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Announcements
28 February 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #32 - MDPI China and Thailand, China Science Daily, 1,000 Partnerships, R2R
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

Reflections from China: Year-End-Celebrations and Open Access Publishing
In February, I had the pleasure of joining over a thousand colleagues from our Tongzhou and Haidian offices at their end-of-year annual celebration in Beijing.
Spending time with our teams in China is also a powerful reminder of the scale and complexity of MDPI as a global organization. Our colleagues in Beijing, Wuhan, and across the country play a significant role in our day-to-day operations and long-term development. I’m grateful for the hospitality, collaboration, and commitment shown by our managers and teams in China, alongside colleagues worldwide, who have helped steadily build MDPI, brick by brick, over the years.
Below are some data on Open Access (OA) publishing in China and our collaboration in this important research market.
Open Access Publishing in China
China has been the world’s leading country in research and review article publication volume since 2019, exceeding one million publications in 2025. Over the past five years, the gap between China and the second-ranked country, the United States, has continued to widen.
In 2025:
- 47% of China’s research output was published Open Access
- Of those OA publications, 76% were Gold Open Access (approximately 382,930 articles)
- The overall OA distribution remained stable compared with 2024, with Gold OA increasing by 1%
Over the past five years (2021–2025):
- China published 4,398,050 research and review articles
- Approximately 48% of this output was OA
According to Dimensions, when comparing the top 20 countries by publication volume (2021–2025):
- China ranks 1st worldwide in publication volume
- China ranks 9th in citation performance within this group (for comparison, the US ranks 2nd in publication volume and 10th in citation ranking)
- Average citations per article: 12.51
Among the top 10 universities globally by publication volume, six are Chinese institutions, alongside Harvard University (USA), the University of São Paulo (Brazil), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the University of Oxford (UK).

MDPI and China
China is an important and long-standing part of MDPI’s global publishing ecosystem:
- In 2025, MDPI was the largest fully Open Access publisher in China
- MDPI published 22% of China’s Gold Open Access output (82,133 papers)
- We received 290,999 submissions from China-affiliated authors and published 82,133 articles
- There are 8,500+ active Editorial Board Members based in China
- 64% (5,438) have an H-index above 26
- MDPI works with:
- 117 Editors-in-Chief
- 103 Section Editors-in-Chief
- 71 China-based institutions currently hold IOAP agreements with MDPI, seven of which rank among the top 10 Chinese institutions by publication volume
China's scale in research output means that the publishing platforms chosen by Chinese scholars will continue to influence the direction of scholarly publishing. At the same time, MDPI’s strength comes from its international collaboration, with colleagues, editors, reviewers, and authors working together across regions and disciplines.
Thank you to all our colleagues in China, and around the world, who support MDPI’s publishing activities across departments and help advance open access research every day.
Impactful Research

“Progress in open science is built through trust, dialogue, and relationships”
Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with China Science Daily
During my trip to Beijing, I also had the opportunity to visit China Science Daily and take part in an interview and broader exchange with their team in Beijing. Visits like this matter because progress in open science is built not only through platforms and infrastructure, but also through trust, dialogue, and relationships across research communities and regions.
China Science Daily: History Museum
As part of the visit, I was given a tour of their History Museum, which offers a thorough perspective on the evolution of China’s first science and technology newspaper, established in 1959. The exhibition highlights how the organization developed into a trusted institution connecting research with the public and policymakers. It was a helpful reminder that at the core of publishing is stewardship, credibility, and long-term public engagement with science.

An Open Exchange on Open Science
During the visit, I met with Dr. Zhao Yan, Editor-in-Chief of ScienceNet. We had an open and engaging conversation about MDPI’s role in Open Access, the evolution of open science globally, and the potential for more collaboration going forward. He especially appreciated the candid and personal nature of our exchange, noting that this kind of dialogue feels important in a landscape where trust and transparency matter.

Interview on Open Access
I also participated in an interview with Ms. Yan Jie, from the Online Media Center and Editor-in-Chief of ScienceNet, China Science Daily. Our discussion covered the growth of Open Access over the past 30 years, MDPI’s mission and values, academic integrity, collaboration with the Chinese research community, and MDPI’s own 30th anniversary milestone. It was a great opportunity to reflect on how open science has matured, and where shared responsibility across publishers, institutions, and researchers continues to matter most.
“Progress in open science is built by more than scale and infrastructure”
I’m sharing a few photos from the visit as a glimpse behind the scenes. The full interview will be published by China Science Daily in due course, and I look forward to sharing it when it is available.

More broadly, visits like this reinforce something I’ve always believed in: progress in open science is built not only through scale and infrastructure, but also through continued dialogue, mutual respect, collaboration, and a willingness to listen across regions and perspectives. That remains central to our work, especially as MDPI reflects on 30 years of publishing, built together.
Inside MDPI

Bangkok Visit: Growth, Partnership, and Local Impact
In February, I also had the opportunity to visit our Bangkok office for the second time in two years to support their local meetings and deliver a training session on how we present MDPI at a corporate level.
It’s easy to spend time with our colleagues in Thailand. From Editorial and Production to Conferences, Marketing, Design, and our Regional Journal Relations Specialist (RJRS), the team continues to grow in scale and professionalism. I’d also like to recognize our local management and admin teams, who have been steadily expanding our office and supporting more than 500 colleagues on the ground.
Academic Partnerships
During the visit, we met with the Engineering Department at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). Our discussion focused on the recent MDPI developments, Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) opportunities, Author Publishing Workshops (APW), and the potential use of JAMS to support their institutional journal.

“MDPI is the third-largest OA publisher in Thailand”
We also shared insights into the growth of Open Access (OA) in Thailand and KMITL’s own publishing trends. These conversations matter because institutions are looking for sustainable ways to support their researchers. Our IOAP agreements are one simple example of how we can provide value in this area while maintaining accessibility for authors.
Thailand and MDPI: 2025 Snapshot
Our Bangkok office, officially launched in 2022, has been growing to support over 500 staff members while continuing to expand its engagement in scholar visits, workshops, and conference collaborations. As at 2025, Thailand submissions to MDPI have increased about 21% and publications by about 25%, maintaining a rejection rate close to the company average. MDPI is the third-largest OA publisher in Thailand, publishing 15% of all Gold OA output in 2025.
Representing MDPI Externally
During the visit, I delivered a training session on how we present MDPI at external events.

This session covered topics related to:
- Our aim and guiding principles
- High-level company milestones and Indexing facts and figures
- Industry partnerships and collaborations
- Market trends in OA and subscription publishing
- Country-specific publishing data and collaborations with MDPI
- Insights from our Voice of Community report
I find that while many colleagues are very familiar with the specific journal for which they have responsibility, fewer have visibility into the broader MDPI ecosystem and the company’s global positioning. These sessions help build alignment, confidence, and consistency in how we represent the company.
What stands out most is that MDPI’s growth is not abstract: it’s visible in the people, the partnerships, and the professionalism developing across our offices.
Coming Together for Science

1,000 Institutional Partners: A Milestone Built on Trust
This month, we reached an important milestone: more than 1,000 institutions worldwide are now part of MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). On paper, that is a number. In practice, it represents trust.
This milestone symbolizes thousands of conversations with libraries and institutions. It stands for negotiations, renewals, consortium expansions, and, most importantly, relationships built over time. It reflects the work of colleagues across publishing, institutional partnerships, marketing, editorial, finance, and many other teams who contribute to making these agreements operational.
In 2025 alone, more than 61,300 research articles benefited from article processing charge (APC) discounts through IOAP agreements. Tens of thousands of authors were able to publish through a simplified and structured process. At the same time, institutional administrators gained clearer oversight and streamlined workflows.

Why IOAP Matters
When we launched IOAP, the objective was straightforward: to reduce barriers for researchers while supporting institutions in navigating the evolving OA landscape. Over the past decade, the research ecosystem has changed. Funder mandates, national policies, and Plan S–aligned requirements have accelerated the transition to OA.
Institutions need publishing partners who provide transparency, scalability, and operational efficiency. IOAP was designed to support that reality.
For colleagues who would like to better understand the program, this blog-post overview of MDPI’s IOAP provides additional context, including common questions around the transition to OA and how our institutional partnerships are structured.
“Institutions need publishing partners who provide transparency, scalability, and operational efficiency”
Recent Examples
Our agreements continue to evolve across regions:
- In Sweden, MDPI signed a national Open Access publishing agreement with 96 institutions, enabling affiliated researchers to publish without managing individual APC payments.
- In Spain, we extended our flat-fee agreement with Universidad Católica de Valencia, reinforcing institutional support for OA publishing.
These examples show that institutions seek structured, predictable models that support their researchers at scale.
Looking Ahead
Crossing the threshold of 1,000 partners tells us that institutions see MDPI not just as a publisher but as a reliable operational partner in advancing open science. This milestone is not a finish line. It is a reminder that the work continues.
Thank you to the entire IOAP team and to all colleagues who contributed to reaching this achievement.
P.S. You can read about this milestone across industry outlets, including STM Publishing News, ALPSP, Research Information, EurekAlert, Brightsurf, among others. You can also read about the coverage in Poland (e.g., media-room, bomega) Korea (newstap), and Romania (EduLike).
Closing Thoughts

