Announcements
24 September 2025
Meet Us at the 2026 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting, 17–21 March 2026, San Francisco, California, USA
22 September 2025
Topics Webinar | Anthropogenic Impacts in Marine Coastal Waters: Assessment, Case Studies and Solutions, 26 September 2025
MDPI invites all esteemed experts to join the webinar entitled “Anthropogenic Impacts in Marine Coastal Waters: Assessment, Case Studies and Solutions”.
Marine coastal environments are increasingly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as pollution, habitat degradation and climate change, underscoring the urgent need for regular assessment, careful monitoring and regionally tailored conservation measures. Addressing these challenges requires steadfast collaboration and a multidisciplinary approach, engaging scientific research, technical innovation and the involvement of local communities.
Our distinguished speakers will share diverse perspectives. Prof. Dr. Weiqi Fu will focus on microalgae applications for ecological and biotechnological studies; Prof. Dr. João Pedro Barreiros will discuss the effectiveness of marine protected areas; and Prof. Dr. Pamela Hallock will talk about the role of reef-associated Foraminifera in addressing sea-level rise in Mediterranean waters.
Join us for this insightful session, where innovative research meets real-world solutions, offering valuable perspectives for scientists and practitioners dedicated to marine conservation and sustainability.
We look forward to your participation in this event.
Webinar: Anthropogenic Impacts in Marine Coastal Waters: Assessment, Case Studies and Solutions
Date: 26 September 2025
Time: 14:00–15:30 (CEST) | 20:00–21:30 (CST Asia)
Webinar ID: 823 8400 5897
More information: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-43
Register for free via the following link:
Program:
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST (Asia) |
|
Prof. Dr. Alberta Mandich (Chair) |
14:00–14:10 |
20:00–20:10 |
|
Prof. Dr. Weiqi Fu |
14:10–14:30 |
20:10–20:30 |
|
Prof. Dr. João Pedro Barreiros |
14:30–14:50 |
20:30–20:50 |
|
Prof. Dr. Pamela Hallock (Muller) |
14:50–15:10 |
20:50–21:10 |
|
Q&A Session |
15:10–15:25 |
21:10–21:25 |
|
Prof. Dr. Alberta Mandich (Chair) |
15:25–15:30 |
21:25–21:30 |
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:
- Prof. Dr. Alberta Mandich, Interuniversity Consortium of Structural and Systems Biology (INBB), Rome, Italy;
- Prof. Dr. Weiqi Fu, Department of Marine Science, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, China;
- Prof. Dr. João Pedro Barreiros, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the Environment, University of the Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal;
- Prof. Dr. Pamela Hallock (Muller), College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St Petersburg, USA.
Relevant Topic:
“Anthropogenic Impacts in Marine Coastal Waters: Assessment, Case Studies and Solutions”
Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Alberta Mandich and Dr. Jessica Alessi
Abstract submission deadline: 30 June 2025 (closed)
Manuscript submission deadline: 30 September 2025
For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-43.
If you have any questions about this webinar, please contact journal.webinar@mdpi.com.
8 September 2025
MDPI Webinar | International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, 8 September 2025
MDPI is launching a special webinar to commemorate the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (IDCABS) and encourage researchers to share their knowledge to raise awareness about the dangers of air pollution.
Air pollution is the leading environmental threat to human health, causing millions of premature deaths each year. In order to recognise its global impact, the UN has designated 7th of September as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies to highlight the need for urgent action towards a sustainable future.
Date: 9 September 2025 at 12:00 p.m. CEST | 6:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 891 7022 7572
Register now for free!
Program
| Speaker/Presentation | Time in CEST | Time in CST (Asia) |
| MDPI Introduction | 12:00–12:10 p.m. | 6:00–6:10 p.m. |
| Dr. Linda Walters Atmospheric Deposition of Microplastics and other Anthropogenic Materials |
12:10–12:30 p.m. | 6:10–6:30 p.m. |
| Dr. Suraj Bhagat How AI/ML is Shaping the Fight Against Air Pollution for Better Public Health |
12:30–12:50 p.m. | 6:30–6:50 p.m. |
| Prof. Umberto Berardi Mechanical Ventilation and Air Pollution |
12:50–1:10 p.m. | 6:50–7:10 p.m. |
| Q&A Session | 1:10–1:30 p.m. | 7:10–7:30 p.m. |
| Closing of Webinar | 1:30–1:35 p.m. | 7:30–7:35 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations 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.
Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Suraj Bhagat, Marwadi University, India;
- Prof. Umberto Berardi, Politecnico di Bari, Italy;
- Dr. Linda Walters, University of Central Florida, USA.
Relevant Special Issues:
“Air Pollution: Health Risks and Mitigation Strategies”
Guest Editors: Dr. Gabriele Donzelli and Prof. Dr. María M. Morales Suárez-Varela
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025
Submit to Atmosphere
“Bio-Energy: Biogas, Biomethane and Green-Hydrogen”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. João Fernando Pereira Gomes
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025
Submit to Gases
“Air Quality in Indoor Environments, 3rd Edition”
Guest Editors: Dr. Ana Monteiro, Prof. Dr. Carla Viegas, Dr. Sandra Cabo Verde and Dr. Marina Almeida-Silva
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2026
Submit to Applied Sciences
“The Impact of Wildfires on Climate, Air Quality, and Human Health”
Guest Editors: Dr. Diogo Lopes and Dr. Estela Vicente
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026
Submit to Fire
“Air Pollution Exposure and Its Impact on Human Health”
Guest Editor: Dr. Nedim Durmus
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026
Submit to Air
Relevant feature papers:
“Mitigating Built Environment Air Pollution by Green Systems: An In-Depth Review”
by Serena Vitaliano, Stefano Cascone and Provvidenza Rita D’Urso
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6487; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156487
“Methanol, a Plugin Marine Fuel for Green House Gas Reduction—A Review”
by Dimitrios Parris, Konstantinos Spinthiropoulos, Konstantina Ragazou, Anna Giovou and Constantinos Tsanaktsidis
Energies 2024, 17(3), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030605
“Determination of Ozone Concentration Levels in Urban Environments Using a Laser Spectroscopy System”
by Mioara Petrus, Cristina Popa and Ana-Maria Bratu
Environments 2024, 11(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11010009
“Review of Satellite Remote Sensing of Carbon Dioxide Inversion and Assimilation”
by Kai Hu, Xinyan Feng, Qi Zhang, Pengfei Shao, Ziran Liu, Yao Xu, Shiqian Wang, Yuanyuan Wang, Han Wang, Li Di and Min Xia
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(18), 3394; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16183394
“An Overview of Waste-to-Energy Incineration Integrated with Carbon Capture Utilization or Storage Retrofit Application”
by Michele Bertone, Luca Stabile and Giorgio Buonanno
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4117; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104117
3 September 2025
Join Us at the MDPI at the University of Toronto Career Fair, 23 September 2025, Toronto, ON, Canada
3 September 2025
Meet Us at the 22nd China Water Forum, 12–14 September 2025, Xi’an, China
2 September 2025
Meet Us at the 2025 Joint International Conference of Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements and the International Conference of Heavy Metals, 22–26 September 2025, Busan, Republic of Korea
1 September 2025
Water | Highly Cited Papers in 2024 from the “Hydraulics and Hydrodynamics” Section
1 September 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #26 – CUJS, Head of Ethics, Open Peer Review, AIS 2025, Reviewer Recognition
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
Society of China University Journals (CUJS) visit to MDPI Basel
In August, we had the pleasure of welcoming a delegation from the Society of China University Journals (CUJS) to our Basel headquarters. The visit was part of CUJS’s broader European tour, which included meetings with several major publishing organizations.
Purpose of the visit
The delegation’s stop in Basel involved an introductory meeting and knowledge-sharing with a view to identifying potential collaboration opportunities with MDPI. The CUJS team shared an overview of the Chinese scientific publishing landscape, including recent policy developments, and gave us insights into the journals and services they operate across China’s academic institutions.
