Announcements
14 November 2024
Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Societies
11 July 2025
World Population Day—“Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World”, 11 July 2025
World Population Day is an annual event, observed on 11 July every year, aiming to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. It was inspired by the public interest in Five Billion Day on 11 July 1987, the approximate date on which the world’s population reached five billion people. World Population Day aims to increase people’s awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health, and human rights.
The theme of World Population Day 2025 is “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world”. Global fertility rates are falling, prompting warnings about “population collapse”. But the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s State of World Population report shows that the real issue is a lack of reproductive agency—many people, especially young people, are unable to have the children they want. World Population Day 2025 highlights this challenge, focusing on the largest-ever generation of young people.
In celebration of this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including sociology, economics, human resources, and humanities. By sharing these findings, we call for ensuring that young have the rights, tools, and opportunities to shape their futures.
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“The Marriage Behavior of the Greek Population from 1991 to 2021: A Study Through Gross Nuptiality Tables”
by Vasilis S. Gavalas
Genealogy 2025, 9(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9020032
“Indian “Boarding School” and Chinese “Bachelor Society”: Forced Isolation, Cultural Identity Erasure, and Literary Resilience in American Ethnic Literatures”
by Li Song
Humanities 2025, 14(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040068
“Forecasting Daily Activity Plans of a Synthetic Population in an Upcoming District”
by Rachid Belaroussi and Younes Delhoum
Forecasting 2024, 6(2), 378-403; https://doi.org/10.3390/forecast6020021
“Notes toward a Demographic History of the Jews”
by Sergio DellaPergola
Genealogy 2024, 8(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy8010002
“Creating Sustainable Climate Change Havens for Migrating Populations in the United States and Other Global Sites”
by Elizabeth C. Hirschman
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(12), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12120663
“World Population Growth: A Once and Future Global Concern”
by Karl-Erik Norrman
World 2023, 4(4), 684-697; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4040043
“Demographic Delusions: World Population Growth Is Exceeding Most Projections and Jeopardising Scenarios for Sustainable Futures”
by Jane N. O’Sullivan
World 2023, 4(3), 545-568; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4030034
“What If Moms Quiet Quit? The Role of Maternity Leave Policy in Working Mothers’ Quiet Quitting Behaviors”
by Tingting Zhang and Chloe Rodrigue
Merits 2023, 3(1), 186-205; https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3010012
“Does Civic Engagement Support Relational and Mental Health of Urban Population?”
by Michal Hrivnák, Peter Moritz, Katarína Melichová and Soňa Bellérová
Societies 2023, 13(2), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13020046
“The Construction of the “Older Worker””
by Hannes Zacher and Cort W. Rudolph
Merits 2023, 3(1), 115-130; https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3010007
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“Population Studies and Human Health Inequalities from a Socio-Demographic Perspective” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Peter Curson Deadline for submissions: 31 October 2025 |
“Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Human Resource Management: Policies and Practices” Guest Editor: Dr. Natália Teixeira Deadline for submissions: 20 December 2025 |
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“The Transition to Sustainable Health and Development: Economic, Policy and Society” Guest Editors: Dr. Wang-Kin Chiu and Prof. Dr. Hon-Ming Lam Deadline for submissions: 30 December 2025 |
“The Well-Being of Socially Vulnerable Groups in the Unsteadiness During Social Movements” Guest Editors: Dr. Alexis Cloquell-Lozano and Dr. Carlos Novella-García Deadline for submissions: 31 January 2026 |
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8 July 2025
Education Sciences Webinar | The 1st International Online Conference on Education Sciences (IOCES 2026)—Open for Submissions
4 July 2025
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2025
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) |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
2 July 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #24 - 2024 Impact Factor & CiteScore, MDPI Summits France & USA, Tu Youyou Award
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights
For those of our readers who are new to academic publishing, you may have heard some news in June around the Impact Factor release. Every year, typically in June, Clarivate releases its annual Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which include Journal Impact Factors (JIF). This metric is widely used in academic publishing to reflect the average number of citations received by recent articles in each journal.
