Welcome message by Webinar Chair, Dr. Dev Raj Paudyal:

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the special webinar to commemorate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day. The webinar is organized by the MDPI open access journal ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (IJGI, ISSN: 2220-9964) to encourage scientists to raise awareness about the importance of geography and GIS technology.

GIS Day is a very special day to celebrate and enjoy all of the exciting GIS activities and projects that have been conducted and accomplished over the year. GIS Day provides an international forum for learners, scholars, and practitioners of geographic information science and technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society.

The first formal GIS Day took place in 1999. Esri president and co-founder Jack Dangermond credits Ralph Nader with being the person who inspired the creation of GIS Day. Nader considered GIS Day a good initiative for people to learn about geography and the uses of GIS and wanted GIS Day to be a grassroots effort that was open to everyone.

The webinar title this year is “GeoAI and the Future of Spatial Analytics”. We have invited three distinguished scholars to deliver presentations. Let’s celebrate GIS Day together.

Date: 20 November 2024 at 06.00 a.m. CET | 12:00 a.m. EST | 1:00 p.m. CST Asia

Webinar ID: 885 5794 5831

Register now for free!

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 inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dev Raj Paudyal (Chair), School of Surveying and Built Environment, University of Southern Queensland, Australia;
• Wenwen Li, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, USA;
• Sisi Zlatanova,University of New South Wales, Australia;
• Yongze Song, School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University, Australia.

Join us for an engaging webinar! Coastal waterways and the natural systems that surround them are changing at an unprecedented rate due to population growth, the intensification of land use, and climate change. Monitoring the health of coastal waterways as well as natural systems and documenting their pace and pattern of change are both vital for informing coastal management and guiding solutions. In this webinar, Tracking Coastal Change with Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Techniques, we will explore a series of emerging technologies for achieving such coastal monitoring and change assessment tasks. Over the course of a series of short presentations, we will share the scope of the interdisciplinary work being pursued by members of the University of Florida's Center for Coastal Solutions in the rapidly growing space of geospatial AI, in addition to highlighting innovative application examples. These examples will include the exploration of (1) a new deep learning-based method for identifying tidal creeks and wetland features from high-resolution remotely sensed images, (2) an AI-enhanced technique for assessing salt marsh morphology from UAV-derived images, and (3) a neural network classifier that combines remote sensing data with spatiotemporally distributed in situ sample data to monitor blooms of the potentially harmful algae Karenia brevis (or red tide). We will welcome questions to engage and include the audience through the webinar.

Date: 21 November 2024
Time: 4:00 p.m. CET | 10:00 a.m. EDT | 11:00 p.m. CST Asia
Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UtOEEZb4T2eLv8sOBAZdqA
Webinar ID: 842 6788 0032
Webinar Secretariat: [email protected]
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-28

Register now for free!

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

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

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Christine Angelini, Center for Coastal Solution, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, USA;
• Ms. Richa Dutt, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, USA;
• Dr. Daniele Pinton, Civil and Coastal Engineering, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, USA;
• Dr. Ron Fick, Center for Coastal Solutions, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida.

Relevant Topic Information:
“Advances in Earth Observation and Geosciences”
Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera and Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez

MDPI is collaborating with the University of Barcelona, Spain, to hold an author training session comprising valuable insights about MDPI and open access publishing. MDPI has invited Academic Editors from the journals Sensors (ISSN: 1424-8220) and Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) to inform authors about how to explore ongoing Special Issues and topics and discover opportunities tailored to specific author groups.

Date: 5 November 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Venue: “Eduard Fontserè” Graduate Room in the School of Physics and Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Spain

Schedule:

MDPI Speakers:

Five new journals covering a diverse range of subjects launched their inaugural issue in September 2024. Like other journals in MDPI’s portfolio, these journals are dedicated to sharing the latest research through open access, reflecting our commitment to making knowledge accessible to all.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Editorial Board Members for their dedication to the launch and development of our new journals. Each journal will ensure its high-quality output via excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes so that the published articles achieve significant impact and broad visibility.