MDPI presentations
We used the opportunity to introduce CUJS to MDPI’s mission, structure, and recent achievements. I presented on the latest developments at MDPI and our role in supporting global open access, addressing many follow-up questions from the delegation. Warm thanks are due to the following colleagues for their contributions to the session:
- Liliane Auwerter (Conference Organizer, Scientific Officer and Sustainability Specialist) shared an overview of our editorial process, including the quality indicators we use to track peer-review performance.
- Renato Merki (Publication Ethics Assistant) presented on behalf of our Research Integrity and Ethics team, emphasizing our commitment to responsible publishing.
- Silvano Bonfatti (Product Manager) introduced the JAMS platform, highlighting how it supports efficient journal management for editors and publishers alike.
- Aimar Xiong (Publisher, Section Managing Editor) and Giuliano Braccini (Office Manager) facilitated the meeting, offering clarity in response to specific questions, building the relationship during and beyond the meeting itself.
“Building relationships with organizations such as CUJS allows us to increase our visibility and reputation”
Why is this important?
China is one of the world’s largest producers of scientific research, with its universities and research institutes playing a key role in global scholarly publishing. Building strong relationships with influential organizations such as CUJS allows us to increase our visibility and reputation vis-à-vis the Chinese academic community, share best practices, learn from differing publishing models, and explore collaborations that have the potential to enhance the quality, reach, and diversity of our journals.
Looking ahead
It was a productive and friendly exchange that reflected our shared commitment to advancing scholarly communication and improving journal publishing practices. We value these visits, which allow us to create collaborations with stakeholders in the global academic community.
Our Basel office is a hub for hosting international delegations, partners, and collaborators. We look forward to creating more global connections that support our mission.
Impactful Research
Appointment of Dr. Tim Tait-Jamieson as Head of Publication Ethics
As part of our ongoing commitment to research integrity and publishing excellence, I am delighted to announce that we have appointed Dr. Tim Tait-Jamieson as Head of Publication Ethics.
In this role, Tim will lead the development of our ethics strategy and oversee the continued growth of the Publication Ethics Department, which is based across our offices in Basel, Manchester, Belgrade/Novi Sad, and Cluj. Guided by the principles of effective prevention and efficient resolution, the department plays an essential role in ensuring the highest standards of integrity throughout our editorial processes.
Department focus
Working closely with internal teams and external partners, the Publication Ethics Department focuses on refining our policies, aligning our operations with international best practices, and addressing complex cases with fairness and transparency. This work is critical in supporting our editors, reviewers, and authors, reinforcing MDPI’s contribution to the global dialogue on research integrity.
“Research integrity is something to which we all contribute through our daily work at MDPI”
About Tim
Tim joined MDPI in 2021 and has held several roles within the Publication Ethics Department, most recently serving as Research Integrity Lead. Based in our Basel office, he brings a strong academic background, with a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and a proven track record of leadership in research integrity.
Research integrity is something to which we all contribute through our daily work at MDPI. I look forward to Tim’s leadership as we continue investing in the people, processes, and partnerships that uphold the trust and credibility of scholarly publishing.
Read more:
Inside MDPI
How and why MDPI offers Open Peer Review
At MDPI, we are committed to advancing openness and transparency in scholarly publishing. One area where we’ve taken a leadership role is peer review. Since 2014, MDPI has offered authors the option of open peer review, giving them the opportunity to publish reviewer comments alongside their papers. Each year, more authors are choosing this path, helping to build trust in the editorial process and provide valuable context for the research we publish.
Jack McKenna (Senior Content Specialist, MDPI) recently wrote an informative piece looking at the impact and importance of open peer review at MDPI. He highlights how this approach not only benefits readers but also gives well-deserved recognition to our reviewers, who generously dedicate their time and expertise to the academic community.
I encourage you to read this blogpost to see how MDPI is helping set standards for transparency in scholarly publishing.
Coming Together for Science
Recap of MDPI’s AIS 2025 Conference in Kuala Lumpur
Entering the month of August, we held The 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers (AIS 2025) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“AIS is quickly becoming a premier event in the field”
The second edition of AIS brought together 335 attendees from across Asia and beyond, including participants from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. The event, chaired by Prof. Dr. Toshihiro Itoh (University of Tokyo), Prof. Dr. Sang-Woo Kim (Yonsei University), and Prof. Dr. Chengkuo Lee (National University of Singapore), continues to grow in reputation and has become an important platform for researchers and students to present their work, exchange ideas, and build international collaborations.
