yesterday and Tomorrow” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Kristie Miller Submission deadline: 31 July 2026

“Sacrificial Love (Of Cyborgs, Saviors, and Driller, a Real Robot Killer) in the Comics Descender and Ascender”
by Peter Admirand
Humanities 2025, 14(4), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040091  

“Towards a Human Rights-Based Approach to Ethical AI Governance in Europe”
by Linda Hogan and Marta Lasek-Markey
Philosophies 2024, 9(6), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies9060181  

“Why We Should Be Curious about Each Other”
by Lisa Bortolotti and Kathleen Murphy-Hollies
Philosophies 2023, 8(4), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies8040071  

Special Issues:

“More-than-Human Ethics: Rethinking Nature, Dwelling, and Responsibility” Guest Editor: Dr. Luca Valera Submission deadline: 15 March 2026	“Foundations of Artificial Intelligence” Guest Editor: Dr. Sebastian Sunday Grève Submission deadline: 15 March 2026
“Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI” Guest Editors: Dr. James Hutson and Dr. Luca M. Possati Submission deadline: 15 May 2026	“Film and Philosophy” Guest Editor: Dr. Corin Depper Submission deadline: 1 June 2026

The 1st International Online Conference of the Journal Philosophies Organizer: MDPI and Philosophies Volume Editors: Marcin J. Schroeder and Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic Highlights: General Theory of Information and Mindful Machines by Rao Mikkilineni The Evolution of Intelligence from Active Matter to Complex Intelligent Systems via Agent-Based Autopoiesis by Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic Click here to read the full list of papers!

World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide and improve children’s welfare. 20 November 1959 is an important date as it is when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Additionally, on the same date in 1989, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

From the moment the sun rises, children wake up to a world shaped by choices they did not make. However, every child, everywhere, also wakes up with rights, including the right to be protected, to learn, and to have their voice heard. It is time to listen to children to understand what their lives are like and how their rights are present, missing, or pursued every day.

To commemorate this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including pediatric public health, childhood education, child psychology, and child development. By sharing these findings, we hope to advocate, promote, and celebrate children’s rights, and translate these findings into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.

Keynote speakers:

Dr. Amy Pan, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA	Prof. David Tzuriel Emeritus, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Feel free to register for this webinar here!

We are honored to feature a series of insightful interviews with distinguished scholars dedicated to child-centered research, as they share their inspiring journeys and valuable perspectives on advancing children’s well-being, rights, and development in diverse global contexts.

	Name: Dr. Anna Di Sessa Affiliation: University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Italy “World Children’s Day serves as a crucial reminder of our collective responsibility to safeguard and prioritize the health, rights, and well-being of children. As a researcher, it underscores the need to address the unique health challenges children face through evidence-based research. On a broader scale, it emphasizes the importance of creating a world where all children can thrive, free from poverty, violence, and neglect”. Please read the full interview here.
	Name: Dr. Diego Gomez-Baya Affiliation: University of Huelva, Spain “Programs to foster positive youth development should be active and participatory, allowing adolescents to take ownership of their own development. Likewise, measures that encourage greater civic and environmental engagement are equally necessary, hand in hand with the promotion of personal character strengths”. Please read the full interview here.
	Name: Dr. Graham Connelly Affiliation: University of Strathclyde, UK “We need to protect children from being harmed by conflict and provide the best care for children affected by strife, dislocation, famine and poverty. We need to fund international children’s agencies better, and yes, of course hold them to account for the funds they receive. There are very good examples, worldwide, of ways of consulting with children that are not tokenistic. I’d like to see these being expanded”. Please read the full interview here.

“Mucous Fistula Refeeding in Newborns: Why, When, How, and Where? Insights from a Systematic Review”
by Layla Musleh, Ilaria Cozzi, Anteo Di Napoli and Fabio Fusaro
Nutrients 2025, 17(15), 2490; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17152490

“Our Children/Our Future: Examining How Indigenous Peoples in the US Assert Self-Determination and Prioritize Child Wellbeing”
by Meschelle Linjean and Hilary N. Weaver
Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010026

“Machine Learning in Pediatric Healthcare: Current Trends, Challenges, and Future Directions”
by Hammad A. Ganatra
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(3), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14030807