While Impact Factor is just one of many indicators of journal influence, it remains a major milestone for authors, editors, and publishers. It’s used to assess journal visibility, researcher recognition, and scholarly reach. Throughout our international meetings and events, it’s clear that the Impact Factor is something many of our authors and editorial board members care about, as it can influence where they choose to submit an article and the funding they receive for their research.
“These results reflect the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI”
MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights
- 298 MDPI journals received a Journal Impact Factor.
- 60 journals earned their first-ever Impact Factor
- To put this in perspective: MDPI’s 60 new journal acceptances into the Web of Science was the second highest number of any publisher in 2024, behind Elsevier and ahead of Springer Nature. Our 87% acceptance rate for journals submitted to Web of Science shows the strength of our editorial process and our proven ability to develop journals aligned with Clarivate’s 24 evaluation criteria.
- Notably, Textiles, Mathematics, International Journal of Neonatal Screening, Smart Cities, Systems, and Pharmaceutics ranked in the top 10% in their respective categories, highlighting their growing influence and prestige within their academic fields. This shows that high-quality indexing goes beyond visibility; it upholds credibility and trust.
- 193 MDPI journals are now ranked in the top 50% (Q1/Q2) of their subject categories.
- What does this mean, and why is it important? Journals are ranked by quartiles within their field, based on their Impact Factor. Q1 represents the top 25% of journals in their category, Q2 the next 25%, and so on. Being in Q1 or Q2 shows that a journal is performing well relative to other journals in its category. Authors and institutions often look at quartile rankings when choosing where to publish – it’s an important indicator of visibility and recognition, within its respective category.
- 116 of our previously ranked journals increased their Impact Factor.
- 14 MDPI journals achieved an Impact Factor of 5.0 or higher, suggesting a high degree of influence and visibility.
These results reflect our staff's hard work: from our editorial and production teams to our indexing, communications, and data teams, and beyond. This also reflects the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI, reinforcing the message that when researchers publish with MDPI, they publish with impact.
Open Access with Impact
As the leading fully open access publisher, our journals have received a total of 18.4 million citations in the Web of Science by the end of 2024, reflecting the growing reach and engagement of research published with MDPI. We are committed to making scientific research freely accessible to everyone, everywhere. With the support of more than 4.2 million contributing authors, we’re proud to support the global shift toward open access.
Further Reading
If you’d like to better understand how journals get indexed and why Impact Factors matter, please read this recent interview with Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Head of Indexing). It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the role our indexing team plays in supporting journal indexing and visibility.
You can also read our official news announcement shared last week: MDPI Journals in the 2024 Journal Citation Reports.
Thank you to everyone, from our authors and reviewers to our editors and internal teams, who contributed to the progress of our journal indexing in 2024. We’re continuing to build journals that are recognized and trusted across disciplines.
Impactful Research
MDPI Journals See Continued Growth in 2024 CiteScore Results
Continuing our indexing updates, I’m pleased to share that MDPI has achieved strong results in the latest CiteScore metrics, released on 5 June by Scopus. These results reflect the collective efforts of our editors, reviewers, authors, and internal teams, with their dedication to quality and visibility in scientific publishing. You can read the full announcement here.
2024 Highlights:
- 322 MDPI journals received a CiteScore (up from 274 last year).
- 283 journals (88%) are ranked in Q1 or Q2 of their subject categories.
- 237 journals (85%) saw an increase in their CiteScore compared to last year.
- 48 journals received a CiteScore for the first time.
- 39 journals are now placed in the top 10% of their subject areas.
“This growth highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science”
What is CiteScore and how is it measured?
CiteScore metrics are developed by Elsevier as an alternative to the Impact Factor. They measure the citation impact of journals and can be accessed freely on Scopus. The metric represents the yearly average number of citations to recent articles published in a journal. If you’re interested in learning more about citation metrics and how we use them, check out this blog post.
Why is this important?