Reflections from the Researcher to Reader Conference
During 24–25 February, I attended the 2026 Researcher to Reader Conference in London, UK. Leaders from across scholarly publishing, research infrastructure, libraries, and technology gathered to discuss AI and research integrity, peer review reform, metadata and infrastructure, community engagement, open research policy, and the evolving role of publishers in a rapidly shifting ecosystem.
The conversations were open and honest, and at times uncomfortable – exactly what we need at times. Below are a few reflections that stayed with me.
The Battle for Knowledge: What Becomes Accepted as ‘True’?
One recurring theme was not whether science evolves but whether our infrastructure is resilient enough to sustain trust at scale. Science does not promise certainty: it promises process. As publishing systems grow more complex and become more technologically mediated, the question is how intentionally we design, monitor, and strengthen that process.
Peer Review: Speed, Credentials, and Structural Loops
Researchers consistently call for faster peer review. At the same time, reviewer credentials are often tied to publication records. This creates a structural loop. Publishing history opens reviewing opportunities, reviewing strengthens credentials, and those without early access remain outside the cycle.
There is a need for us to reflect on how opportunity circulates within our systems: we should ask how we create more inclusive pathways for researchers globally to participate in peer review.
Community Engagement Workshop
One of the highlights of R2R was the workshop format, whereby small groups met repeatedly over two days and moved from ideas to tangible strategies.
I joined the Community Engagement workshop led by Lou Peck (CEO at The International Bunch) and Godwyns Onwuchekwa (Principal Consultant at Global Tapestry Consulting). We explored two deceptively simple questions: What is a community? and What does engagement truly mean?
“Engagement requires shared design and shared responsibility”
Too often, organizations equate communication with engagement. The framework discussed mapped a maturity spectrum – from enablement (broadcasting, informing and consulting) to true engagement (collaborating and co-creating).
It was a useful reminder of the fact that if we want trust and loyalty, engagement must go beyond announcements and surveys. It requires shared design and shared responsibility.
AI: Democratization or Digital Colonialism?
I especially enjoyed the thought-provoking presentation from Nikesh Gosalia (Chief Partnership Officer at Cactus Communications), which highlighted an uncomfortable reality:

- 93% of AI-generated content is in English
- Approximately 2% is in French
- Approximately 2% is in German
- More than 7,000 languages are represented in less than 5% of the content within large AI systems
The implications are profound. Is AI democratizing access to scholarly publishing (making it easier for researchers everywhere to participate in global knowledge production)? Or are we encoding colonialism at scale (entrenching linguistic and structural hierarchies, and making it harder for voices from the Global South to be heard)?
AI is already reshaping how research is created, reviewed, discovered, and shared. Its potential is enormous. But its impact depends not only on capability, but on governance, design, and intentionality. Publishers, funders, and researchers all share responsibility in shaping how these systems evolve.
Ethicality in practice (Lightening Talk)

It was also great to have our colleague Dr Miloš Čučulović (Head of Technology Innovation at MDPI) present MDPI’s Ethicality platform during a lightning talk.
“Technology alone is not the answer”
Ethicality embeds AI-driven checks directly into the submission workflow, supporting editors proactively rather than reacting after publication. As we scale, tools like this help balance trust, efficiency, and research integrity.
This goes back into the underlying theme of the conference that technology alone is not the answer. However, technology embedded thoughtfully within clear governance frameworks can strengthen confidence in the editorial process.
Final thought
The question is no longer whether technology will transform research infrastructure: it is already doing so. The real question is what role each of us will play in shaping that transformation deliberately, with structural maturity, inclusive governance, and engagement that moves from informing to co-creating.
Science needs to evolve, responsibly. And that responsibility extends not only to what we publish, but also to how the systems behind publication are designed. Some important topics to continue reflecting on both internally and within our broader community.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
20 February 2026
MDPI Virtual Academic Publishing Workshop (New Harvest), 25 February 2026
This Academic Publishing Workshop will be led by MDPI Regional Journal Relations Specialist, Dr. Sally Wu, on “Author Training”. Participants will receive practical advice on essential aspects of writing academic articles. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the academic publishing landscape and how to successfully contribute to it.
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EST
Schedule:
|
Speaker |
Program |
Time in EST |
|
Dr. Sally Wu |
Introduction |
11:30–11:40 a.m. |
|
Dr. Sally Wu |
Tips for Writing Great Research Papers
|
11:40 a.m.–12:15 p.m. |
|
Dr. Sally Wu |
How to Respond to Peer Reviewers
|
12:15–12:50 p.m. |
|
Dr. Sally Wu |
AI in Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities
|
12:50–13:30 p.m. |
Speakers:
|
|
Dr. Sally Wu received a PhD in medical science from the University of Toronto in the fall of 2025. She joined MDPI in February 2025 as an Assistant Editor for Cells. She was recently promoted to Regional Journal Relations Specialist position in August. In this role, she works with many journals, liaising with authors, board members, and EiCs. She has attended several conferences across North America, hosted scholar visits, and taken part in other outreach events. |
18 February 2026
MDPI’s Open Access Program Reaches 1,000 Institutions Worldwide
MDPI has surpassed the milestone of 1,000 partners within the Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). The agreements span 59 countries, covering North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Last year alone, more than 150 new libraries and academic institutions joined MDPI’s IOAP. With the expansion of an existing consortium deal in Sweden we welcomed a further 75 partners to the program in January 2026, enabling us to surpass the 1,000-partners milestone.
The IOAP supports affiliated researchers by streamlining submission processes, reducing administrative burdens, and offering discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs). Through IOAP membership, more than 61,300 research articles received APC discounts in 2025, driving greater visibility and accessibility for partner institutions and global research communities alike.
"This milestone marks a significant step towards expanding MDPI’s global impact," said Stefan Tochev, MDPI's CEO. "Reaching 1,000 IOAP partnerships is a true testament to the growing trust and collaboration we’ve built with universities, libraries, and research organizations worldwide. We are proud to lead the way in Open Access publishing, ensuring researchers have the support they need to reach global audiences." "The success of our program is reflected in the growing global demand for Open Science and quality publishing services," said Becky Castellon, MDPI institutional partnerships manager. "Equally, institutions are increasingly seeking Open Access publishing options that support funder and national mandates. Joining the IOAP makes compliance simple."
13 February 2026
World Day of Social Justice, 20 February 2026
World Day of Social Justice, observed annually on 20 February, highlights the global commitment to building fairer and more inclusive societies. Established by the United Nations General Assembly, the day draws attention to persistent challenges such as inequality, social exclusion, unemployment, and poverty, and calls for collective action to address the structural barriers that limit opportunity and participation.
Despite ongoing progress, many individuals and communities continue to face systemic discrimination and unequal access to education, healthcare, and decent work. These interconnected challenges reinforce cycles of disadvantage, underscoring the need for sustained research, dialogue, and evidence-based solutions to advance social justice worldwide.
In support of World Day of Social Justice 2026 and Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), MDPI journals aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and research on equity, inclusion, and social development. Through Special Issues and research articles, MDPI provides platforms to explore social justice from diverse perspectives, including sociology, public policy, education, and human rights.

| Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities |
Business and Economics Computer Sciences and Mathematics |

“Digital Intermediation and Precarity: Experiences of Domestic Workers in Chile’s Platform Labor Economy”
by Rosa Villarroel-Valdés, Carla Valdés-Sarmiento and Nelson Lay-Raby
Platforms 2025, 3(4), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/platforms3040019
“Exploring the Intersection of Youth Development, Physical Education, Teacher Education, and Social Justice”
by Cory Elijah Dixon
Youth 2025, 5(2), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth5020059
“The Vulnerability and Injustices Faced by Young Carers in Developed Societies”
by Gottfried Schweiger
Societies 2025, 15(4), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040101
“Inter-American Human Rights System and Social Change in Latin America”
by Martha Gutiérrez
Laws 2025, 14(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws14020014
“Cross-Disciplinary Rapid Scoping Review of Structural Racial and Caste Discrimination Associated with Population Health Disparities in the 21st Century“
by Drona P. Rasali, Brendan M. Woodruff, Fatima A. Alzyoud, Daniel Kiel, Katharine T. Schaffzin, William D. Osei, Chandra L. Ford and Shanthi Johnson
Societies 2024, 14(9), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14090186
“One Justice for All? Social Dilemmas, Environmental Risks and Different Notions of Distributive Justice”
by Ulf Liebe, Heidi Bruderer Enzler, Andreas Diekmann and Peter Preisendörfer
Games 2024, 15(4), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/g15040025
“The Evolving Landscape of Spanish Language Representation in U.S. Media: From Overt to Covert Discrimination”
by Grace A. Parker, Maia Botek and Diego Pascual y Cabo
Languages 2024, 9(6), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060220
“Applied Theatre: Research-Based Theatre, or Theatre-Based Research? Exploring the Possibilities of Finding Social, Spatial, and Cognitive Justice in Informal Housing Settlements in India, or Tales from the Banyan Tree”
by Selina Busby
Arts 2024, 13(2), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts13020063
“Educating Youth to Civic Engagement for Social Justice: Evaluation of a Secondary School Project”
by Mara Martini, Chiara Rollero, Marco Rizzo, Sabrina Di Carlo, Norma De Piccoli and Angela Fedi
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13080650

| “Social Justice in Theological Education: Challenges and Opportunities” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Ana Thea Filipović Submission deadline: 31 May 2026 |
“Chinese Languages and Their Neighbours in Southeast Asia” Guest Editors: Dr. Pui Yiu Szeto and Prof. Dr. Umberto Ansaldo Submission deadline: 31 August 2026 |
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| “Innovations in Affordable Housing Design” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Noelia Cervero Sánchez and Prof. Dr. Jaime J. Ferrer Forés Submission deadline: 30 September 2026 |
“Photography, Civil Society and the Crisis of Democracy” Guest Editor: Dr. Terri Weissman Submission deadline: 15 November 2026 |
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| “Shakespeare After Democracy―Shakespeare in the Age of New Authoritarianism” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Marcela Kostihova Submission deadline: 30 November 2026 |
“Migration and Transnational Religions: Identities and Networks” Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Nanlai Cao, Dr. Francis Khek Gee Lim and Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Giordan Submission deadline: 31 January 2027 |
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11 February 2026
International Day of Women and Girls in Science—“Synergizing AI, Social Science, STEM and Finance: Building Inclusive Futures for Women and Girls”, 11 February 2026
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, observed annually on 11 February, celebrates the achievements of women and girls in STEM while advocating for equal opportunities in science and innovation. The 2026 theme, “Synergizing AI, Social Science, STEM and Finance: Building Inclusive Futures for Women and Girls”, highlights the importance of integrating these four pillars to address widening inequalities. By combining AI’s transformative potential with social science insights, technical expertise in STEM, and inclusive financial mechanisms, societies can ensure that innovation benefits women and girls and supports sustainable development.
In recognition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, MDPI reaffirms its commitment to advancing inclusive and interdisciplinary research. Through open access publishing, we promote gender-responsive AI, women-led innovation, and equitable STEM participation—ensuring knowledge is accessible, and empowering women and girls to shape a more inclusive future in science and beyond.