“Developmental Patterns in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Preschool Children”
by Maria Eugenia Martelli, Federica Gigliotti, Federica Giovannone, Giuliana Lentini, Filippo Manti and Carla Sogos
Children 2025, 12(2), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12020125

“Climate Action and the UNCRC: A ‘Postpaternalist’ World Where Children Claim Their Own Rights”
by Aoife Daly, Nabin Maharjan, Esther Montesinos Calvo-Fernández, Liesl Heila Muller, Emily Margaret Murray, Alicia O’Sullivan, Florencia Paz Landeira and Katie Reid
Youth 2024, 4(4), 1387-1404; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4040088

“Understanding the Wellbeing Needs of First Nations Children in Out-of-Home Care in Australia: A Comprehensive Literature Review”
by Darren Garvey, Ken Carter, Kate Anderson, Alana Gall, Kirsten Howard, Jemma Venables, Karen Healy, Lea Bill, Angeline Letendre, Michelle Dickson and Gail Garvey
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(9), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091208

“A Systematic Review of Economic and Concrete Support to Prevent Child Maltreatment”
by Gretchen Cusick, Jennifer Gaul-Stout, Reiko Kakuyama-Villaber, Olivia Wilks, Yasmin Grewal-Kök
and Clare Anderson
Societies 2024, 14(9), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14090173

“Family Functioning and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Gifted Children”
by Maria Assunta Zanetti, Tommaso Trombetta, Luca Rollè and Carlo Marinoni
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2024, 14(5), 1171-1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14050077

“Impact of Sexual Abuse on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review”
by Ana Carolina Alves, Maria Leitão, Ana Isabel Sani and Diana Moreira
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040189

“Challenges of Iron Chelation in Thalassemic Children”
by Alkistis Adramerina and Marina Economou
Thalass. Rep. 2024, 14(1), 1-9; https://doi.org/10.3390/thalassrep14010001

“MIH and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”
by Marta Mazur, Denise Corridore, Artnora Ndokaj, Roman Ardan, Iole Vozza, Sylvie Babajko and Katia Jedeon
Healthcare 2023, 11(12), 1795; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11121795

“Picture Books, Imagination and Play: Pathways to Positive Reading Identities for Young Children”
by Amanda Niland
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050511

“Paying Attention to the Spiritual Flourishing of Young Children in Church Toddler Groups: A Scoping Study Evaluating the Feasibility of a Research Study in This Context”
by Ann Casson, Mary Woolley, Ann Pittaway, Tansy Watts, Nicola Kemp, Robert A. Bowie, Katie Clemmey
and Rosanne Aantjes
Religions 2023, 14(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020236

“Mitigating the Impact of Maternal Mental Health Challenges on Children’s Development” Guest Editors: Dr. Nanmathi Manian and Prof. Dr. Pamela J. Surkan Submission deadline: 1 January 2026	“Early Childhood Education Policy: Impact on Children’s Well-Being and Development” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Nadia Siddiqui and Dr. Johny Daniel Submission deadline: 17 January 2026
“Substance Use and Child Welfare: Intersecting Crises” Guest Editors: Dr. Rebecca Gomez and Dr. Kasey Claborn Submission deadline: 31 January 2026	“Healthy Child, Healthy Adult—Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity as a Public Health Concern” Guest Editors: Dr. Lindsy Kass and Dr. Gillian McLellan Submission deadline: 28 February 2026
“Shaping Futures: Health Policy Innovations for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children” Guest Editor: Dr. Ucheoma Nwaozuru Submission deadline: 15 June 2026	“Parenting in Context: Family Engagement in Promoting Child Development” Guest Editors: Dr. Joo Young Hong and Dr. Shinwoo Choi Submission deadline: 15 September 2026

Conference: 2026 Modern Language Association Convention
Organization: Modern Language Association
Date: 8–11 January 2026
Place: Toronto, Canada 

The MLA Convention brings together scholars, teachers, and writers from a variety of humanities fields to share their work; pursue professional development opportunities; and learn about the latest research in language, literature, cultural studies, and writing studies. This year’s theme, “Family Resemblances”, invites conversations within traditions and about literal forms of kinship, while also spurring us to reimagine the acts of comparison and relational thinking that are one core of our shared work. 

MDPI will be attending the 2026 MLA Convention. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us. 

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Humanities;
• Religions;
• Languages;
• Philosophies.

