Announcements

Six new journals covering a range of subjects launched their inaugural issues in June 2025. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access. We are pleased to present the latest research and to make it accessible to all.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the 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.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Chang-Pu Sun, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing, China; Computational Science Research Center, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	quantum information and phenomena; condensed matter physics and statistical physics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; computational physics and mathematical methods View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Hualiang Lin, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Prof. Dr. Jose L. Domingo, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	green and organic food; green infrastructures; green exercise; environmental impact of the healthcare sector; effects of climate change on human health | View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Francesco Veglio, University of L’Aquila, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue	ultra-pure substances; water purification; air purification; gas purification; inorganic chemical purification; purification technologies View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Junxing Zheng, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	computer-aided design and engineering; artificial intelligence and machine learning; building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins; robotics and automation in construction; smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT); intelligent control systems and facilities management View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Assunta Di Vaio, University of Naples Parthenope, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue	sustainability, managerial, and biodiversity accounting; carbon management accounting; corporate social responsibility; artificial intelligence and disclosure View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Changjun Liu, Sichuan University, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	bioeffects of electromagnetic waves; electromagnetic science and engineering; microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz technologies; metamaterials and metasurfaces; communication, sensing, and networks; energy, power, and sustainable applications; quantum and emerging technologies; artificial intelligence and advanced fabrication View journal scope | Submit an article

Conference: 32nd International Cartographic Conference (ICC 2025)
Organization: Canadian Institute of Geomatics
Date: 17–22 Aug 2025
Location: Vancouver, Canada

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the International Cartographic Conference is delighted to announce that the 32nd International Cartographic Conference is coming to Canada and will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, from 17 to 22 August 2025. The theme for this conference is “Mapping the Future: Innovation, Inclusion, and Sustainability,” and it will be hosted by the Canadian Institute of Geomatics (CIG). The conference aims to serve as a forum where delegates can gather insights on scientific advancements, exchange expertise, and connect with peers in their respective domains.

The following open access journals will be represented:

• IJGI;
• Remote Sensing;
• Geomatics;
• Land;
• Earth;
• Forests;
• Imaging;
• Geographies;
• Atmosphere;
• Hydrology;
• Drones;
• Heritage;
• Data;
• Urban Science;
• Sustainability.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://icc2025.com/.

International Asteroid Day 2025 highlights the growing capabilities of planetary defense against asteroid threats. With advanced systems now tracking over 36,000 near-Earth objects and deflection technologies like NASA’s successful DART mission, we are better equipped than ever to detect and mitigate potential impacts. As we prepare for Apophis’ close approach in 2029, this global awareness day emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and public participation in safeguarding our planet.

On International Asteroid Day, we highlight cutting-edge research and innovative planetary defense initiatives that protect Earth from cosmic threats. We invite you to explore our curated resources on asteroid detection, deflection technologies, and global preparedness efforts. Together, we can advance our collective mission to defend our planet from near-Earth objects and build a more secure future for all.

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Marco Fenucci Earth Object Coordination Centre, Italy	Dr. Josep Maria Trigo Rodriguez Institute of Space Sciences, Spain

Feel free to register for the webinar here!

“Orbital Analysis of a Dual Asteroid System Explorer Based on the Finite Element Method”
by Linli Su, Wenyu Feng, Lie Yang, Zichen Fan, Mingying Huo and Naiming Qi
Aerospace 2024, 11(12), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11120993

“Trajectory Design of Potentially Hazardous Asteroid Exploration with Reusable Probes from Cislunar Space”
by Chao Peng, Renyong Zhang and Yang Gao
Aerospace 2024, 11(7), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070546

“Applications of Ground-Penetrating Radar in Asteroid and Comet Exploration”
by Wei Guan, Yan Su, Jiawei Li, Shun Dai, Chunyu Ding Chunyu Ding and Yuhang Liu
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(12), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16122188

“Mitigation of the Collision Risk of a Virtual Impactor Based on the 2011 AG5 Asteroid Using a Kinetic Impactor”
by Marco Cinelli
Mathematics 2024, 12(3), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12030378