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“Financial Discrimination: Consumer Perceptions and Reactions”
by Miranda Reiter, Di Qing, Kenneth White and Morgen Nations
Int. J. Financial Stud. 2025, 13(3), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs13030136
“Women in STEM in the Eastern Partnership: EU-Driven Initiatives and Challenges of External Europeanisation”
by Gabriela-Roxana Irod, Cristian Pîrvulescu and Marian Miculescu
Societies 2025, 15(7), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15070204
“The Role of Digital Financial Services in Narrowing the Gender Gap in Low–Middle-Income Economies: A Bayesian Machine Learning Approach”
by Alicia Fernanda Galindo-Manrique and Nuria Patricia Rojas-Vargas
Risks 2025, 13(5), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks13050096
“Drivers for Women Entrepreneurship in Greece: A Case Analysis of Early-Stage Companies”
by Marcus Goncalves, Suela Papagelis and Daphne Nicolitsas
Businesses 2025, 5(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/businesses5010001
“Empowering Women in Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Qualitative Approach”
by Teresa Felgueira, Teresa Paiva, Catarina Alves and Natália Gomes
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101127
“Advancing Women’s Leadership in United Arab Emirates Higher Education: Perspectives from Emirati Women”
by Shaikha Ali Al-Naqbi and Semiyu Adejare Aderibigbe
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14091002
“Empowering Female High School Students for STEM Futures: Career Exploration and Leadership Development at Scientella”
by Simon J. Ford, Raquel dos Santos and Ricardo dos Santos
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090955
“The Influence of Women on Boards on the Relationship between Executive and Employee Remuneration”
by María L. Gallén and Carlos Peraita
Int. J. Financial Stud. 2024, 12(3), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs12030084
“Mentoring and Networking as the “Silver Lining” of Being Women Leaders: An Exploratory Study in Top World Forestry Schools”
by Pipiet Larasatie, Taylor Barnett and Eric Hansen
Trends High. Educ. 2024, 3(1), 169-179; https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu3010010
““I’m an Academic, Now What?”: Exploring Later-Career Women’s Academic Identities in Australian Higher Education Using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis”
by Matthew James Phillips and Peta Louise Dzidic
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(8), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12080442