These results show the growing recognition for, and impact of, MDPI journals across disciplines. CiteScore rankings help researchers, institutions, and funders assess where high-quality work is being published. This growth improves our journals’ positioning in the publishing landscape and highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science.
Inside MDPI
Highlights from the MDPI USA Summit in Boston (5–6 June)
With several Summits already behind us, I think this is a good time to reflect on the purpose of these Summits.
Why do we organize MDPI Summits?
These one-and-a-half-day, invite-only gatherings are designed to improve our relationships with Chief Editors who lead our journals and are respected voices in their fields. The Summits aim to:
- Share MDPI’s values, achievements, editorial practices, and local market collaborations.
- Collect feedback on MDPI operations and journal practices.
- Empower Chief Editors to confidently represent MDPI beyond the Summit.
While Chief Editors know their journals well, these events help them better understand MDPI. We want them to be ambassadors for our brand. The aim is for them to walk away informed, engaged, and equipped to share positively about MDPI.
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About the Boston Summit
Held on 5–6 June, our first USA Summit gathered over 25 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in the USA. The program included presentations, Q&A, and a panel discussion.
Agenda Highlights:
Moderated by Summer Huggard (Operations Manager [Toronto], MDPI), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview and USA Collaboration – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Feichi Lu (Junior Data Scientist, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Panel Discussion – Stefan, Feichi, Giulia, Claudia
- Society Partnerships – Dr. Clàudia Aunós (Society Partnerships Senior Manager, MDPI)
- Voice of the Customer and Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
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MDPI & the USA: Facts and Figures
- With over 216,000 publications, the USA is MDPI’s second-largest contributor after China.
- In 2024, the USA ranked 2nd in total submissions and 2nd in total MDPI publications, with more than 28,200 publications.
- As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from the USA until April 2025 was 352,099.
- As at April 2025, there are more than 12,035 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from the USA, with 55% having an H-index over 26.
- Among them, 96 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 218 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
- MDPI has more than 920 Institutional Open Access Program agreements worldwide, with over 130 from the USA.
A special thanks to our Toronto team, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this event run smoothly.
Coming Together for Science
Highlights from the MDPI France Summit in Paris (12–13 June)
We completed our first MDPI France Summit in Paris last week, and it was a special event. Attendees were engaged from beginning to end, remaining after hours to network and collaborate.
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Why a France Summit?
We chose to host a France Summit in view of the recent challenges MDPI has faced with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). What we took away from the event is that our authors and editors very much appreciate and enjoy working with us, but we need to address the concerns raised by CNRS, around Article Processing Charges (APCs) and the funding of gold open access publications.
“Our authors and editors very much enjoy working with us”
Some of the claims made in the June 2023 interview with Alain Schuhl, the Deputy CEO for Science at the CNRS, are simply not factual. For example, they state that MDPI’s “average APC charges per article are now around the same as Springer Nature’s.” Here is the relevant passage, reproduced verbatim:
This is not accurate.
A recent preprint analysing APC data from Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, PLOS, MDPI, and Frontiers (2019–2023) shows that MDPI’s average APCs remain significantly lower than those of Springer Nature and several other major publishers.
The MDPI Summits are part of our outreach and communication efforts to address misconceptions and clarify MDPI’s position as one of the most accessible and affordable major gold open access publishers in the world.
Summit Overview
Held on 12–13 June, the France Summit gathered over 20 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in France. Many of these editors are influential in their institutions and professional societies. Several also have connections to CNRS, which makes this an important opportunity to clarify how we operate and build trust through open and transparent communication and hopefully turn our editors into informed advocates of MDPI.
Summit Feedback
The feedback has been very positive, with most attendees completing the post-event survey and all rating the experience as Excellent or Good. A few highlights:
- “The whole thing was highly professional and, above all, provided quantified details that will allow us to better answer questions surrounding MDPI.”
- “The summit was an opportunity to meet personally various people directly engaged in the organization and policies of MDPI, which made it possible to clarify some important points concerning publishing with MDPI.”
- “Very well organized! A great opportunity to see all French MDPI partners and editors.”