“Assessment of Asteroid Classification Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks”
by Victor Bacu, Constantin Nandra, Adrian Sabou, Teodor Stefanut and Dorian Gorgan
Aerospace 2023, 10(9), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10090752

“Pyroxene and Hydroxyl Signatures in Vesta Newly Calibrated Data from Dawn Mission”
by Giuseppe Massa, Andrea Longobardo, Ernesto Palomba, Marianna Angrisani, Chiara Gisellu, Fabrizio Dirri, Maria Cristina De Sanctis, Andrea Raponi, Filippo Giacomo Carrozzo and Mauro Ciarniello
Universe 2023, 9(6), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9060296

“The Formation of a Rubble Pile Asteroid: Insights from the Asteroid Ryugu”
by Tsutomu Ota, Christian Potiszil, Katsura Kobayashi, Ryoji Tanaka, Hiroshi Kitagawa, Tak Kunihiro, Chie Sakaguchi, Masahiro Yamanaka and Eizo Nakamura
Universe 2023, 9(6), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9060293

“Numerical Study on Asteroid Deflection by Penetrating Explosion Based on Single-Material ALE Method and FE-SPH Adaptive Method”
by Pengfei Han, Qiguang He, Xiaowei Chen and He Lv
Aerospace 2023, 10(5), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10050479

“Solar Sail Trajectories to Earth’s Trojan Asteroids”
by Alessandro A. Quarta and Giovanni Mengali
Universe 2023, 9(4), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9040186

“Feasibility Analysis of Autonomous Orbit Determination and Gravity-Field Recovery around Asteroids Using Inter-Satellite Range Data”
by Haohan Li and Xiyun Hou
Aerospace 2023, 10(3), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10030304

“Insights in Planetary Geology” Guest Editors: Dr. Paola Manzari and Dr. Maria Pedone Submission deadline: 30 September 2025	“Advances in Asteroid Dynamics” Guest Editors: Dr. Marta Ceccaroni and Dr. Marco Fenucci Submission deadline: 31 October 2025
“Detection and Tracking of Near-Earth Asteroids” Guest Editor: Dr. Haibin Zhao Submission deadline: 27 February 2026	“The Hidden Stories of Small Planetary Bodies” Guest Editors: Dr. Emese Forgacs-Dajka and Dr. Csaba Kiss Submission deadline: 28 February 2026

MDPI is excited to announce a special webinar in celebration of International Asteroid Day on 30 June 2025. International Asteroid Day’s goal is to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard and to inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat.

The theme of the webinar is “Exploring Near-Earth Objects: Challenges and Opportunities”. We are very much looking forward to seeing you at the MDPI Asteroid Day Webinar 2025. Please find below an outline of the presentations.

Date: 30 June 2025
Time: 11:00 a.m. CEST
Webinar ID: 821 8607 0803

Register now for free!

Program

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with 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.

Invited Speakers:

• Dr. Marco Fenucci, ESA NEO Coordination Centre/Deimos Italia;
• Prof. Dr. Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez, Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC/IEEC).

For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link:
https://sciforum.net/event/IADW2.

If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact journal.webinar@mdpi.com.

MDPI Webinar Secretariat

Conference Name: The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025
Organization: Royal Geographical Society
Date: 26–29 August 2025
Place: Birmingham, UK

We will attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025, which will take place at the University of Birmingham, and online, from 26 to 29 August 2025.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference regularly attracts over 2,000 geographers from around the world. The Royal Geographical Society serves an exceptionally wide range of public and professional audiences, including their 16,000 members. The Conference will be chaired by Prof. Patricia Noxolo (University of Birmingham, UK), and focuses on the theme of “Geographies of Creativity/Creative Geographies”. With over 400 sessions, we will hear from Black influencers working creatively with geographical ideas; from researchers using dance and storytelling; and from Midlands-based artists who will discuss how their sense of place contributes to their work.