| “Gender Equity in K-12 Education, Academia and Higher Education: A Global Perspective” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. James Etim Deadline for submissions: 31 August 2026 |
“Teacher Education and Education for Sustainability” Guest Editors: Dr. María Teresa Fuertes Camacho, Dr. Sílvia Albareda-Tiana and Dr. María del Carmen Solís-Espallargas Deadline for submissions: 31 August 2026 |
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6 February 2026
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Behavioral Sciences in 2025
The editorial office of Behavioral Sciences would like to extend its sincere gratitude to all reviewers who contributed to the improvement of the journal quality by providing their expert opinion and evaluation of the submitted research.
We appreciate that thorough peer review demands considerable time and intellectual investment from our reviewers. In 2025, Behavioral Sciences received 8779 review reports from contributors across 79 countries and territories, demonstrating the breadth of international expertise and scholarly engagement that has strengthened our publication standards.
The reviewers who agreed to have their names published this year are listed below in alphabetical order by first name. The editorial team acknowledges with gratitude all reviewers, named and anonymous alike, for their vital role in maintaining the scholarly standards of Behavioral Sciences.
| Aaron Shield | Gianpaolo Zammarchi | Miha Marič |
| Abdulkhamid Komil Ugli Fayzullaev | Gibin Raju | Mika Merviö |
| Abel Lerma | Gilbert Emond | Mika Simonen |
| Abhishek Sharma | Gilberto Huesca | Mikaila Mariel Lemonik Arthur |
| Abraham Rudnick | Ginés David López García | Mikhila N. Wildey |
| Adam Anczyk | Giovanni Cangelosi | Miko M. Wilford |
| Adam Wiśniewski | Gita Statnickė | Milagros Huerta Gómez de Merodio |
| Addison Leigh Babineau | Giuseppe Pierpaolo Merola | Milan Kubina |
| Adele Quigley-McBride | Glenda Tinney | Miloš Milan Marković |
| Adelinda Araújo Candeias | Gordana Lazic | Ming Chen |
| Aditi Arora | Gorka Vuletić | Ming-Chih Sung |
| Agata Kiciak | Grażyna Rosa | Minseong Kim |
| Agita Abele | Greg Elvers | Mircea Fuciu |
| Aglaia Zafeiroudi | Gregorio Jimenez Valverde | Miriam Anne Colum |
| Ágnes Csiszárik-Kocsir | Gregory Hine | Miriam Catalina González-Afonso |
| Agnieszka Czerwińska-Osipiak | Guilherme Welter Wendt | Miriam Criez Nobrega Ferreira |
| Agnieszka Skowron | Guomei Zhou | Miricescu Dan |
| Ahmadreza Mohebbi | H M Rakib Ul Hasan | Moaaz Kabil |
| Ahmed Mohamed Fahmy Yousef | Hakjoo Kim | Mohamed Basel Almourad |
| Aileen Scully | Hamood Mohammed Al-Hattami | Mohammad Hamad Al-khresheh |
| Aimee X. Delaney | Han Li | Mohammed A. Muaddi |
| Aine Roddy | Hanna Liberska | Mohammed Almahfali |
| Aiping Zhao | Hannah Rapp | Moran Pollack |
| Aixi Sun | Hao Xing | Morena Tartari |
| Alan Mattiassi | Hassan Izzeddin Sarsak | Myunghoon Roh |
| Albert F. Smith | Hayford Asare Obeng | Na Zhang |
| Albert Nienhaus | Hayoung Wong | Nader Ghotbi |
| Alberto Fernando Moreira Rocha | Hazel J. Brown | Nam Hoang Tran |
| Alberto Gómez-Mármol | Hazem Ahmed Khairy | Namsoo Kim |
| Alberto Grájeda | Héctor Hugo Pérez-Villarreal | Nan Chen |
| Alberto Massimo Crescentini | Heesun Chae | Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio |
| Alberto Paramio | Heidi Flavian | Natalia Cadavid-Ruiz |
| Albina Veltman | Helena Aptyka | Natalia Korcz |
| Aldemir B. Oliveira-Filho | Helena Ferreira-Barbosa | Nataša Vlah |
| Aldin Striković | Helena Ventovaara | Nathan Oesch |
| Alec Bernstein | Henk Brand | Nayantara Kurpad |
| Alejandro Cano-Villagrasa | Henrique Gil | Neamtu Daniela Mihaela |
| Alejandro De La Hoz Serrano | Henter Ramona | Nesrin Menemenci Bahcelerli |
| Alejandro J. Estudillo | Heonsu Gwon | Neus Caparros |
| Alejandro Rodríguez-García | Heriberto Antonio Pineda-Espejel | Nichole R Walsh |
| Alejandro Rosas | Hideki Katayama | Nick Tsitsianis |
| Aleksandra Tłuściak-Deliowska | Hiromichi Ueno | Nicola Acevedo |
| Alen Rončević | Holly Johnson | Nicola Bruno |
| Alenka Žerovnik | How Hwee Ong | Nicola Bulled |
| Alessandra Geraci | Howard Scott | Nicola Roberts |
| Alessandra Romano | Hsiao-Ping Hsu | Nicolas Armando Sumba Nacipucha |
| Alessandro Bortolotti | Hsien-Chih Chuang | Nicole Louise Busby |
| Alessia Renzi | Huiyuan Miao | Nicole Sparapani |
| Alex Joseph Nelson | Hwang Ren-Jen | Nicoletta Cera |
| Alex Panicacci | Hyeran Choi | Niek Frans |
| Alexander Robitzsch | Hyoun Sook Lim | Nikola Draskovic |
| Alexandra Pereira | Hyoung Suk Lee | Nikolaos C. Zygouris |
| Alexandria Ree Hadd | Hyung Rok Woo | Nilihan Sanal-Hayes |
| Alexis Papathanassis | Iara Teixeira | Noé Abraham González-Nieto |
| Alfredo Teixeira | Ibrahim Ozturk | Noemí San Miguel |
| Ali Al-Salahat | Ifigeneia Dosi | Nora Ramos Vallecillo |
| Ali Alshebmi | Ilaria Bortolotti | Nora Sharkasi |
| Ali Saleh Alshebami | Ildikó Vančo | Nosheena Yasir |
| Ali Watts | Ilie Mihai | Nuno Fortes |
| Alina Florentina Boutiuc-Kaiser | Iluta Arbidane | Nuno José Rodrigues |
| Alison (Ali) Walsh | Ilze Beitane | Nursima Ünver |
| Althea Kaminske | Ingrida Balčiūnienė | Oana Rusu |
| Amira A. Goma | Io Valls-Ratés | Obianuju E. Okeke-Uzodike |
| Ana Aleksić Fredotović | Ioana Boghian | Olena Budnyk |
| Ana Ćurković | Ioana Crina Pop-Cohuţ | Olga González-Morales |
| Ana Diogo | Ioana Zagrean | Oliver Ramos |
| Ana Isabel Sani | Ioana-Eva Cădariu | Oliver Thiel |
| Ana Ispas | Ioanna Vekiri | Olivia Ng |
| Ana Maria Da Palma Moreira | Ioannis G. Katsantonis | On-Ying Cathy Hung |
| Ana María Ruiz-Ruano García | Ioannis Vourletsis | Orlaith Rice |
| Ana Martina Greco | Irena Mladenova | Orna Levin |
| Ana Matić Škorić | Irida Tsevreni | Osvaldo Costa Moreira |
| Ana Paula Fernandes Rodrigues | Irina Rabinovich | Oudgou Mohamed |
| Ana Paula Monteiro | Irineu Loturco | Pablo Herranz-Hernández |
| Ana Pinto | Irini Skopeliti | Pablo Livacic-Rojas |
| Ana Spínola | Isaac Melanson | Padmavathy Ramaswamy |
| Ana Težak Damijanić | Isabel Castillo | Palmira Pečiuliauskienė |
| Ana Yara Postigo-Fuentes | Isabel Cerca Miguel | Pam Millett |
| Ana Maria Ducasse | Isabel Fernandes | Panagiotis E. Petrakis |
| Ananda Shankar Datta | Isabel Maria Abreu Rodrigues Fragoeiro | Panayiotis Lianos |
| Anastasia Stoops | Isabel Maria Ribeiro Fernandes | Panpan Yao |
| Anastasiya Fiadotava | Isabel R. Moreno | Panteha Farmanesh |
| Anastassia Zabrodskaja | Isabella Mazzarolo | Paola Magnano |
| André Araújo Pinto | Isaías Martín-Ruiz | Patricia Hernandez-Medina |
| Andrea Bosco | Israel Martínez-Nicolás | Patricia López Resa |
| Andrea Calandrino | Iulia C. Muresan | Patrícia Silveira |
| Andreas Demetriou | Ivana Cimermanova | Patrick Lemaire |
| Andreia De Bem Machado | Ivett Vargáné Gálicz | Paula Isabel Ferreira |
| Andrés Agudelo-Suárez | Ivo Cristiano Soares Paiva | Paula Morais |
| Andres Camargo-Sanchez | Ivo Ponocny | Paulina Baran |
| Andrés González Novoa | Izabela Maria Sztuka | Paulo Almeida Pereira |
| Andrés Soriano Díaz | Izabella Parowicz | Paulo Botelho Pires |
| Andrew M. Lane | Jacek Polechoński | Paulo Infante |
| Andrew Perry | Jacqueline Lechuga | Pavneet Kaur Bharaj |
| Andrew Schumann | Jagjit Mankelow | Paweł F. Nowak |
| Andrzej Michał Kielian | Jakub Soviar | Paweł Larionow |
| Ángel Freddy Rodríguez Torres | Jale Minibas-Poussard | Pawel Tadeusz Kazibudzki |
| Ángel Rodríguez-Pallas | Jalisha Jenifer | Pedro Juárez Rodríguez |
| Angelo Fraschetti | James Daryl Sellmann | Pedro Pereira |
| Angelo Fumia | James H. Smith-Spark | Peihua Fan |
| Angelos Gkontelos | James O. Finckenauer | Peng Xu |
| Anika Saxena | Jan Francesco Arena | Pengfei Tang |
| Anita Lennox | Janeen Bower | Peppino Sapia |
| Anna Carolina Boechat | Janet Weston Colvin | Persefoni Tzanaki |
| Anna E. Middleton | Janina Eberhart | Peter A. Gloor |
| Anna K. Zarkada | Jarmila Honzikova | Peter Demkanin |
| Anna Schulte | Jarosław Stanisław Kardas | Peter J. Verhagen |
| Anna Stone | Jasmina Gržinić | Peter Martin Vishton |
| Anna Teledahl | Jason Fogler | Petra Potměšilová |
| Anna Zalewska | Jason Ralston | Petru Lucian Curșeu |
| Anna Zarkada | Javier Enrique Santillán | Philipp C. Wichardt |
| Annalyse Ellis | Jayendira P. Sankar | Pilar Ibáñez-Cubillas |
| Anne Sophie Pezzino | Jean-François Verlhiac | Piotr Zaborek |
| Annick Comblain | Jeffrey Kaplan | Plamena Ivanova Markova |
| Anthony Gritten | Jelena R. Petrović | Pouya Zargar |
| Antonela Devčić | Jennie Golding | Presentación Ángeles Caballero-García |
| Antonio Castillo Paredes | Jennifer Fiore | Promethi Das Deep |
| Antonio David Martin-Barrado | Jennifer Lara Fagen | Puneeth N. Chakravarthula |
| Antonio Di Guardo | Jennifer Serrano García | Qaiser Mohi Ud Din |
| António Duarte Santos | Jennifer Vonk | Qihai Cai |
| Antonio Francisco Rodríguez | Jérôme Dinet | Qingfang Liu |
| Antonio Hernández Fernández | Jerris Hedges | Qiwei Pang |
| Antonio Martinez-Sabater | Jessica Everett Turtura | Quentin Feltgen |
| António Portelada | Jessica Müller-Pérez | R. Michael Bagby |
| Antonios I. Christou | Jessica Norahs Flori | Raaya Alon |
| April Murphy | Jessica R. Bray | Radosveta Krasteva-Hristova |
| Argyro Pachi | Jhonattan Miranda | Rafael Caracuel-Cáliz |
| Ariel Teles | Jia Xu | Rafael Salom Borras |
| Arinola Adefila | Jialei Jiang | Rafat Ghanamah |
| Ashley E. Lewis Presser | Jiangmin Ding | Raffaella Nori |
| Ashley N. Carter | Jiaqi Huang | Raja Mogallapu |
| Asiya Gul | Jihwan Choi | Rakesh Gangadharaiah |
| Asli Telli | Jimmie Manning | Randal Joy Thompson |
| Astrid Helene Kendrick | Jimmy Zambrano R. | Randall Lockwood |
| Athena Daniilidou | Jing Zhao | Raquel Simões de Almeida |
| Atsunori Fujii | Jingyi Xu | Rashmi Singh |
| Audrey Roberts | Jiri Remr | Raul Matsushita |
| Aurel Burciu | Joan García-Perales | Raul Ruiz-Cecilia |
| Aurore Roland | Joana Bernardo Loureiro | Ray Lee |
| Avi Besser | Joanie Crandall | Raymond Chi-fai Chui |
| Ayshe Hyusein | Joanna Mei Lin Lim | Raymond L. Ownby |
| Ayush Pandey | João Carlos Macedo | Rebecca Louise Barnes |
| Badr Mostafa | João Carlos Vinagre Ferreira do Rosário | Rebecca Mauldin |
| Baikune De Alba | João Paulo Saraiva Santos | Rebecca Ward |
| Bala Vignesh Sundaram | Joaquim Monteiro Pratas | Rebecca Yen Pei Kan |
| Banban Li | Johann Valentowitsch | Regina F. Schmid |
| Bangfan Liu | Johannes Gerb | Regina Ferreira Alves |
| Bani Malhotra | John Banas | Regula Windlinger |
| Barbara Gawda | John P. Bartkowski | Renata R. Škrbić |
| Barbara Pisker | Jon Reiersen | Renato Moraes |
| Bárbara Roque Ferreira | Jonathan Fernandez | René Baston |
| Barry Lee Reynolds | Jonathan J. Foo | René Hubert Kerschbaumer |
| Bart Van Den Brink | Jonathon Whitlock | Rhett Diessner |
| Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy | Jorge Bonito | Ricardo Jorge Correia |
| Bastian Carstensen | Jorge Magalhães | Ricardo Ramos |
| Beata Sperkowska | Jorge Manzo | Riccardo Vecellio Segate |
| Beatrice Adriana Balgiu | José Ángel Rubiño-Díaz | Rina Zviel-Girshin |
| Behnam Boobani | José Antonio Martín Herrero | Rita Daniels |
| Benjamin Duke | José Arnau-Sánchez | Rita Panaoura |
| Benoît Béchard | José Gabriel Soriano Sánchez | Robert Nowacki |
| Bernardo Oliveira Buta | José Gijón Puerta | Robert R. Wright |
| Bernd Fritzsch | José Luis Del Olmo | Robert Wolny |
| Bernhard Kalicki | José Luis Rodríguez-Sáez | Robin Ladwig |
| Beth G McMannis | José Madureira Salgado Rodrigues | Rodolfo Bojorque |
| Bettina Franciska Piko | José Manuel Ortiz Marcos | Rodolfo Morrison |
| Blake H. Heller | José Pedro Cerdeira | Roee Peretz |
| Boris Aberšek | Jose Santiago Alvarez-Muñoz | Roksana Rezwan |
| Bradley McDaniels | José-Antonio Marín-Marín | Romina Fucà |
| Brandon Perez | José-María León-Rubio | Rosa Giannina Castillo-Avila |
| Brenda Cervellione | Joseph Lavelle | Rosa Valls-Carol |
| Brett Bligh | Joseph Mukuni | Rosalie Steinberg |
| Briana Scott | Joshua Awua | Ross David Kleinstuber |
| Bridget Joyner-Carpanini | Josie Anne Vine | Rossella Capotorto |
| Bruce Winston | Jude Kelman | Roula Tsokalidou |
| Bruno Daniel Carneiro | Julia Chaitin | Rowena Xia |
| Bryan Buechner | Julia Ciążyńska | Roxana Florenta Savescu |
| Bum-Jeun Seo | Julia Jaffe | Rubi E. Sanchez-Casanova |
| Byoungwook Ahn | Juliana Gerard | Rui Neves |
| Calogero Longhitano | Jungyeon Sung | Ruiqi Deng |
| Calvin Blackwell | Justyna Czekajewska | Rune Raudeberg |
| Camelia-Daniela Plastoi | Kadir Uludag | Sabyasachi Moulik |
| Cameron J. Davidson | Kalliopi Katsika | Salih Rakap |
| Carillon J. Skrzynski | Kalliopi Kravari | Samantha Broadhead |
| Carla Alexandra Martins Fonte | Kamel Mouloudj | Samantha Frear |
| Carla Bento | Kareem Abdul Waheed | Samantha Iwinski |
| Carla Sousa | Karen Elizabeth Schlag | Sameh Fayyad |
| Carlo G. Porto-Bellini | Karen M. Collier | Samuel Horlor |
| Carlos F. Almeida | Karolin Schäfer | Samuel Barros |
| Carlos Farinha | Katarina Habe | Samyia Safdar |
| Carlos Fernández-Morales | Kate Inyoung Yoo | Sana Khalil |
| Carlos Ledezma | Katerina Antonopoulou | Sándor Rózsa |
| Carlos Rojas | Katerina Asonitou | Sandra DeGrassi |
| Carlos Santiago-Torner | Katerina Zdravkova | Sandra L. McFadden |
| Carmen Balan | Kathrin Kollndorfer | Sandra Maria Campinos Rodrigues |
| Carmen Concerto | Kathrin Mayr | Sanghoon Kim |
| Carmen Del Pilar Gallardo-Montes | Katrin Kreutz | Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić |
| Carmen M. Hernández-Jorge | Kavitha Haldorai | Santosh Kumar Prajapati |
| Carmit Gal | Kayla Randall | Sara Jones |
| Carol A. Janney | Kelcie Slaton | Sara M. Fernandes |
| Carol Nash | Kelly A. Daly | Sara Meirinho |
| Carolina Facci | Kelly C. Burke | Sara Mucherino |
| Caroline A. Lloyd | Ken Nah | Sarah Riforgiate |
| Caroline Anne Harvey | Keng Yu Lin | Sarah Vrankovich |