Program Highlights:
Moderated by Miruna Adelina Nicolcioiu (Senior Conference Producer), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview and France Collaboration – Stefan Tochev (CEO)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Peer-Review Quality – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist)
- Institutional Partnerships and Open Access Funding Models – Becky Castellon (Institutional Partnerships Manager)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist)
- Publication Ethics: Global Trends – Diana Cristina Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist)
- Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev
- Panel Discussion – Diana, Becky, Prof. Dr. Patrick Da Cost, and Stefan
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MDPI & France: Facts and Figures
- With over 51,000 publications, France is MDPI's tenth-largest contributor, and fifth largest among EU countries after Italy, Spain, Germany, and Poland.
- As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from France until April 2025 was 87,592.
- As at April 2025, there are more than 2,800 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from France, with 59% having an H-index over 26.
- Among them, 22 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 61 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
- In 2024, IJMS, JCM, and Molecules were the top three MDPI journals in terms of submissions from French-affiliated authors.
Special thanks to our colleagues from Romanian offices for organizing this successful event.
Closing Thoughts
Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
As we wrap up this month’s newsletter, I’d like to take a moment to recognize the winners of the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, presented by our journal Molecules. I am pleased to share that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
I invite you to read the editorial co-authored by the Tu Youyou Award Committee, which highlights the significance of the award and the remarkable impact of the recipients’ research.
A sincere thank-you to the 2024 Award Committee for their dedication and selection process, and congratulations once again to this year’s honourees. Your work exemplifies the kind of research MDPI is proud to support and amplify.
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About the Tu Youyou Award For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website. |
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
18 June 2025
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, 19 June 2025
On 19 June 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/69/293) proclaimed 19 June of each year as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in order to raise awareness for the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world, and to pay tribute to all those who have courageously devoted their lives to and lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes. This date was chosen to commemorate the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008) on 19 June 2008, in which the Council condemned sexual violence as a tactic of war and as an impediment to peacebuilding.
Conflict-related sexual violence is a war crime, a crime against humanity, and a constituent act of genocide under international law, posing threats to individual and collective security and hindering lasting peace. Its impacts are far-reaching, causing physical and psychological trauma, stigma, and poverty that can affect survivors and their families for generations. In some communities, survivors may face ostracization, which limits their access to vital social support and healing resources.
As a global community, we must seek to examine the long-term effects of conflict-related sexual violence. We need to widen the aperture to illustrate how conflict-related sexual violence affects families and communities across time and space. If left unaddressed, its harm compounds over time.
To commemorate this day, we invite you to explore a selection of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including social sciences, humanities, behavioural sciences, and psychology. By sharing these findings, we hope to provide an opportunity to understand the devastating impact of conflict-related sexual violence on survivors and societies and call for mental health and psychosocial support for survivors.
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“Do People Judge Sexual Harassment Differently Based on the Type of Job a Victim Has?”
by Carolyne Georgiana Halfon, Destiny McCray and Danica Kulibert
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15060757
“Overcoming Sexual Harassment at University: The Case of the Training Intervention in the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona”
by Olga Serradell and Lidia Puigvert
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 596; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050596
“Make a Move: A Multi-Method, Quasi-Experimental Study of a Program Targeting Psychosexual Health and Sexual/Dating Violence for Dutch Male Adolescents”
by Mirthe C. Verbeek, Daphne van de Bongardt, Maartje P. C. M. Luijk and Joyce Weeland
Youth 2025, 5(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth5020041
“Psychometric Properties of Instruments for Perpetration and Victimization of Dating Violence in Young People: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”
by Andrés Ramírez, Luis Burgos-Benavides, Hugo Sinchi-Sinchi, Javier Herrero Díez and Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Díaz
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2025, 15(4), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15040044
“The COVID Shift: Comparing Hybrid Telehealth to In-Person Group Therapy for Incarcerated Women Survivors of Sexual Violence Victimization”
by Ana J. Bridges, Marley F. Fradley, Ayla R. Mapes, Roselee J. Ledesma, Emily L. Allen, Marie E. Karlsson and Melissa J. Zielinski
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020108
“For Sustained Change, We Need Everyone on Board”: Australian Outsourced Provider Perspectives on Relationships and Sexuality Education for Young People”
by Sarah Vrankovich, Gemma Hamilton and Anastasia Powell
Youth 2025, 5(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth5010014
“Rethinking the Roles of the Social Determinants of Health in Bystander Intervention for Partner Violence Among College Students”
by Yok-Fong Paat, Thenral Mangadu, Shawna L. Payan and Stephanie C. Flores
Societies 2024, 14(11), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14110229
“Gender-Based Violence in the Context of Mothering: A Critical Canadian Health Perspective”
by Tara Mantler and Kimberley Teresa Jackson
Societies 2024, 14(10), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14100205
“Tackling Gender-Related Violence: How Can Theory Inform International Professional Education Projects?”