AIS is quickly becoming a premier event in the field, with participants highlighting its quality of service, its expanding academic network, and the value it delivers in the context of tightening research budgets in the region.
It was also excellent to see our new MDPI journal AI Sensors, which originated from a conference topic, host a successful launch party at the event.
Highlights from participant feedback:
- Southeast University (China) sent a student delegation and considers AIS a regular fixture for Ph.D. students in need of international conference experience.
- CAS Aerospace Information Research Institute sent a 10-member delegation and plans to further promote AIS internally.
- Japanese researchers regard AIS as a must-attend event, placing it on a par with IEEE conferences and citing the benefits of networking and exchange.
- Korean academics praised the organization and noted improved perceptions of MDPI among their institutions, viewing AIS as a strategic opportunity to deepen engagement in the region.
Award winners
We recognized the recipients of the Best Presentation, Best Scientist, Best Poster, and Best Student Paper awards, whose contributions set a standard for academic excellence. The full award announcement is available here.
Looking ahead
The 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers will be held from 5 to10 August 2026 in Jeju, Korea. The General Chairs will be Prof. Inkyu Park (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Prof. Zhou Li (Tsinghua University), Prof. Xinge Yu (City University of Hong Kong), and Prof. Chengkuo Lee (National University of Singapore). We look forward to bringing together innovators, researchers and experts who are shaping the future at the intersection of sensors, sensing technology, transducers and artificial intelligence.
Thank you
Our conference team managed this event with great agility and professionalism and are already planning improvements to make the conference even more accessible. Special thanks to the National University of Singapore for their support, and to our entire conference team and collaborators for their dedication.
AIS is gaining momentum, and we look forward to supporting its role as a bridge between MDPI and the global academic community.
“Our conference team managed this event with great agility and professionalism”
Closing Thoughts
Recognizing our outstanding reviewers
As we close this edition of the newsletter, I would like to spotlight MDPI’s 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Awards, which showcase a group of winners whose contributions often go unseen but are essential to the integrity of scholarly publishing: our reviewers.
In 2024, more than 215,000 reviewers dedicated their time and expertise to MDPI journals. From this community, we are proud to recognize 356 recipients of the Outstanding Reviewer Awards, who went above and beyond by providing timely, thorough and constructive feedback.
These awards are not only a token of our appreciation but also a reflection of the values we stand for: rigor, fairness and collaboration in advancing science.
To explore the full list of awardees across disciplines, from life sciences to the humanities, please visit the following pages:
- Biology and Life Sciences
- Business and Economics
- Chemistry and Materials Science
- Computer Science and Mathematics
- Engineering
- Environmental and Earth Sciences
- Medicine and Pharmacology
- Physical Sciences
- Public Health and Healthcare
- Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities
About MDPI Awards
To recognize the academic community, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. Serving as a source of recognition and inspiration, these awards help increase the influence of scholars who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their respective fields.
To explore more opening Outstanding Reviewer Awards, please click here.
To all our reviewers: thank you for being the foundation of trust that makes open access publishing possible!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
27 August 2025
Meet Us at the 11th IWA Membrane Technology Conference & Exhibition for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Reuse, 13–18 September 2025, Daegu, Republic of Korea
25 August 2025
Interview with Dr. Alessio Radice—Water Exceptional Reviewer 2025
We are pleased to share with you a recent interview conducted with Dr. Alessio Radice, Water Exceptional Reviewer 2025.
Name: Dr. Alessio Radice
Affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: river hydraulics and hydro-morphology; bed-load sediment transport; scour processes; river morphology; sediment yield from mountain catchments; flood risk
1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your field of research?
I am a professor of hydraulics at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, with 25 years of experience. I am basically a river hydraulician, with a focus on flood risk, river-bridge interaction, sediment transport and morphologic processes. I do both laboratory investigation and numerical modelling.