| Caroline Greiner Richter | Keun-Soo Park | Satoshi Uchida |
| Caroline Trautwein | Kevin Bottomley | Savannah Hobbs |
| Carolyn Maxwell | Khetsiwe Masuku | Sebastian Emanuel Stan |
| Cassandra Flick | Ki Hong Joung | Selvi Kannan |
| Cataldo Giuliano Gemmano | Kim Schulte | Sergej Kmetec |
| Catalina Ramírez-Contreras | Kimberly Garza | Sérgio Gaitas |
| Catarina Amorim | Kinho Chan | Sergio Miranda |
| Cátia Sousa | Kiran Dhakal | Sergio Tobon |
| Cecilie Koldbaek Koldbæk Lemvigh | Klaus Dieter Stiller | Serife Balikci |
| Celalettin Ozden | Klimis Antzakas | Seungyeon Park |
| Celeste D.C. Sodergren | Kolawole Iyiola | Seung-Yoon Rhee |
| Célia Santos | Konstantinos Mastrothanasis | Seval Yurtcicek Ozaydin |
| Cesar Collazos | Krishna Chaitanya Rao Kathala | Severin Hornung |
| Chad Goebert | Kristen Guynes | Sevim Sezi Karayazi |
| Charisse Pickron | Kristie L. Poole | Sezer Okay |
| Charles Atkins | Kristina Posavec | Shahbaz Hussain |
| Charles Edward Atkins | Krisztina Keller | Shaina Schwartz |
| Charles Leung | Krystle Merry | Shane Westfall |
| Chaves Chaves Maza | Krzysztof Wołk | Shangmou Xu |
| Chen Li | Kuo-Feng Wu | Sharon Calor |
| Chen-Hua Fu | László Kasik | Sharon Grant |
| Cheolwoo Park | Laura Arosio | Shawnee Wakeman |
| Chiara Meluzzi | Laura Diaconu (Maxim) | Sheng Yen Lee |
| Chih-Chi Liu | Laura García-Pérez | Shuai Ling |
| Chirantana Mathkari | Laura Kallatsa | Shun Liu |
| Chris Kam | Laura Nely Sánchez Morales | Shuqi Li |
| Christian Messina | Lauren Lieberman | Shuvam Chatterjee |
| Christian Tamantini | Laurene Rehman | ShuZhen Joanna Sun |
| Christine L. Ruva | Laurentiu Stelian Mihai | Sierra M. Trudel |
| Christine Phang | Lavinia Alexandra Moroianu | Siew Chin Ng |
| Christoph Vogelsang | Lavinia Denisia Cuc | Sigfus Kristinsson |
| Christopher Randles | Lawrence Burns | Silvana Mabel Nuñez-Fadda |
| Christopher Slobogin | Lea Arregui Nordahl Christoffersen | Silvia Baeva |
| Chunyu Zhang | Leandro Oliveira | Silvia Corral-Robles |
| Clarissa R. Steele | Leanne Margaret Gibbs | Simon Bell |
| Clarisse Pessôa | Leena Bhattacharya | Simona Margheritti |
| Claudia Casadio | Lei Xu | Simona Nicolosi |
| Claudia Cristina Rotea | Leila Khanjaninejad | Simone Ciaccioni |
| Claudia Hunot-Alexander | Leo Van Hove | Sipho Sibanda |
| Cláudia Maia-Lima | Leonie Brummer | Siquan Wang |
| Claudio-Alberto Rodríguez-Suárez | Lesley Farmer | Slim Belaid |
| Clemens Wöllner | Lesley S. J. Farmer | Smaranda Buju |
| Clement Abbatecola | Liang Huang | Sofia Mastrokoukou |
| Conceição Ribeiro | Lídia Jesus Pecegueiro Serra | Sofia Santos |
| Connie Phelps | Lifan Yu | Sónia Faria |
| Consuelo Reguera Suárez | Lígia Nascimento | Sonia Janeth Romero Martínez |
| Courtney Sexton | Ligita Šimanskienė | Sonia Rivas |
| Cristian Di Gesto | Lilian Inés Castro Duran | Sonja Kälin |
| Cristiana D'Anna | Liliana Faria | Soonhee Hwang |
| Cristiana Vale Pires | Liliana-Elisabeta Radu | Sooyoung Shin |
| Cristiano Balzanelli | Lin Yu | Sopha Soeung |
| Cristina Anghele | Linpei Song | Sophia Charitou |
| Cristina Elena Turcu | Lisbeth Johansson | Soraia Oliveira |
| Cristina Lopes | Liu Liu | Souad Slyman |
| Cristina Mendoza Holgado | Lizel-Antoinette Bertie | Stanisław Karol Manulik |
| Cristina Ruiz-Camacho | Loes Wauters | Štefan Adamčák |
| Cristina State | Longhui Zou | Stefan Catana |
| Cristina Veith | Longxi Li | Stefan Van Der Hoek |
| Cristóbal Fernández-Muñoz | Lorinda Maile Natsu Mall Riley | Stefanie Panke |
| Crystal J. Giesbrecht | Louise Tracey | Stefanos Balaskas |
| Daisuke Akiba | Luca Cerniglia | Stephanie Dawn Sigmon |
| Dan Iulian Alexe | Luca Flesia | Stephanie E. Wemm |
| Dan Valeriu Voinea | Lucía Caro-Castaño | Stephanie Fecteau |
| Dana Morris | Lucia Isolani | Stephanie J. Thomason |
| Dane Stickney | Lucia Ratiu | Stephanie L Schmitz |
| Daniel Badulescu | Lucia Ronconi | Stephen C.Y. Chan |
| Daniel Egaña Rojas | Lucia Zbihlejova | Steven John Collings |
| Daniel Gaffiero | Luciana Frumos | Steven M. Graham |
| Daniel Kessler | Luciana Sayuri Sanada | Suherman Suherman |
| Daniel Lovin | Luciane Fernandes Goes | Sunet Grobler |
| Daniel Roberto Pinto Mandel Gandrita | Lucio Inguscio | Susan Hanisch |
| Daniel Roque Gomes | Lucrezia Cavagnis | Susana Cardoso |
| Daniela Emanuela Dănăcică | Lucy Bregman | Suzana Turcu |
| Daniela Esperança Monteiro Da Fonseca | Luigi Buongiorno | Suzanne Duffin |
| Daniele Mollaioli | Luis Felipe Reynoso-Sánchez | Suzanne Waddingham |
| Danielle Lee Hicks | Luis Fernando Lopez-Martinez | Sven Mathijssen |
| Danielle Pascual Espino | Luis Jorge Martín Antón | Szymon Kuliś |
| Daranee Lehtonen | Luis José Camacho | Taeha Yi |
| Dariusz Jamro | Luiza Loredana Năstase | Taffeta M Elliott |
| Dariusz Wojciech Mazurkiewicz | Luke LeFebvre | Tahmineh Borhani |
| Dasha Rhodes | Lurdes Gomes Neves | Tahsin Tasneem Tabassum |
| David Daniel Preiss | Lut Tamam | Tamara Sorić |
| David Fernández-Quezada | Lydia Rodríguez-Bernal | Tamás Berki |
| David Havlick | Lynn A. Darby | Tanvir Islam |
| David L. Chiesa | Lynn M. Scott | Tao Xu |
| David Mandzuk | Maayan Shorer | Tao Yu |
| David T. Marshall | Mabel San Román-Niaves | Tatiana Teixeira |
| Davide Graci | Maciej Próchnicki | Tatjana Krstić |
| Dawei Chen | Madhavi Vishnubhotla | Tatsuya Nakata |
| Debbie Olson | Madhu Atteraya | Tena Roepke |
| Deborah Rosanna Vivo | Magdalena Graczyk-Kucharska | Teresa Felgueira |
| Debra Wetcher-Hendricks | Magdalini Katsikidou | Teresa Maria Wlosowicz |
| De-Chih Lee | Maidul Islam | Teresa Sandoval-Martin |
| Dennis Demedts | Maja Gligora Marković | Tetsuya Fukuda |
| Despina Cochliou | Małgorzata Gawlik-Kobylińska | Theodora Skali |
| Diamantis Petropoulos Petalas | Malinda Desjarlais | Thomas Eger |
| Diana Rodrigues | Manfred Zentner | Tiffanie Zaugg |
| Diana Stanciu | Manish Shukla | Tim Hartelt |
| Dianna Theadora Kenny | Manu Thundathil | Tim Kelly |
| Diego Gavilán-Martín | Manuel Catalán Águila | Timothy Joseph Lane |
| Diego Primavera | Manuel Escobar-Farfán | Tina Eckstein-Madry |
| Diego Vergara | Manuel Florindo Alves Meirinhos | Tingrui Yan |
| Dilara Özel | Manuel João Cruz | Tom Clark |
| Dimitra V. Katsarou | Manuel Marte | Tomas Recio |
| Dimitrios E. Tzimas | Manuel Sousa Pereira | Tomasz Krzywicki |
| Dimitrios Theocharis | Manuela Valentini | Tomer Gutman |
| Domenico Cherubini | Manuele Cesare | Tommaso Trombetta |
| Domingo Albarracín-Vivo | Marcela Paz González-Brignardello | Tommaso Vitale |
| Doncy J. Eapen | Marcelo De Maio Nascimento | Tomoyuki Funatogawa |
| Donghwa Chung | Marcin Gackowski | Torsten Fritzlar |
| Dora Isabel Fialho Pereira | Marcin Kolemba | Trisnasari Fraser |
| Dorin Paul Bac | Marcin Rządeczka | Tsartsapakis Ioannis |
| Dragos Darabaneanu | Marco Casentini | Tung-Ju Wu |
| Dzintra Ilisko | Marco Esposito | Tyrone Brian Pretorius |
| Dziuginta Baraldsnes | Marcus Goncalves | Unnur Guðrún Óttarsdóttir |
| Edgardo Daniel Etchezahar | Mareike Thomas | Urszula Dudziak |
| Edina Molnár | Marek Angowski | Valentina Lucia La Rosa |
| Edlin Garcia Colato | Maren M. Michaelsen | Valeria Feijo Martins |
| Edoardo Passarotto | Maresca Attard Pizzuto | Vasiliki Zarokanellou |
| Eduardo Encabo-Fernández | Marg Rogers | Vassiliki Pliogou |
| Eduardo Hernández-Padilla | Margaret Lawler | Vassilis Martiadis |
| Edward Bell | Margareta Gregurović | Venera-Mihaela Cojocariu |
| Elena Carlotta Olivetti | Margareta Ilie | Vera Eymann |
| Elena De Gioannis | Margarida Alexandra Rodrigues Tomás | Verena Karlsdottir |
| Elena Escolano-Pérez | Margherita Dahò | Verónica Marcos Martínez |
| Elena Fernández Blanco | Maria Auxiliadora Robles-Bello | Versavia Curelaru |
| Elena Huguet-Cuadrado | Maria Campos | Vesna Posavčević |
| Elena María García Alonso | Maria Chiara Gallotta | Vessela Krasteva |
| Eleonora Bielawska-Batorowicz | María del Carmen Gómez Berrocal | Vicky Papachristou |
| Elisabet Tasa-Vinyals | María Del Mar Bernabé | Victor Frimpong |
| Elise Cournoyer Lemaire | Maria Garro | Victoria Kim |
| Elizabeth Alice Sweigart | Maria Helena Santos | Victoria N. Sharakhmatova |
| Elizabeth C. Penick | Maria Isabel Dias da Costa Malheiro | Viktória Šoltésová |
| Elizabeth More | María Isabel Vidal-Esteve | Viktorija Cepukiene |
| Elizabeth Speelman | María José González-Calderón | Vinicius Barroso Hirota |
| Elizabeth Stites | Maria Leonor Abrantes Pires | Viola Lechner |
| Elona N. Ndlovu | Maria M. Nascimento | Virtudes Pérez-Jover |
| Elsa Etokabeka | Maria Natividad Elvira-Zorzo | Vito Santamato |
| Elsa Simoes | María Teresa Costado Dios | Vítor Reis |
| Emerson Do Bu | Maria Theodoratou | Vladislav Hristov Grozev |
| Emiliana Mangone | Maria. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández | Wael Award Ramadan Mohamed |
| Emily Kieson | Mariana Florica Bei | Walter R. Schumm |
| Emyr Wyn Benbow | Mariana Magalhães | Washington Allysson Dantas Silva |
| Enos Moyo | María-Teresa Cortés-Tomás | Wei Xu |
| Enrickson Varsori | Marici Marius | Wei Yan |
| Enrico Bocciolesi | Mariel Leclère | Weifeng Han |
| Enrique Flórez Gil | Marielle André | Wei-Shuo Lo |
| Eran Shadach | Marija Zivkovic | Wendy Packman |
| Eric A Martin | Marin Mamić | Wendy Portillo |
| Erica Randall Lacey | Marina Burakova | Wenhao Kang |
| Essa A. Alibraheim | Marina Cuartero Marco | Wenmo Kong |
| Estela Vilhena | Marina Lucian | William Comfort |
| Esther Cores-Bilbao | Mário José Pereira | Williams Gilberto Jiménez-García |
| Esther Kirchhoff | Marisa Correia | Wilson Cheong Hin Hong |
| Eugene Eteris | Marius Marici | Winnie-Karen Giera |
| Eui-Jae Lee | Mariusz Chrostowski | Wi-Young So |
| Éva Bácsné Bába | Mariusz Dzieńkowski | Wojciech J. Cynarski |
| Eva María Suárez Büdenbender | Marko Šostar | Woonsun Kang |
| F. Sülen Sahin Kıralp | Marlene Loureiro | Wycliffe Wekesa Simiyu Njororai |
| Fabio D’Antoni | Marlene Wiggill | Xiao Li |
| Fabricio Ferreira De Oliveira | Marli Gonan Božac | Xiaoguang Liu |
| Fabrizio Traversa | Marta Dmytryshyn | Xin Xu |
| Faith Jeremiah | Marta Pereira Alves | Xinqiao Liu |
| Farrokh Habibzadeh | Martha R. Black | Xiong Gan |
| Fatima Salas-Rodriguez | Martin Branko Popevic | Xuejun Ye |
| Fayyaz Hussain Qureshi | Martin Valcke | Yan Lam Ho |
| Federico Batini | Martina Beham-Rabanser | Yangyang Luo |
| Fei Fang | Martina Feilzer | Yan-pu Yang |
| Felicia Constantin | Martina Gažarová | Yasodha Maheshi Rohanachandra |
| Felipe Alckmin Carvalho | Martina Ozbič | Yee-Lok Enoch Lam |
| Felipe Soto-Pérez | Marvin Walker | Yen Nee Wong |
| Felix Menne | Marwa Mohamed Zalat | Yena Kyeong |
| Fernando Armas Asín | Mary Elizabeth Wood | Yeray Rodriguez Rincon |
| Ferran Gesa | Massoud Moslehpour | Yi Liu |
| Filomena Leonela Sbordone | Mathieu Loiseau | Yike Yang |
| Filomena Maria Nogueira Silva Almeida | Matilde Díaz Hernández | Ying Fu |
| Flávia Santos Batista Dias | Matteo Perazzini | Ying Wang |
| Flora Gatti | Matthew James Phillips | Yini Chen |
| Florian Klapproth | Mattia Bozzetti | Yin-Shan Lin |
| Floriano Viseu | Mattia Zingaretti | Yiran Du |
| Francesca D’Elia | Mauro Enna | Yong-Ki Lee |
| Francesca Mauro | Mauro Lombardo | Yoshihiko Kadoya |
| Francesca Pacitti | Md Zahir Ahmed | Yosua Yan Kristian |
| Francesco Ceccarelli | Meera Patel Suthar | Yuan Zhang |
| Francesco Marcatto | Meg Kapil | Yujin Chang |
| Francesco Maria Boccaccio | Meike Rombach | Yu-Min Wei |
| Francesco Tommasi | Meital Amzalag | Yunduk Jeong |
| Francis Gingras | Melissa Hamilton | Yusuf Ziya Ogretici |
| Francis R. Ackah-Jnr | Melissa Li Sa Liow | Yutaka Matsuzaki |
| Francisco Villegas Lirola | Melissa M. Klamm | Yvonne Thai |
| Frano Škopljanac-Mačina | Mi hyang Hwang | Zehua Cui |
| Fu Wang | Mia Marić | Zélia Ferreira Caçador Anastácio |
| Fulgencio Sánchez Vera | Michael Burke | Željko Jovanović |
| Gábor Mélypataki | Michael Hast | Zhanneta Kozina |
| Gabriel Edwin Byczynski | Michael Langlais | Zhanni Luo |
| Gabriel Mares | Michael Riley | Zhaobiao Zong |
| Gabriella Józsa | Michael Spranger | Zhi fang Liu |
| Garyfalia Charitaki | Michal Marko | Zhi Liu |
| George Kernohan | Michel Hogenes | Zhichao Xia |
| Georgios Aletras | Michele Domenico Todino | Zhiyuan Yu |
| Georgios Giannakopoulos | Michelle E. Bartlett | Zhuo Sun |
| Georgios Zacharis | Michelle Y.W. Jiang | Zi Gao |
| Gerald Cupchik | Michitaka Yoshimura | Zoi A. Traga Philippakos |
| Ghulam Gilanie | Migle Baceviciene | Zoltán András Dániel |
| Giacomo Angelini | Miguel Rebelo | Zrinka Fišer |
| Giampiero Bardella |
2 February 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #31 - MDPI 30 Years, 500 Journals, UK Summit, Z-Forum Conference, APE
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 at 30: Three Decades of Open Science, Built Together
As we begin 2026, we approach a meaningful milestone in MDPI’s history: 30 years of advancing Open Science.
What began in 1996 as a small, researcher-driven initiative has grown into a global open-access publisher, supporting hundreds of journals, millions of researchers, and a shared belief that scientific knowledge should be openly available to all. Over these three decades, Open Access has moved from the margins to the mainstream, and MDPI has been proud to help shape that transformation.
To mark this anniversary year, we are pleased to share our MDPI 30th Anniversary logo.
The Anniversary logo is intentionally simple, confident, and enduring, designed to work across cultures, disciplines, and digital environments. It reflects both continuity and progress, honouring MDPI’s established identity while representing the company we are today. The green accent symbolizes our connection to the research communities we serve and the collaborative nature of Open Science itself.
Alongside the visual identity, we are also introducing our 30th Anniversary tagline:
30 Years of Open Science, Built Together.