We invite you to explore and learn more about these new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Nejat Düzgüneş, University of the Pacific, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	biological therapy and stem-cell therapy; drug therapy; chemotherapy; radiation and other nonsurgical therapeutic strategies | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Magda Tsolaki, Greek Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease, Greece; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece | Editorial | view inaugural issue	surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Steven R. Fassnacht, Colorado State University, USA; Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	ice as a mineral; atmospheric ice; sea ice; freshwater ice; ice sheets; ice caps and ice shelves | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Francisco Epelde, Hospital Universitari Parc Tauli, Spain; University Autonoma of Barcelona, Spain | Editorial | view inaugural issue	hospital management; hospital facilities; hospital services; hospital risk management; health law | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Nicola Ferri, University of Padova, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	lipids in cells and whole organisms; lipid structure and function; lipid products and processes; dietary lipids and nutrition | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

In order to further enhance the international influence of the journal Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292), promote the academic exchange of young scientists, and support the Editorial Board with additional expertise, Remote Sensing is inviting interested and eligible early career researchers to apply for an Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) membership.

A total of 50 Early Career Editorial Board Members are planned to be recruited. Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) members will hold the position for two years with the possibility of renewal for a second term.

Application Eligibility:

• Completed their doctorate/Ph.D. degree in the past 10 years (considering exceptions for career interruptions, including medical and family leave);
• The candidate must have served as the first author of at least five peer-reviewed and published manuscripts;
• Evidence of significant research achievements in the field of remote sensing;
• Willingness to dedicate their time to the development of the journal with passion and enthusiasm;
• Researchers that are active and engaged in their community (e.g., experienced at presenting at academic conferences or involved in professional organizations).

Benefits of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• A certificate of appointment as an Early Career Editorial Board Member will be provided;
• The achievements of Early Career Editorial Board Members are publicized on journal media platforms to improve academic visibility;
• An opportunity will be provided to be promoted to Editorial Board Member based on contributions;
• The journal will regularly acknowledge those who participate in the peer-review process on the journal website;
• Opportunities to participate in or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• Publicizing and promoting the journal at academic conferences and among peers;
• Selecting high-quality articles and preparing bilingual media content for promotion;
• Reviewing at least four manuscripts per year;
• Providing input on any new initiatives of journal development;
• Inviting submissions from leading scientists (local and overseas) in their respective research fields.

Applications:
Please fill in the application form here.

Please send the application form and your academic resume to [email protected] with the subject of “Remote Sensing Early Career Editorial Board Application + Name + Institute + Research Expertise”.

Application deadline: 31 December 2024.

Selection Process and Announcement:
The selection process: initial screening of application materials → selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members → email notification → issuing a certificate of appointment.

The selection will be made within one month of the application deadline and the results will be announced on the journal website.

Conference: ISPRS Technical Commission IV Symposium 2024
Date: 22–25 October 2024
Location: Fremantle, Perth, Australia

MDPI will attend the ISPRS Technical Commission IV Symposium 2024 which will be held from 22 to 25 October 2024 in Perth, Australia. The ISPRS Technical Commission IV Symposium 2024 is jointly organized by UPINLBS2024, the Geospatial Council of Australia (GCA), and FOSS4G Perth. The ISPRS Technical Commission IV Symposium provides a forum where researchers and practitioners can come together and share their work and ideas, discuss opportunities and challenges, exchange developments or software tools and discuss future directions. The symposium is also a great place for networking and establishing links between academia, governments and business, and young and emerging professionals in the geospatial sciences.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• IJGI;
• Remote Sensing;
• Atmosphere;
• Geographies;
• Data;
• Drones;
• Applied Sciences;
• Technologies;
• Sensors;
• Geomatics;
• Earth.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.isprs.org/tc4-symposium2024/index.html.

As a leader in open access publishing, MDPI is eager to explore new collaboration opportunities, including the launch of new journals and the transfer of existing ones. At present, MDPI publishes over 400 journals, more than 160 of which have established partnerships with academic organizations. Additionally, we publish 19 association journals.

In order to enhance exchange and cooperation with scientific researchers and share the results of open science, MDPI invites experts and scholars from various fields to submit proposals for new journal collaboration opportunities. If your proposal is approved, you could take on the role of Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, or Editorial Board Member of the journal. This position allows you to manage the manuscript review process alongside our editorial department, participate in calls for papers, strengthen your network with scholars in the field, expand scientific research cooperation, enhance your personal and academic influence internationally, and play a leading role in academia.