The following open access journals will be represented at the event:

• Land;
• IJGI;
• Sustainability;
• Conservation;
• Earth;
• Forests;
• Geographies;
• GeoHazards;
• Geomatics;
• Hydrology;
• Quaternary;
• Remote Sensing;
• Soil Systems;
• Urban Science;
• Climate.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have!

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference.

We are pleased to announce that the Young Women in Engineering Award is open for nominations. This award was established to acknowledge the achievements of young women investigators in the field of engineering and to inspire young women to consider research and careers in engineering. All the nominations will be assessed by an Award Evaluation Committee, and winners will be announced online on 8 March 2026.

Prizes:

• CHF 1000;
• An electronic certificate;
• A voucher to waive the article processing charges (APCs) for one submission to a journal within the field of engineering (subject to peer review)—valid for one year.

Number of winners: 2.

Eligibility and requirements:

• This role is designated for female candidates;
• Must have received their Ph.D. no more than 10 years prior to 31 December 2025;
• Must have produced groundbreaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of engineering;
• Must be nominated by senior scientists.

List of documents for nomination:

• Detailed curriculum vitae, including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;
• Scanned copy of doctorate certificate;
• Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists.

Schedule:

Open for nominations: 23 June 2025;
Nomination deadline: 30 November 2025;
Winner announcement: 8 March 2026.

Nominations and contact:

All nomination materials and award-related communications must be submitted via our official email: ywe-award@mdpi.com.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your nominations.

Young Women in Engineering Award Team

This webinar brings together leading experts to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we observe, understand, and respond to environmental change. Under the broad umbrella of GeoAI, today’s talks highlight cutting-edge innovations in semantic interpretation of satellite imagery, the integration of citizen science and machine learning, and the development of accessible, open-source tools for geospatial analysis.

We are honored to feature two distinguished speakers: Dr. Xiao Huang will share his work on leveraging AI captioning and foundation models to extract deeper meaning from remote sensing data. Following that, Dr. Di Yang will present on the integration of citizen science and AI for enhancing Earth observation efforts at scale. Dr. Qiusheng Wu will close with an introduction to the GeoAI Python package—a user-friendly, open-source library designed to make AI-driven geospatial analysis more accessible to researchers and practitioners.

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to the exchange of ideas and insights during this session.

Date: 25 June 2025
Time: 4:00 p.m. CEST | 10:00 a.m. EDT | 10:00 p.m. CST Asia 
Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5017494938690/WN_SYQ8w1gIS9qjQdAA3b_3Ww
Webinar ID: 895 4650 1334
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/topics-38

Register for free！

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic or institutional email addresses will be prioritized. 

Unable to attend? Feel free to still register; we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Qiusheng Wu, Department of Geography & Sustainability, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA;
• Dr. Xiao Huang, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, USA;
• Dr. Di Yang, Department of Geography, University of Florida, USA.

Relevant Special Issues:
“Geospatial Intelligence in Remote Sensing”
Guest Editors: Dr. Samsung Lim and Dr. Badal Pokharel
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025

“Deep Learning Innovations in Remote Sensing”
Guest Editors: Dr. Zhe Wang, Dr. Chao Fan, Dr. Sanaz Salati, Dr. Marshall (Xiaogang) Ma, Dr. Xiang Que and Dr. Hui Wang
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025

“Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) in Remote Sensing”
Guest Editors: Dr. Xian Sun, Dr. Wanxuan Lu, Dr. Lingqiao Liu and Dr. Shucheng You
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025

We are delighted to share some key insights from our recent interview with Dr. Konstantinos Soulis, an Editorial Board Member of Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292), who reflected on his role, the peer-review process, and commitment to scholarly quality. 