2. What key aspects do you typically focus on during the review process?
Normally I accept a reviewer position if the abstract is relevant for my area of study, or if I am potentially interested in the topic or if I want to support the journal or editor inviting me (knowing that finding reviewers is quite hard).
In my opinion, it is important that a manuscript is understandable (good organization and smooth reading), complete (not leaving questions on methods and results), and with supported conclusions. Normally it is not so important for me if I agree with all the authors’ statements (unless there are evident mistakes), since a paper conveys the authors’ and not the reviewers’ view.
3. In your opinion, what qualities are essential for a reviewer to possess?
A reviewer needs to be unbiased. I decline reviews if, for example, based on reading previous papers of the authors, I can tell that I will dislike the manuscript.
Also, one should accept a reviewer invitation if their schedule allows for it. At least some hours are needed to review a manuscript, and one should not accept the position with the idea of doing the job too quickly.
Clarity is also important. A review is a written document that will be read by another person, exactly like a paper. The authors need to understand what is written in the review in order for the suggestions to be helpful to improve the manuscript.
Importantly, authors and reviewers play on the same side; that is, towards publishing a strong paper that will be an important contribution to the research community. Is it not a fight between opposite players. Respecting one another is important.
4. As an exceptional reviewer for MDPI, do you have any tips or experiences to share that could help other reviewers improve the quality of their reviews?
Normally I read the paper and write any comment as soon as it comes to my mind, in sequential order. After that, I rearrange everything, possibly adding some new text. I divide a review into four parts: (1) a general introduction that is meant to provide the handling editor with a general description of content, an opinion on the paper fit to the aims and scope of the journal, a summary of major issues, and a recommendation; (2) a detailed explanation of major issues, not following a line-by-line order; (3) a list of additional comments, line-by-line; and (4) a list of typos.
Generally, comments need to be accompanied by proposals for revision, otherwise they will be fruitless.
Normally I write my reviews as plain text, avoiding annotations on the pdf. This helps me synthesize and better organize the comments. I think it is also more convenient for the authors in preparing their rebuttal letters, since this avoids a long copy-and-paste of individual comments. I provide my review as an attachment only if I produce alternative plots that I would consider more effective than the authors’ ones.
In general, the recommendation must be consistent with the review, as in a paper the conclusions must be supported by the findings. Too often, serving as an associate editor for MDPI Hydrology, I find recommendations of major revisions or rejection after a few lines of comments. This does not help the authors improve the manuscript.
I have been reviewing like this for long time now based on early suggestions from my mentors. I think it works; as a matter of fact, this is the second time I have received an acknowledgement of good reviewing (the first one was from ASCE Journal of Hydraulic Engineering in 2012).
5. Based on your experience reviewing manuscripts, what advice would you give to authors?
First, I repeat myself. Authors and reviewers play on the same side. For authors, this means that an author should not think that “this reviewer is just delaying the publication of my manuscript”, but realize that “this reviewer is spending time to help me publish a better contribution”. Then, obviously some comments may be rebutted, but within a general perspective of working for a common objective rather than fighting.
Second, after achieving a relatively finalized draft, a manuscript should be left for some days and then re-read with a reviewer’s eye. We need to be the reviewers of our work first. Does it provide all the needed information to understand how the work was done? Are the results described clearly? Is there a clear link between results, discussion and conclusions? If not, the manuscript should be reworked before submission.
6. Water is an open access journal, as you know, so what is your opinion of the open accsess model of publication?
Generally speaking, open access is obviously a good practice. Indeed, funders ask for it and provide money for article processing charges; readers have an obvious benefit. For the last papers I have published, I opted for open access even though the journals were traditional ones.
The hidden question here is the reputation of some open access publishers that sometimes are even perceived as predatory. Serving as an editor for MDPI, I have been trying to maintain a rigorous standard and have been witnessing other editors doing the same. As a reviewer, I try to reach the same depth irrespective of the publisher for which I am reviewing. This may imply delaying a manuscript’s publication, and sometimes the extremely short publication times targeted by open access publishers cannot be met.