Once the new journal is online, MDPI will provide a variety of promotional channels to market the journal internationally.

MDPI will offer various promotional channels to enhance its visibility and promote it internationally.

How can you determine the theme of a new journal?

• Assess research hotspots/academic frontiers;
• Assess pioneers in the field/key research directions of universities;
• Determine whether MDPI has already established a journal in the field.

You can browse MDPI’s existing journals at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

Advantages of collaborating with MDPI:

• MDPI is a global leader in open-access publishing with extensive academic resources.
• MDPI offers a professional publishing team that provides comprehensive support throughout the publishing process.
• MDPI’s diverse promotional platforms and channels help journals quickly increase their international visibility and influence.

We invite you to submit new journal proposal here, and contribute to academic development! In addition, if your institution (university, institute, college, national key laboratory, society, etc.) intends to establish a journal, you can also submit a draft to MDPI on its behalf.

MDPI journals frequently grant travel awards to empower junior researchers to showcase their latest research at academic conferences, thereby amplifying their impact within their research fields.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 103 recipients of MDPI's 2023 Travel Awards from different countries and territories for their exceptional presentations. These outstanding individuals were selected by the journal editors based on the strength of their research proposals and the anticipated impact of their presentations at academic conferences. We commend their exceptional contributions and wish them continued success in their academic endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about the list of awardees, please visit the following pages:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Public Health and Healthcare;
• Others.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

Conference: American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024
Date: 9–13 December 2024
Location: Washington, D.C., USA

MDPI will be attending the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024, which will be held from 9 to 13 December 2024 in Washington, D.C., USA.

AGU’s annual meeting, the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists, convenes 25,000+ attendees from 100+ countries to share research and connect with friends and colleagues. Scientists, educators, policymakers, journalists and communicators attend AGU24 to better understand our planet and environment, opening pathways to discovery, generating greater awareness to address climate change, driving greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Water;
• Remote Sensing;
• Atmosphere;
• Sustainability;
• Geosciences;
• Land;
• Minerals;
• Earth;
• Fire;
• IJGI;
• Hydrology;
• Geomatics;
• Drones;
• GeoHazards. 

If you are planning to attend the conference, we encourage you to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the official website at https://www.agu.org/annual-meeting.

MDPI will be attending the 2024 China Geography Conference in Nanjing, China, which will take place from 26 to 28 September 2024. The conference will focus on the theme of “Development and Innovation of Chinese Geography”, review the theory and practice of Chinese geography, summarize the latest achievements in geographical theory, methods, technology, and application in recent years, and discuss important scientific issues such as China’s geography and ecological environment, resource utilization, and sustainable development under global changes and new development patterns. Discussing the innovation of geography in the new era, promoting the overall improvement of the teaching and research level of Chinese geography, and serving the latest needs of national economic and social development in the new era are also a focus of the conference. If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth; our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Land (leading);
• Quaternary (leading);
• Remote Sensing;
• Geographies;
• IJGI;
• Hydrology;
• Sustainability;
• Earth.

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are granted to promising young scholars whose PhD theses are deemed exceptional within their respective research fields. These awards aim to encourage young scholars to continue their outstanding accomplishments and further contribute to their field.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 54 winners of the 2023 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) is proud to announce a new chapter in its editorial journey. As we bid farewell to our esteemed former Editor-in-Chief for the “Remote Sensing of Engineering” Section, Prof. Mattia Crespi, whose visionary leadership and dedication have been pivotal to our growth, we extend our deepest gratitude for his service.

We are very pleased to welcome Prof. Massimiliano Pieraccini as the journal’s new Section Editor-in-Chief, as of 5 of July 2024. In addition to his role, he works as a full professor and as the President of the School of Electronic Engineering at the University of Florence, Italy. He is the holder of several patents and was the recipient of the Nello Carrara Degree Prize. His research primarily covers the applications and techniques of synthetic aperture radar and ground-penetrating radar, and he has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

 
 
Name: Prof. Massimiliano Pieraccini
Affiliation: Department of Information Engineering (DINFO), University of Florence, Via Santa Marta, Firenze, Italy
Keywords: radar imaging; synthetic aperture radar; electromagnetics; RF engineering; antennas and propagation; remote sensing; telecommunications engineering; radar signal processing; SAR interferometry; electrical and electronics engineering
 
 
 

We are confident that under Prof. Massimiliano Pieraccini's guidance, our Section will continue to set the standard for excellence in engineering remote sensing, fostering intellectual discourse and innovation within our community.