Nine new journals covering a range of subjects launched their inaugural issues in September 2025. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We extend our sincere thanks to all Editorial Board Members for their commitment and expertise. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create more new journals, you are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

MDPI will be attending the 2025 Annual Meetings, co-hosted by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and the American Academy of Religion (AAR), from 22 to 25 November 2025, at the Hynes Convention Center, in Boston, MA, USA.

This professional academic meeting will bring together professors, students, authors, publishers, religious leaders and interested laypersons at the Hynes Convention Center and surrounding venues to meet and engage with leading scholars and scholarship within the fields of religion, religious studies, research, and theology.

Attendees will have access to more than 900 academic sessions and workshops. In addition, attendees will have access to the Book Exhibit Hall which features one of the world’s largest collections of books and digital resources for biblical study, as well as a vibrant networking space where attendees can present ideas to publishers, browse the latest publications, and connect with colleagues.  

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Religions;
• Humanities;
• Arts;
• Histories;
• Literature;
• Humans.

If you plan to attend this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth #630. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/AnnualMeeting.aspx.

International Day of the Girl Child 2025, which will be celebrated on 11 October, is a day that commemorates 30 years since the Beijing Declaration—a set of principles to work towards gender equality, to call to action to share girls’ stories, advocate for change, and create girl-led spaces. This year’s theme—“The girl I am, the change I lead”—draws attention to the girls who are stepping up to lead and facing the challenges of today’s world.

In recognition of International Day of the Girl Child 2025, MDPI supports the efforts in sharing the stories of girls from across the world. Through open access publishing, we invite you to explore selected articles, Special Issues, and journals that span fields from social sciences, arts and humanities to medicine and pharmacology.

““If You Are Raped, You Are Like Secondhand”: Systemic Barriers to Reporting Sexual Violence Against School-Aged Girls in a Rural Community in Kenya”
by Leso Munala, Hannah Resendiz Olson and Courtney Johnson
Sexes 2025, 6(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6010012

“An Emergent Rebellion: Activist Engagement with Ann-Helén Laestadius’ Coming-of-Age Novel Stöld (Stolen: A Novel)”
by Sofia Ahlberg and Suzanne Ericson
Humanities 2025, 14(3), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14030060

“Thrown to the (Were)Wolves: Sisterhood, Vengeance, and Liberal Feminism in Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle’s Squad”
by Jessica Caravaggio
Humanities 2025, 14(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14010003 

“Redefining Leadership: The Role of Spirituality and Motherhood in Muslim Women’s Educational Leadership”
by Fella Lahmar
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1565; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121565 

“Loving the Sport, Loving the Self: Devotion and Defiance in Furia”
by Wendy J. Glenn
Literature 2024, 4(4), 296–305; https://doi.org/10.3390/literature4040021

“Lucidity of Space and Gendered Performativity in Arabic Digital Literature”
by Manal al-Natour
Humanities 2024, 13(5), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/h13050112

“Placebo Effects on the Enjoyment of Physical Activity and Performance among Kindergarten Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial”
by Marlies Stopper, Albert Wabnegger and Anne Schienle
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2024, 14(8), 2435–2444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14080161 

“Mothers’ Responses to Children’s Emotions and Children’s Behavior: The Mediating Role of Children’s Emotion Regulation”
by Catarina Rolo, Eva Diniz, Alessandra Babore and Tânia Brandão
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2024, 14(7), 1940–1952; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14070129 

“Health Providers’ Response to Female Adolescent Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Demand Side Barriers in the Utilization of Support Services in Urban Low-Income Communities of Nigeria”
by Olutoyin Opeyemi Ikuteyijo, Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund, Michael D. Fetters, Akanni Ibukun Akinyemi and Sonja Merten
Healthcare 2023, 11(19), 2627; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11192627   

“Early Educational Interventions to Prevent Gender-Based Violence: A Systematic Review”
by Lourdes Villardón-Gallego, Alba García-Cid, Ana Estévez and Rocío García-Carrión
Healthcare 2023, 11(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11010142

“Improving Adolescent Girls’ and Women’s Health and Nutrition” Guest Editors: Dr. Csilla Mišľanová and Dr. Martina Valachovičová Submission deadline: 30 December 2025	“Fairy Tales: Visions and Revisions” Guest Editor: Dr. Jessica McCort Submission deadline: 30 April 2026