This phrase captures what has always defined MDPI. Open Science is not the work of a single organization: it is a collective effort shaped by researchers, editors, reviewers, institutions, and the many teams who support the publishing process every day. MDPI’s role has been to provide the infrastructure and commitment that allow this collaboration to thrive.
Throughout 2026, we will mark this anniversary through regional events, global conversations, and editorial initiatives that reflect on MDPI’s evolution, its impact across disciplines, and the communities that make this work possible.
“Open Science is a collective effort”
Whether you have been part of MDPI’s journey for decades or are engaging with us for the first time this year, this milestone belongs to all of us. The past 30 years have shown what is possible when openness, trust, and collaboration are placed at the centre of scholarly communication.
As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: continuing to strengthen quality, integrity, and partnership – so that Open Science can keep moving forward, together.
Impactful Research

A Shared Milestone: MDPI’s Journal Portfolio Reaches 500 Titles
MDPI has reached an important milestone: our journal portfolio grew to more than 500 academic journals last year, spanning the fields of chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, environmental sciences, the social sciences, and beyond.
The number itself is significant, but what matters more is what supports it: hundreds of scholarly communities that have chosen to collaborate, grow, and publish with MDPI.
From our beginnings nearly 30 years ago with a single Open Access journal (Molecules), MDPI has been guided by a simple aim: advancing Open Science. Reaching 500 journals is not an endpoint. It reflects the diversity of disciplines, ideas, and research cultures that now form part of our shared ecosystem.
Growth with Purpose
Every journal exists because a specific community believes there is a need for focus, visibility, and dialogue in a particular field. As our portfolio has expanded, so has our responsibility to ensure that scale is matched with strong editorial standards, robust research integrity practices, and meaningful academic leadership.
This milestone comes as we enter MDPI’s 30th anniversary year, a fitting moment to reflect on what scale in scholarly publishing truly requires: not only reach, but also dedicated long-term stewardship.
New Journals, New Communities
In December 2025 alone, MDPI welcomed eight newly launched journals and three journal transfers (details below), all of which published their inaugural issues by year-end.