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and share some information about your journey as an Editorial Board Member for Remote Sensing?
I am an agricultural engineer, and I work as an Assistant Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece, with a focus on geoinformatics and spatial analysis in agriculture and the environment. My research and teaching combine my passion for geospatial technologies with hydrology and agriculture.
I started serving Remote Sensing and other environmental and earth science journals as a reviewer about 10 years ago. I already had an experience of reviewing manuscripts with many journals. I quickly noticed MDPI journals’ emphasis on expediting the peer-review process, a strategy I readily embraced. My personal philosophy has always been to provide timely, constructive, and fair reviews, treating every manuscript with the same respect and rigor I'd expect for my own work. This alignment made it seamless for me to adapt to a system that prioritizes both speed and quality for authors.
As I gained more experience, I took on roles as a Guest Editor for several successful Special Issues and Topic Collections, approaching each with the same dedication. Being invited to serve as a Section Board Member for Remote Sensing was a truly welcome development. This role, while demanding, has been incredibly rewarding. The excellent support provided by the Assistant Editors throughout the review process has made the work more efficient and effective. While making decisions about others’ research is a significant responsibility and can indeed be a psychological load, I navigate this by consistently upholding the highest standards of integrity and care, ensuring every manuscript receives the thoughtful consideration it deserves. 

2. How has your experience as an Editorial Board Member shaped your approach to ensuring the quality of manuscripts?
My diverse experience in academic publishing, encompassing roles as an author, reviewer, and Academic Editor, has profoundly shaped my approach to ensuring manuscript quality. As an author, I understand the desire to present research with a unique perspective, but I also recognize the inherent difficulty—and sometimes impossibility—of objectively judging one’s own work. This is where the reviewer’s role becomes critical: it’s not just about safeguarding the credibility of published research; it’s about actively helping authors identify and address weaknesses, ultimately leading to significant improvements and greater impact.
Having the opportunity to see all facets of the review process as an Academic Editor has been particularly illuminating. This holistic view has not only refined my own writing and my ability to navigate the review process effectively, but has also fundamentally shifted my understanding of an editor’s responsibilities.
I've learned that an Academic Editor’s role extends far beyond simply inviting reviewers or deferring to the majority opinion. It begins with a thorough initial assessment to grasp the authors’ perspective, discern the manuscript’s merits, and pinpoint its core weaknesses. Identifying suitable reviewers is then paramount. “Suitable” doesn’t just mean qualified; it means finding individuals who are genuinely dedicated to providing constructive feedback that will genuinely help authors elevate their work to a high standard of quality and clarity.
Furthermore, an editor must be ready to critically engage with reviewer feedback, even if it challenges initial impressions. It’s crucial to not just render a decision, but to provide clear, actionable guidance to authors, especially when faced with conflicting reviews. My experience has taught me the delicate balance between identifying areas for improvement and imposing my own perspective. The goal is to empower authors to enhance their work, not to dictate their approach. This nuanced understanding is central to my commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality in the manuscripts I oversee.
Above all, I consistently keep in mind that the editor is the only individual who assumes eponymous responsibility for the integrity and credibility of the entire review process and ensures the trust placed in the journal. 

3. During the precheck stage, how do you exercise balance when recommending reviewers? What criteria are prioritized in this process?
During the precheck stage, recommending reviewers is a critical task that goes far beyond simply identifying subject matter experts. My approach is to exercise a careful balance, prioritizing several key criteria to ensure a robust, fair, and unbiased peer-review process.
Firstly, while qualifications and direct relevance to the studied topic are foundational, they are not the sole criteria. I look for reviewers whose expertise aligns precisely with the manuscript’s specific methodologies, datasets, or theoretical frameworks.
Secondly, previous review work and reliability are highly valued. I assess a potential reviewer’s history of providing constructive, timely, and insightful feedback, where available. A consistent track record demonstrates not only their expertise, but also their dedication to the peer-review process.
Thirdly, diversity in reviewer origin and affiliation is crucial to prevent conflicts of interest and to ensure a broad range of perspectives. This includes considering geographical diversity and avoiding having too many reviewers from the same institution or research group as the authors, or from institutions that have a direct competitive interest.
Fourthly, I strive for a balance between young researchers and more experienced academics. Young researchers often bring fresh perspectives and innovative insights, but sometimes tend to be very strict, while senior experts provide depth of knowledge and a broader understanding of the field’s historical context and future directions and can more easily accept different perspectives. This mix can lead to a more comprehensive and well-rounded evaluation.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I understand that my role doesn’t end with inviting reviewers. I must critically judge the reviews once they are submitted. If reviews are contradictory, unclear, or appear to miss critical aspects of the manuscript, I am prepared to seek additional opinions, invite further discussion among reviewers, or, if necessary, even provide my own expert review to ensure that authors receive clear, actionable, and fair guidance. This ultimate oversight is vital for upholding the quality and integrity of the published work. 