by Gigi Guizzo and Pam Alldred
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13010061
“Surveying ‘Dating Violence’ and Stalking Victimisation among Students at an English University: Findings and Methodological Reflections on Using a US Survey Instrument”
by Anna Bull and Alexander Bradley
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(10), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12100561
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“Impact of Rape and Sexual Violence on the Relationships of Survivors” |
“Psychological Research on Sexual and Social Relationships” |
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7 June 2025
Topics Webinar | Migration and Human Rights in the Age of the Global Compacts II, 11 June 2025
MDPI is pleased to invite you to our upcoming online forum and webinar, titled “Migration and Human Rights in the Age of the Global Compacts.” This webinar will highlight the latest developments, research, and thinking in the fields of migration and human rights, following the adoption by some states of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees. This webinar will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, June 11th, 1:00 p.m. EDT | 6:00 p.m. BST.
We are honored to host three outstanding presenters, each discussing different aspects of our Topic. With the permission of our presenters, we will record the session and post it on our MDPI Topic webpage. We hope that this event will be of interest to you and that you will be able to join us for our webinar.
We look forward to your participation. For further information, please visit the following webpage: “Migration and Human Rights in the Age of the Global Compacts”.
Date: 11 June 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT | 7:00 p.m. CEST
Webinar ID: 880 0422 3381
Register now for free!
Program
| Speaker/Presentation | Time in EDT |
| Prof. Elspeth Guild (Chair) Chair’s Welcome and Introductions |
1:00–1:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Madeline Veronica Garlick “Compacts and Crisis: the GCR, GCM and support for people and systems under strain” |
1:10–1:25 p.m. |
| Prof. Francois Crepeau “Reducing labour exploitation to enhance human mobility” |
1:25–1:40 p.m. |
| Mr. Adrian Berry “The role of the Global Compacts in strengthening international legal norms in a time of uncertainty” |
1:40 - 1:55 p.m. |
| Q&A Session | 1:55–2:10 p.m. |
| Prof. James C. Simeon: Wrap-up and closing remarks Closing of Webinar |
2:10–2:15 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Please feel free to still register, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Webinar Chair and Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Elspeth Guild, Social Justice at the University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands;
- Dr. Madeline Garlick, Division of International Protection, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva, Switzerland;
- Prof. Dr. Francois Crepeau, Faculty of Law, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;
- Mr. Adrian Berry, Garden Court Chambers, London, UK;
- Prof. Dr. James Simeon, School of Public Policy and Administration, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Relevant Topic:
“Migration and Human Rights in the Age of the Global Compacts”
Topic Editors: Dr. James C. Simeon and Prof. Dr. Elspeth Guild
Abstract submission deadline: 31 August 2025
Manuscript submission deadline: 31 October 2025
For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-37.
If you have any questions about this webinar, please contact journal.webinar@mdpi.com.
Topics Webinar Secretariat
3 June 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #23 - MDPI Summits Spain & Italy, Ei Compendex, and Editorial Independence
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
Highlights from the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (21-22 May)
In May we hosted the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona – our second summit in the city following the inaugural one in November 2023.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.