Each of these journals is shaped by its Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members, who define its scope, standards, and direction. We are grateful for the time, expertise, and commitment they bring to building these new communities.
Welcoming Transferred and Acquired Journals
We were pleased to publish the first MDPI issues of three recently transferred or acquired journals:
- Cardiovascular Medicine – advancing research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease
- Germs – addressing infectious diseases through clinical, public health, and translational perspectives
- Romanian Journal of Preventive Medicine (RJPM) – supporting population health, early detection, and preventive care in collaboration with the Romanian Society of Preventive Medicine
Each of these journals brings an established identity and legacy. Our role is to support their continued development with the same editorial rigor, transparency, and Open Access principles that guide our broader portfolio.
A Collective Achievement
Reaching more than 500 journals is not the achievement of any single team or individual. It is the result of collaboration across the entire scholarly ecosystem. As such, I would like to thank our authors, reviewers, academic editors, and Editorial Board Members, as well as our colleagues across MDPI, who support these communities every day.
As we look ahead, we will continue to expand the breadth and depth of our publishing activities while remaining attentive to the evolving expectations of Open Science, research integrity, and responsible growth.
This milestone is a reminder that Open Access publishing is not only about making research available. It is about building platforms where knowledge can be shared, challenged, improved, and trusted, at scale, and with care.
Inside Research

MDPI UK Summit 2026 in Manchester (21–22 January)
On 21–22 January, we had the pleasure of hosting the MDPI UK Summit 2026 in Manchester. Over two days, we welcomed more than 20 Editors-in-Chief (EiC), Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiC), and Associate Editors for an open, in-depth conversations about how MDPI supports Open Science, editorial independence, and research standards across our journals.
What stood out most was not just the quality of the discussions, but the openness, curiosity, and mutual respect that shaped every session.
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What We Covered
The programme was designed to give insight into how MDPI works behind the scenes and how different teams collaborate to support our journals and editors. Topics included:
- MDPI overview and the evolving Open Access market
- MDPI–UK collaboration and local engagement
- Editorial and peer-review processes
- Research integrity and publication ethics
- Institutional partnerships
- Indexing, journal development, and academic community engagement
Sessions were led by MDPI colleagues across editorial, research integrity, indexing, partnerships, and UK operations, showing how cross-functional our work truly is.
What We Heard
The feedback from editors was both encouraging and grounding:
- 92% rated the Summit Excellent (8% Good)
- 100% said their understanding of MDPI’s values, editorial processes, and local collaborations had significantly improved
- 69% attended primarily to stay informed about academic publishing and research integrity
- 85% felt fully heard and engaged
A few comments that stayed with me:
- “Today’s event truly gave me the opportunity to see the heart of MDPI UK.”
- “The summit was very informative – I really enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes operations.”
- “Keep being open to discussions and making editors feel part of the MDPI family.”
These reflections remind us that transparency, listening, and dialogue are not nice-to-haves: they are foundational to trust.
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Looking Ahead
The UK Summit is one of more than 10 MDPI Summits we are organizing this year across North America, Europe, and APAC. Each one is an investment in relationships, shared understanding, and improvement.
Thank you to the MDPI UK team and supporting colleagues across departments who made this event possible. This was a positive step in strengthening our editorial engagement and kicking off a year of MDPI Summits.
Coming Together for Science

Recapping the Z-Forum 2026 Conference on Sustainability and Innovation (15–16 January 2026)
In January, MDPI supported and participated in the Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation, held across Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the city of Baden. With 96 participants and more than 30 speakers and panellists, the forum brought together leaders from government, academia, industry, and innovation ecosystems to explore how sustainability, Open Science, and innovation intersect in practice.
Why this mattered for MDPI
As a Swiss-based publisher with global reach, our investment in Z-Forum reflects a strategic intent: to anchor MDPI more deeply within Swiss research networks while contributing to national and international conversations on sustainability and innovation.
This was not only about visibility; it was also about relationship-building and long-term engagement with institutions shaping research policy and practice in Switzerland.
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High-level participation and credibility
The forum was supported and sponsored by several key Swiss institutions, including:
- The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) – Switzerland’s central research funding body
- ETH Zurich
- The University of Zurich
- The University of Basel
- Swiss Innovation Park Central
The sponsorship of SNSF lent the forum strong institutional credibility and signalled the relevance of the themes discussed, especially around sustainability, innovation frameworks, and responsible research practices.
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Beyond the Room: Extending the Conversation
While attendance was intentionally focused to encourage dialogue, the forum’s reach extended well beyond the venue. Multiple LinkedIn posts before and during the event (e.g., Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, and more) built on the discussions and helped position MDPI as an active and credible contributor within Switzerland’s research and innovation landscape.
A Broader Strategic Signal
Z-Forum is part of a wider effort to:
- Build on MDPI’s Swiss institutional relationships
- Reinforce our leadership in Open Science and sustainability
- Engage proactively with funders, universities, and innovation bodies
- Ensure MDPI remains a visible and constructive partner in the ecosystems where research policy and practice are shaped
Thank you to our Conference team and everyone involved in supporting this event, both behind the scenes and on the ground. These moments of engagement may be small in scale, but they are foundational in impact.

Closing Thoughts

Reflections from the Academic Publishing in Europe Conference
During 13-14 January, I attended the Academic Publishing in Europe (APE) Conference in Berlin, a long-standing forum for discussing scholarly publishing and the deeper principles that support it.

MDPI was proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the 20th Anniversary of the APE conference, reflecting our continued commitment to supporting the scholarly community to engage in critical industry discussions.
This year’s program covered a range of topics, from AI and research integrity to policy, infrastructure, and trust, but one theme stood out clearly for me: academic freedom, and what it means to protect the conditions under which knowledge can be produced, evaluated, and shared responsibly.
Before turning to that, I would like to highlight the opening keynote by Carolin Sutton (CEO, STM), which helped set the tone for the conference.
An Independent Publishing Industry: The Case for Checks and Balances
In her opening remarks, Carolin focused on the importance of continually evolving systems of checks and balances, both operationally and at the marketplace level, to prevent any single actor from dominating knowledge production. Her framing emphasized shared responsibility across publishers, institutions, and research communities, rather than placing the burden on any one group.
As part of this, she revisited the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, and his CUDOS norms of scientific ethos, first articulated in his 1942 work, The Normative Structure of Science.

Merton outlined four ideals that support healthy scientific systems:
- Communalism – knowledge as a public good
- Universalism – evaluation based on merit, not status or identity
- Disinterestedness – orientation toward truth over personal or financial gain
- Organized Skepticism – systematic, critical scrutiny of claims
While these are ideals, and not guarantees that are perfectly lived up to, they remain powerful reference points today for research systems and organizations as they aim to grow and scale.
It was interesting to see how closely these norms align with foundational principles of Open Access. For example, making research openly available supports communalism. Transparent peer review and editorial processes reinforce universalism and organized skepticism. Strong ethics frameworks and governance help counter conflicts of interest and support disinterestedness.
“Merton’s ideals remain powerful reference points today”
Safeguarding Research: Academic Freedom
Several of the conference sessions touched on the pressures faced by researchers, editors, and institutions: geopolitical tensions, online harassment, misinformation, reputational risk, shrinking resources, and politicized narratives around science.