4. When a manuscript is rejected, Academic Editors are expected to provide substantive feedback. How can editors ensure these comments genuinely help authors improve their work, despite its rejected status?
When a manuscript is rejected, the Academic Editor’s feedback is arguably even more critical than for accepted papers. My aim is to ensure these comments genuinely help authors improve their work, even though it won’t be published in Remote Sensing. This requires a nuanced and constructive approach.
Firstly, the feedback must be substantive and actionable. It should not merely enumerate the weak points, but actively suggest concrete ways these can be addressed. I focus on guiding authors on how to overcome the identified difficulties, whether that involves refining methodologies, strengthening the discussion, clarifying the narrative, or broadening the literature review. The goal is to provide a clear roadmap for significant improvement.
Secondly, it’s crucial to convey that all efforts were made to assess the manuscript in an impartial and credible manner. The decision is a result of a thorough peer-review process, reflecting the collective assessment of experts. However, it’s equally important to make it explicit that a negative decision from Remote Sensing does not invalidate the research itself. Authors need to understand that the study often can proceed further.
Finally, I emphasize that opinions and editorial scope can differ between journals. What might not be suitable for Remote Sensing could very well find a home in another journal after targeted improvements. By providing constructive guidance, a clear rationale for the rejection, and a positive outlook on future submission possibilities, editors can transform a potentially discouraging rejection into a valuable learning opportunity, empowering authors to revise and successfully publish their work elsewhere. 

5. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?
I’d like to offer a final comment regarding the evolving landscape of academic publishing, particularly in the era of Artificial Intelligence. We are undoubtedly in a transformative period where AI is beginning to reshape how manuscripts are written, how research is conducted, and even how peer review is approached.
This presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, sophisticated AI tools could make detecting plagiarism more complex and there’s a potential risk that over-reliance on AI might, at times, restrict truly innovative human thinking or expression.
However, I believe the proper and ethical use of AI also offers significant opportunities. For authors, especially non-native English speakers, AI tools can be incredibly beneficial in helping them to convey their ideas more clearly, precisely, and effectively, thereby reducing language barriers and giving their valuable research a wider audience and greater impact. It’s about leveraging these tools responsibly to enhance, rather than replace, human intellect and scientific rigor. As an editor, staying abreast of these developments and adapting review strategies accordingly will be paramount to maintaining the integrity and accessibility of published research.

Why This Matters

At Remote Sensing, we value the expertise of our Editorial Board Members in upholding rigorous standards of quality and fairness. Their insights reinforce our mission to support authors in advancing high-impact research while maintaining the highest ethical standards.
We extend our gratitude to Dr. Konstantinos Soulis and all our Editorial Board Members for their invaluable contributions to the journal and the scholarly community.

We are pleased to share that Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) has received an increased CiteScore of 8.6 in June 2025, officially placing us in Q1 (ranked 13th out of 198 journals) for the “General Earth and Planetary Sciences” category.

You can find more statistics on our website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/stats.

The current CiteScore measures the average number of citations of a journal over a four-year window (2021–2024). The Scopus database provides a comprehensive suite of metrics that support informed publishing strategies, research evaluation, and enable the benchmarking of journal performance.

This is a milestone that highlights our 10-year continuous improvement. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of our authors, reviewers, and editors. Together we will continue to track the progress of Remote Sensing and its growing impact in the field.