Creating a space for exchange of views
The goal of our summits is to bring together Chief Editors of MDPI journals from across disciplines and institutions. These intimate gatherings provide a platform to present the latest developments at MDPI and to initiate open conversations about our journals, the future of open access, and the evolving landscape of scientific publishing.
Most importantly, these are opportunities for in-person connection, providing a more meaningful space for the exchange of views and for building long-term relationships.
Exploring the future of scientific publishing in Spain
The summit took place on 21–22 May and featured a mix of MDPI presentations (including two guest presentations), roundtable discussions, and Q&A sessions. On the first day, we held a focused session with our Chief Editors to gather feedback and have open discussions on their journal development, the peer-review process, and local accreditation systems.
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI, presents MDPI’s Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.
I had the pleasure of opening the Summit with a welcome address and an overview of MDPI’s recent milestones. The agenda then included the following sessions:
- MDPI and Recent Developments in the Spanish Market – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Open Access in Spain – Dr. Remedios Melero (Researcher, CSIC – guest speaker)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Dr. Enric Sayas (Business Analyst, MDPI), Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist, MDPI), and Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull (Researcher, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya – guest speaker)
- Publication Ethics – Ana Stankovic (Research Integrity and Publication Ethics, MDPI)
- Opening and Closing remarks were provided by Rocksy Zhang (Editorial Director, MDPI)
We are extremely grateful for the strong engagement shown by our Editors, who were clearly appreciative of the event and the discussions we had. They felt seen and heard, which is a vital prerequisite for building open channels of communication and cultivating productive long-term collaborations.
MDPI colleagues during MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (22 May 2025).
A big thank-you to the entire Barcelona team for organizing such a successful event!
Upcoming MDPI Summit events:
- Italy Summit – Rome (26–27 May)
- US Summit – Boston, MA (5–6 June)
- France Summit – Paris (12–13 June)
- US Summit – Houston, TX (26–27 June)
- UK Summit – London (16–17 September)
- Germany Summit – Berlin (18–19 September)
- Romania Summit – Bucharest (23–24 October)
...with more in between, and more to follow.
Impactful Research
50 MDPI Journals Now Indexed in Ei Compendex
Indexing is a key indicator of a journal’s scientific impact. An indexed journal gives research greater visibility and credibility within the global academic community and is recognized for its quality and relevance. While many of our journals are included in major databases such as Web of Science and Scopus, MDPI also places strong emphasis on journal inclusion in subject-specific indexing platforms that align with each journal’s scope. This ensures that when you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact.
I’m pleased to share that as at May 2025, 51 of our journals are now indexed in Ei Compendex, a leading bibliographic database for engineering and applied sciences. This is a major milestone that reflects both the quality or our editorial processes and the relevance of the research we publish in these fields.
“When you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact”
Discoverability and reach
Inclusion in Ei Compendex means greater discoverability for our authors and broader reach of our journals in the fields of engineering and technology. It improves our ability to support global research and innovation, while building MDPI’s reputation in the applied sciences. This recognition is the result of the dedicated work of our editorial teams, reviewers, and authors, and of our overall commitment to excellence in publishing.
You can read our full announcement here.
Appreciative thanks to everyone involved in reaching this milestone.
Inside MDPI
One Year of MDPI’s Seoul Office
On 29 April, we marked one year since the opening of our Seoul office, MDPI’s first local hub in South Korea. South Korea is a key market for MDPI, currently ranking as our sixth-largest contributor to the company’s total publications, with over 89,000 MDPI articles authored by individuals affiliated with Korean institutions. Over the past 12 months, the Seoul team has made great strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region.
A few highlights from the past year
Claude Seo (MDPI Korea Office Manager, Seoul)
Claude Seo, who has over 15 years of experience in the academic publishing industry, is the Office Manager of the Seoul office.
In its inaugural year, the Seoul office focused primarily on marketing and promotional activities to support the MDPI brand locally. During that time, the team concentrated on scholar visits to local institutions, attending academic conferences, and hosting editorial board meetings.