The following is a Q&A with Prof. Massimiliano Pieraccini, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role of Section Editor-in-Chief?
It is one of the journals closer to my research activity and its ranking is rather good.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
Remote sensing is a discipline that was born with satellite or airborne data and this should remain its focus. Nevertheless, new platforms are emerging and they are becoming increasingly important: unmanned aerial systems and ground-based systems. The journal should place a suitable emphasis to these topics.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
Artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial systems will have a disruptive impact in this field.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Open access is mandatory for all research results obtained with public funds in Europe. This gives a great impulse to this publication modality.

We look forward to working with Prof. Massimiliano Pieraccini and welcoming him to the journal!

MDPI will be attending the 18th European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV 2024) in MiCo Milano, Italy, which will take place from 29 September to 4 October 2024. The European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV) is a premier biennial research conference in Computer Vision and Machine Learning, managed by the European Computer Vision Association (ECVA). It is held on even years and gathers the scientific and industrial communities within these areas. The first ECCV was held in 1990 in Antibes, France, and the conference has subsequently been organized all over Europe.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Applied Sciences;
• Electronics;
• AI;
• Future Internet;
• Inventions;
• Journal of Imaging;
• Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction;
• Mathematics;
• Remote Sensing;
• Technologies.

If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://eccv.ecva.net/.

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising early career scientists, acknowledge their contributions, and foster collaboration within the scientific community. We are proud to announce the recipients for 2023, who were carefully selected by the journals’ esteemed Award Evaluation Committee.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 79 winners of MDPI’s 2023 Young Investigator Awards for their excellent contributions in their research field. We look forward to seeing these rising stars continue to contribute to the advancement of science.

MDPI will continue to support and recognize the academic community. To explore details about the awardees by field, please visit the individual pages listed below:

Congratulations to all the winners for their exceptional contributions and dedication to advancing scientific research.

About MDPI Awards:
To support the academic community, particularly young researchers, and to enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help to elevate the profiles of talented individuals who have made outstanding achievements and are making significant contributions to advancements in their respective fields.

To find out more about MDPI awards, please click here.

In recent years, the utilization of drones has increased globally, with fresh applications and uses continually emerging. In remote, rural regions, drones have the potential to perform a wide range of tasks, including surveillance via cameras or other sensors; this enables them to act as mobile gateways and provide connectivity or facilitate the transportation of goods to challenging, remote locations. While many of these applications are closely associated with primary sector activities such as agriculture and livestock, their adaptability extends to various other industries and urban areas.

This webinar will present three referent European projects associated with the development of rural areas, and it will use drones as the main thread. The scope of drone utilization in rural regions is extensive, spanning sectors such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, other industrial domains, environmental monitoring, and the assessment of water quality in rivers and lakes. Drones also play a vital role in firefighting efforts and provide assistance to the population, particularly elderly individuals.

We are privileged to feature recognized industry and academic experts who will share their experiences and insights regarding the effective leveraging of these technologies to achieve enhanced results and elevate the productivity of drones. So, whether you are a researcher, applied scientist, commercial drone user, or simply interested in the development of drones, we invite you to join us for this webinar.

Additionally, CHAMELEON, ICAERUS and SPADE are the organizations working with us for this webinar. Kindly find more information about the organizations below:

• CHAMELEON is a Horizon Europe Project that aims to optimize production and identify potential problems in agriculture, livestock, forestry and rural areas. For more information, kindly visit https://chameleon-heu.eu;
• ICAERUS is an EU-funded project that aspires to advance the use of drones in agricultural production, forestry and rural communities. For more information, kindly visit https://icaerus.eu/;
• SPADE is a project funded by the European Union within the Horizon Europe program, with 21 partners from 10 European countries. For more information, kindly visit https://spade-horizon.eu/.

Date: 19 September 2024 at 02.00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 8:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 892 0367 9034
Webinar Announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Topics-26

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining 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.

Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera (Chair), Cartographic and Land Engineering Department, Higher Polytechnic School of Avila, University of Salamanca, Hornos Caleros, Avila, Spain;
• Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez (Chair), Department of Mining Technology, Topography and Structures, University of León, Avda. Astorga, Ponferrada, Spain;
• Dr. David Sánchez-Jiménez, Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica y del Terreno, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain;
• Dr. Costas T. Davarakis, Nydor System Technologies AE, Athens, Greece;
• Dr. Vasilis Psiroukis, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece;
• Ms. Esther Vera Moreno, Noumena, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 690, Barcelona, Spain.

Relevant Special Issues:

“Aerial and Drone LiDAR Data for Geomorphological Mapping, Landform Extraction and Landscape Evolution”
Guest Editors: Dr. Dario Gioia, Dr. Nicodemo Abate, Dr. Giuseppe Corrado, Dr. Antonio Minervino Amodio and Prof. Marcello Schiattarella
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024

“UAV Agricultural Management: Recent Advances and Future Prospects”
Guest Editors: Dr. Hamdi Zurqani and Dr. Alessandro Matese
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2024

“Geographic Information Technologies and the New Challenges of Globalization in a Changing Environment”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ana Nieto Masot, Prof. Dr. Gema Cárdenas and Dr. José A. Gutiérrez Gallego
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024

“Spatial Information for Improved Living Spaces”
Guest Editors: Dr. Ivana Ivánová, Dr. Yongze Song and Prof. Dr. Sisi Zlatanova
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025

Relevant Papers:

“Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Agro-Terrestrial Surveys Comparison for Generating Digital Elevation Surfaces for Irrigation and Precision Grading”
by Richard A. Pickett, John W. Nowlin, Ahmed A. Hashem, Michele L. Reba, Joseph H. Massey and Scott Alsbrook
Drones 2023, 7(11), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7110649
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/7/11/649

“Recent Advances in Crop Disease Detection Using UAV and Deep Learning Techniques”
by Tej Bahadur Shahi, Cheng-Yuan Xu, Arjun Neupane and William Guo
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(9), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092450
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/9/2450

“Review of Remote Sensing Approaches and Soft Computing for Infrastructure Monitoring”
by Aggeliki Kyriou, Vassiliki Mpelogianni, Konstantinos Nikolakopoulos and Peter P. Groumpos
Geomatics 2023, 3(3), 367-392; https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics3030021
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7418/3/3/21

“Analysis of Landscape Character Assessment and Cultural Ecosystem Services Evaluation Frameworks for Peri-Urban Landscape Planning: A Case Study of Harku Municipality, Estonia”
Fiona Nevzati, Martti Veldi, Mart Külvik and Simon Bell
Land 2023, 12(10), 1825; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101825
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1825

“Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study in the Merbil Wetland of the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India”
by Durlov Lahon, Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Jatan Debnath, Nityaranjan Nath, Gowhar Meraj, Pankaj Kumar, Shizuka Hashimoto and Majid Farooq
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12(4), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12040165
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/12/4/165

In May, MDPI Romania held three author training sessions – one endorsing an external event and two stand-alone sessions.

The National Session of Scientific Student Communications took place at Technical University Cluj on 17 and 18 May 2024. MDPI Romania sponsored this event and contributed an author training session on the production of research papers and case study analyses. JRS Norbert Kiss gave a presentation called The World of Open Access to explain different open access publishing models and the benefits of open access publishing. His presentation highlighted the impact of open access publishing on scientific progress and innovation.

On 29 May 2024, MDPI Romania hosted an author training session for Ph.D. students, early career researchers, and professors at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In collaboration with Prof. Andreea Arsene, JRS Ioana Paunescu prepared two presentations: The Steps of the Publishing Process and Elaboration of a Peer Review Report. In her first presentation, she delved into MDPI’s history and mission, MDPI’s editorial process, and MDPI journals of various scopes that are accepting submissions. Her second presentation outlined the types of peer review, the contents of a peer review report by an MDPI reviewer, and the responsibilities of an MDPI reviewer.