“Integrity is not static. It must be actively maintained as systems grow.”
A particularly timely presentation came from Ilyas Saliba, who talked about academic freedom. His remarks resonated strongly and underlined the fact that safety in academia is not only physical or digital, but also intellectual.
Academic freedom means safeguarding the ability to ask difficult questions, challenge consensus, publish negative or unexpected results, and participate in scholarly debate without fear of undue personal, political, or commercial consequences. These discussions were a reminder that publishers play an important role in supporting the integrity, accessibility, and credibility of scholarly knowledge, particularly as researchers and institutions face mounting external pressures.
Looking Ahead
The discussions at APE reminded me that integrity is not static. It must be actively maintained as systems grow, expectations evolve, and pressures increase. This applies equally to research integrity, academic freedom, and the broader trust placed in scholarly communication.
I left APE encouraged by the openness of the dialogue and the willingness across publishers, institutions, and communities to engage with difficult questions rather than avoid them. Forums like this play a pivotal role in helping our industry pause, reflect, and recalibrate.
As MDPI continues to grow and as we enter our 30th anniversary, these conversations remind me of the core purpose of science: advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 January 2026
Meet Us at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting, 8–12 April 2026, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Conference: 2026 AERA Annual Meeting
Organization: American Educational Research Association
Date: 8–12 April 2026
Place: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Booth: 129
Each year, the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of education researchers and a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative studies across an array of areas. The 2026 AERA Annual Meeting, with the theme “Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures: Constructing a New Vision for Education Research”, will take place in Los Angeles, CA, from 8 to 12 April 2026.
With more than 2500 sessions to choose from, the meeting provides a dynamic experience, with opportunities to learn from prominent scholars, discover the latest research, engage in stimulating conversations, and foster professional relationships.
The following open access journals will be represented:
- Education Sciences;
- Disabilities;
- Encyclopedia;
- Psychology International;
- Social Sciences;
- Societies;
- Trends in Higher Education;
- Youth;
- Behavioral Sciences;
- Challenges;
- EJIHPE;
- IME.
If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to visit our booth (#129). 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.aera.net/AERA2026.
20 January 2026
International Day of Education, 24 January 2026
24 January marks the International Day of Education, a global observance highlighting the vital role of education in empowering young people and building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable societies. Closely aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, this year’s theme underscores the importance of engaging youth as active partners in reimagining how learning works. With young people comprising more than half of the global population, strengthening teaching and learning, supporting diverse learner needs, and embracing innovation are essential to equipping future generations with the skills and opportunities to shape the futures they aspire to.
Reflecting this mission, established MDPI journals in Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities serve as platforms for scholarly exchange and collaboration, advancing research on youth-centered learning, inclusive education, learner outcomes, emotional resilience, and the role of emerging technologies in modern education. Through these efforts, MDPI supports meaningful dialogue and research addressing both current and emerging challenges in education.



Invited speakers:
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Dr. Sherif Abdelhamid, Virginia Military Institute, USA |
Prof. Dr. Albert Ziegler, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany |
Prof. Alison Kington, University of Worcester, UK |
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Dr. Ben Looker, University of Worcester, UK |
Dr. Amy Been Bennett, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA |
Dr. Amira Elnokaly, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK |
Register for this webinar for free here!

We are pleased to share insights from our speakers as they reflect on education. They were invited to provide a short reflection on their presentation topic or respond to the question: “What is the biggest challenge or opportunity in education today?”
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Name: Dr. Sherif E. Abdelhamid Affiliation: Computer and Information Sciences Department, Virginia Military Institute, USA “The future of education depends on our ability to design learning experiences that use technology to be more adaptive, immersive, and supportive of every student’s individual journey. By thoughtfully integrating technology into our classrooms and learning ecosystems, we can transform engagement into genuine empowerment—helping learners build confidence, resilience, and ownership over their success. In this presentation, I will share several learning platforms—including those I developed at VMI—that demonstrate how technology can humanize learning and expand opportunities for all”. |
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Name: Dr. Amira Elnokaly Affiliation: School of Design and Architecture, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK “Education today must do more than inform; it must empower learners to navigate a rapidly changing global landscape with confidence, creativity, and purpose. My work focuses on creating internationally attuned, inclusive, and industry-connected learning environments that help students find their voice, identity, and place in the world. I believe the future of higher education lies in its ability to build meaningful bridges between knowledge, practice, and societal need”. |
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Name: Prof. Dr. Albert Ziegler Affiliation: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Psychology, Germany “The biggest challenge in education today is that our systems were built for a world that no longer exists. We still organise learning through rigid structures and narrow definitions of ability, even as technological, social, and economic conditions demand far more flexible and resource-rich environments. The task ahead is to redesign systems so that every learner can access the conditions that allow talent to grow”. |

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~ Research Insight “Inclusive education has dismantled learning barriers, empowering students to fully engage academically and socially at universities.” |
~ Research Insight “In South Africa, English terminology in sexuality education is perceived as less vulgar than local language terms, shaping cultural acceptance of CSE.” |
~ Research Insight “ChatGPT can hallucinate false information, making AI-generated answers sound credible and leaving students struggling to detect errors in education.” |
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~ Social Sciences |
~ Sexes |
“Using ChatGPT in Education: Human Reflection on ChatGPT’s Self-Reflection” ~ Societies |
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“Educational Constructivism”
by Keith S. Taber
Encyclopedia 2024, 4(4), 1534-1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4040100
“Student-Centered Active Learning Improves Performance in Solving Higher-Level Cognitive Questions in Health Sciences Education”
by Nieves Martín-Alguacil and Luis Avedillo
Int. Med. Educ. 2024, 3(3), 346-362; https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3030026
“Innovative FOCUS: A Program to Foster Creativity and Innovation in the Context of Education for Sustainability”
by Kurt Haim and Wolfgang Aschauer
Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2257; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062257
“Using ChatGPT in Education: Human Reflection on ChatGPT’s Self-Reflection”
by Eugène Loos, Johanna Gröpler and Marie-Louise Sophie Goudeau
Societies 2023, 13(8), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13080196
Call for Papers:
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“Emerging Approaches, Innovation and Sustainability in Higher Education Teaching and Learning” Guest Editor: Dr. Abílio Afonso Lourenço Submission deadline: 31 May 2026 |
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Dina Tsagari and Prof. Dr. Karin Vogt Submission deadline: 30 September 2026 |
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“Inclusive Education, Intellectual Disabilities and the Demise of Full Inclusion”
by Garry Hornby and James M. Kauffman
J. Intell. 2024, 12(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12020020
“A Critical Systematic Literature Review of Global Inclusive Education Using an Affective, Intersectional, Discursive, Emotive and Material Lens”
by David Isaac Hernández-Saca, Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides and Susan Larson Etscheidt
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121212
“Enhancing Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Students with Disabilities: Insights from Ontario’s Educational Framework”
by Adam Davies, Justin Brass, Victoria Martins Mendonca, Samantha O’Leary, Malissa Bryan and Ruth Neustifter
Sexes 2023, 4(4), 522-535; https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes4040034
“Systematic Review on New Challenges of University Education Today: Innovation in the Educational Response and Teaching Perspective on Students with Disabilities”
by María Dolores Pérez-Esteban, Jose Juan Carrión-Martínez and Luis Ortiz Jiménez
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(4), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040245
Call for Papers:
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“Educational Innovation and Child Participation in Early Childhood Education” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ana Castro Zubizarreta and Prof. Dr. Roberto Sanz Ponce Submission deadline: 30 June 2026 |
“Encyclopedia of Social Sciences” Collection Editors: Dr. Kum Fai Yuen, Dr. Xueqin Wang and Dr. Xue Li
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“Mapping the Trajectory of Planetary Health Education—A Critical and Constructive Perspective from the Global South”
by Isaías Lescher Soto, Bernabé Vidal, Lorenzo Verger and Gustavo J. Nagy
Challenges 2025, 16(4), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16040050
“Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE): Psychometric Properties in a Sample of Portuguese University Students”
by Sílvia Ala, Francisco Ramos Campos and Inês Carvalho Relva
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2024, 14(4), 1044-1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14040068
“The Collective Influence of Intolerance of Uncertainty, Cognitive Test Anxiety, and Academic Self-Handicapping on Learner Outcomes: Evidence for a Process Model”
by Jerrell C. Cassady, Addison Helsper and Quinton Quagliano
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14020096
Call for Papers:
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“Health Professions Education Advancements and Innovations—International Perspectives” Guest Editors: Dr. Douglas McHugh and Dr. Anthony Payne Submission deadline: 26 January 2026 |
Guest Editors: Dr. Pras Ramluggun and Prof. Dr. Tamara Power Submission deadline: 10 May 2026 |
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14 January 2026
Meet Us at the 2026 APS Annual Convention, 28–30 May 2026, Barcelona, Spain
MDPI will be attending the 2026 Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention held in Barcelona, from 28 to 30 May 2026. The conference is being organized by the Association for Psychological Science, which is a scientific home to thousands of leading psychological science researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students from around the world dedicated to advancing scientific psychology across disciplinary and geographic borders.
This year’s program features six Integrative Science Symposia (ISS), each exploring complex scientific questions through research from multiple domains. Recognizing the transformative influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on our science and society, AI topics will be found throughout the program. Additionally, you can expect to find cutting-edge explorations of mental health, brain development, individual and collective cognition, language, culture, polarization, and threats to democracy.
The 2026 Annual Convention will also include an Industry Day—programming that explores psychological science in non-academic settings. This is an outstanding opportunity to see how psychological science is being applied in real-world settings as well as the kind of work that psychological scientists do in non-academic environments.
In addition to these new offerings, the APS Annual Convention is the international psychological science conference that features cutting-edge and integrative science symposia, posters, submitted talks, and flash talks from all areas of the field.
The following open access journals will be represented:
- Behavioral Sciences;
- Adolescents;
- Disabilities;
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH);
- Journal of Intelligence;
- Psychology International;
- Sexes;
- Youth;
- Challenges;
- European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education (EJIHPE);
- Education Sciences;
- Languages;
- Trends in Public Health.
































