The team also secured 10 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) renewals, signed three new IOAP agreements, and established one new Society affiliation.
The Seoul office also hosted its first library book fair and reached over 1,000 followers on its LinkedIn channel, which is an encouraging indication of local visibility and engagement.
“The Seoul team has made strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region”
Growth plans
Later this year, we are working on opening a new Seoul office in a more central location, with room for our growing team. The new space will bring us closer to other publishing partners and provide easier access to and from the airport. The Seoul office will continue to expand its efforts in outreach and engagement as its builds its presence in South Korea.
Warm thanks to the entire Seoul team for their hard work and dedication, and to all MDPI colleagues who have contributed to this exciting chapter in our global journey.
Coming Together for Science
Highlights from the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (26–27 May)
We closed the month of May by hosting the first MDPI Italy Summit in Rome. This was an important event for us, as Italy has consistently ranked among the top ten countries globally for open access publications over the past decade.
MDPI and Italy: Facts & Figures
- With over 144,000 publications (as at 31 May 2025), Italy is MDPI’s third largest contributor after China and the USA.
- In 2024, MDPI was the second-largest publishing house in Italy.
- The 7,165 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) drawn from Italian institutions represent 8.9% of all MDPI academic editors.
- Among these, 319 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) or Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiCs).
- Eleven Italian EBMs were recognized as 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers.
- In 2024, MDPI received 24,873 review reports and collaborated with 88,578 reviewers from Italy.
- 23,131 Guest Editors from Italian institutions led 4,827 Special Issues across 248 MDPI journals.
- MDPI partners with over 900 institutions globally, of which 17 are in Italy.
The MDPI Italy Summit in Rome
Dr. Prof. Giulio Cerullo, EiC of Applied Sciences, at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
Held on 26–27 May, the MDPI Italy Summit brought together 25 Chief Editors from across our journal portfolio, including some of our largest journals such as Applied Sciences, to discuss MDPI’s latest developments and collaborations in the Italian market, our use of data intelligence and AI to support strategic decision-making, a look into our editorial process, peer-review quality metrics, and conversations around research integrity and community engagement.
The Summit featured MDPI presentations followed by Q&A and concluded with a roundtable discussion. On the evening of the 26th, we hosted a dinner with our Editors to connect personally, learn more about their research, and hear feedback on journal operations and the broader academic landscape in Italy.
Gathering of Editors-in-Chief and MDPI staff at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
Event Agenda – 27 May
Moderated by Maddalena Favaretto (Conference Scientific Advisor, MDPI), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview, Achievements, Latest News and Future Developments – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
- Country Report: Italy – Dr. Laura Perez Martin (Conference Assistant, MDPI)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI’s Actions – Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Panel Discussion – Stefan, Andrea, Giulia
Panel Discussion with Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI), Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI) during the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
A big thank-you to our Conference team and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly.
Closing Thoughts
Upholding Editorial Independence in Scholarly Publishing
A recent MDPI blog post written by Dr. Ioana Craciun (Scientific Communications Specialist, MDPI), “Editorial Independence and Publisher Support: Collaborating to Uphold Integrity,” highlights the important balance between editorial autonomy and publisher collaboration in academic publishing.
As the leading fully Open Access scholarly publisher, we are proud to champion editorial independence within our publishing process.
Drawing from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, the article emphasizes that while editors must have the freedom to make decisions based on scholarly merit, publishers play a critical role in providing the necessary infrastructure and tools to support the editorial process. This collaborative approach ensures the integrity of the peer review process, builds trust among authors and readers, and upholds the quality and relevance of published content.
MDPI highlights its commitment to this model by investing in research integrity specialists, AI tools for plagiarism detection, and administrative support, all aimed at empowering editors to make independent, informed decisions.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
15 May 2025
International Day of Families—“Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development”, 15 May 2025
During the 1980s, the United Nations began focusing on issues related to the family. In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) that 15 May of each year should be observed as the International Day of Families. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and enhance knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families.
As the world prepares for the Second World Summit for Social Development in November 2025, the International Day of Families (IDF) will place a spotlight on the pivotal role of family-oriented policies in advancing sustainable development. Held under the theme “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development”, the event will highlight key insights from national and regional initiatives, emphasizing the role of families in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
To commemorate this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including sociology, economics, education, and psychology. By sharing these findings, we hope to present an opportunity to strengthen common knowledge regarding poverty eradication, beneficial measures, and social inclusion.
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“Child Enjoyment and Parental Satisfaction with Autistic Children’s Participation in Active and Sedentary Activity Configurations”
by Danielle Salters, Samiya Sheiknur and Sara M. Scharoun Benson
Disabilities 2025, 5(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities5010025
“Supporting Families to ‘Make the Most’ of the Relationship Between Their Companion Dogs and Their Children with Autism Spectrum Condition: A Qualitative Exploration of the ‘Family Dog Service’”
by Emily Shoesmith, Heidi Stevens, Selina Gibsone, Cari Miles, Hannah Beal, Kelly Jennings and Elena Ratschen
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020162
“Contextualised, Not Neoliberalised, Approaches to Families in Five Countries: Quality and Practice”
by Marg Rogers, Fabio Dovigo, Astrid Mus Rasmussen, Khatuna Dolidze and Laura Doan
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(12), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13120695
“Family Functioning and Cohesion Scale: Validation of a Short Instrument for the Assessment of Intrafamily Relations”
by Vagioula Tsoutsi and Dimitris Dikeos
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 969; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14100969
“Systematic Assessment of Family Service Barriers to Support Youth Engagement with Health and Social Care”
by Jeffrey Waid, Courtney Kutzler and Olivia Tomfohrde
Youth 2024, 4(3), 1364-1373; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030086
“Dementia Care Decisions, Caregiving Situations, and Formal Service Use in Korean Immigrant Families: A Qualitative Application of a Sociocultural Model”
by Yuri Jang, Hans Oh, Juyoung Park, Min-Kyoung Rhee, Nan Sook Park, Soondool Chung and Miyong T. Kim
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070378
“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
“Family Functioning Styles and Exercise Addiction: Disengaged, Enmeshed, and Rigid Family Patterns Are Associated with Exercise Addiction”
by Alessio Gori, Eleonora Topino and Mark D. Griffiths
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2024, 14(1), 148-163; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14010010
“Family Dynamics in Colonial La Rioja: A Case Analysis of Five Generations”
by Jorge Hugo Villafañe
Genealogy 2023, 7(4), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy7040094
“The Role of Family and Media Environment on Aggressive Behaviour in Bulgarian Schools”
by Yolanda Zografova and Ekaterina Evtimova Dimitrova
Societies 2023, 13(10), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100222
| “Adoption Is Stranger than Fiction” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Gonda Van Steen Submission deadline: 1 September 2025 |
“Interventions Supporting Young Children with Developmental Differences and Their Families” Guest Editors: Dr. Megan Kunze, Dr. Stephanie Shire and Dr. Sara Schmitt Submission deadline: 28 January 2026 |
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13 May 2025
Empowering Academic Growth with MDPI: A Scientific Publishing Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, 15 May 2025
MDPI is excited to collaborate with Toronto Metropolitan University to host an engaging Scientific Publishing Workshop aimed at empowering scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection, the editorial workflow, and the essentials of publication ethics. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from an experienced professional. This session promises to equip attendees with valuable skills to elevate their publishing journey.
Workshop Highlights:
- Learn How to Better Write and Structure a Research Article;
- How to Choose Where to Publish Academic Work;
- How to Respond to Reviewer Comments;
- Reasons for Rejection During Pre-Check;
- How to Navigate Through Ethics and AI Use.
Date: 15 May 2025
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University
Program:
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Speakers |
Program and Content |
Time |
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Dr. Stephen Mora |
Introduction to MDPI |
12:00–12:05 p.m. |
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How to Write and Structure a Research Article |
12:05–12:45 p.m. |
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How to Respond to Reviewer Comments |
12:45–1:30 p.m. |