MDPI Romania also hosted an author training session at the Iasi University of Life Sciences on 29 May 2024. JRSs Laurentiu Preda and Cosmin Artan gave four presentations: Efficient Writing of an ISI-Indexed Scientific Article, Benefits of Publishing in the Open Access Model, Various Methods of Open Access Publishing, and MDPI Guide for the Article Review Process. The first three presentations offered guidance on how to improve academic writing, the fourth focused on how to write peer review reports. A highly interactive discussion followed the presentations, during which the JRSs provided extensive answers to attendees’ questions.

MDPI is grateful for all the attendees, speakers, and organizers involved in these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

MDPI will be attending The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors & The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science held in Singapore from 1 to 4 August 2024.

The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors & The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science is being held by MDPI and will be a premier gathering of innovators, researchers, and experts at the forefront of sensors, sensing technology, artificial intelligence for sensing applications, and AI-enhanced sensing systems.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sensors;
• Micromachines;
• J. Imaging;
• Photonics;
• Energies;
• Actuators;
• AI;
• Automation;
• Biosensors;
• Chemosensors;
• Drones;
• Electronics;
• Inventions;
• JCP;
• JSAN;
• Machines;
• Materials;
• Metrology;
• Remote Sensing;
• Smart Cities;
• Technologies;
• Signals.

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

For more information about the conference, please see the following link:  https://sciforum.net/event/aisi3s2024.

MDPI will be attending the 31st International Conference on Geoinformatics, to be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 14 to 16 August 2024.

The International Conference on Geoinformatics is an official conference of the International Association of Chinese Professionals in Geographic Information Sciences (CPGIS) and has attracted not only the CPGIS community members but also researchers, professionals, and students from a broad range of communities. The conference is organized annually in different cities across the world, and as the organizers, we welcome you to the 31st International Conference on Geoinformatics to be organized in Toronto this year.

The main theme of the proposed conference is “Geospatial Sciences for Sustainability”. Under this theme, the objective of the conference is to offer an engaging platform for networking and exchanging new ideas and cutting-edge knowledge among diverse GIScience professionals worldwide and for promoting collaboration in geospatial science and sustainability.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Remote Sensing;
• IJGI;
• Land;
• Earth;
• Sustainability;
• Data;
• BDCC;
• Informatics;
• Smart Cities;
• Hydrology;
• Drones;
• Geosciences;
• Geomatics.

Our representatives, Dr. Elvis Wang and Dr. Zach Churcher, are eager to answer your questions and address any queries you may have.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.cpgis.org/Conferences/ConferenceDefault.aspx?ID=2080.

MDPI will attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, which will take place in London and online, from the evening of Tuesday 27 August to Friday 30 August 2024.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024 will be chaired by Professor Stephen Legg (University of Nottingham, UK). The Chair’s theme for this year's conference is mapping. The conference will explore mapping in all its forms, in a world that is saturated with maps, from historical cartography to the newest technologies and digital practices. Maps trace invasions, financial crises, pandemics and environmental disasters, and our responses to them. They plot and coordinate surveillance, and counter-plot evasion and resistance. They chart jet streams, oceanic oscillations and ozone holes, heatwaves, droughts, and drizzles. Maps map territory and sovereignty, but also evidence indigenous land claims and historical landscapes of meaning.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Land;
• Sustainability;
• IJGI;
• Forests;
• Atmosphere;
• Remote Sensing;
• Earth;
• Quaternary;
• Geomatics;
• Geosciences;
• Geographies.

If you are planning on attending this conference, please do not hesitate to stop by our booth #8 and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference.

MDPI will be attending The Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America 2024 held in Long Beach, USA, from 4 to 9 August 2024.

The annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America invites all ecologists to come together and share new knowledge, learn from one another, meet old friends and make new ones, and grow professionally. This year’s meeting will emphasize society’s mission of supporting ecologists throughout their careers. The emphasis recognizes the need for us to continually invest in all the people who advance the science and practice of ecology. Among many aspects of professional development, we are planning programming and invite contributions that consider the transformational potential of effective mentorship.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Land;
• Sustainability;
• Forests;
• Environments;
• Nitrogen;
• Diversity;
• Biology;
• Oceans;
• Resources;
• Ecologies;
• Remote Sensing;
• Hydrology.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth at #110. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://www.esa.org/longbeach2024/.

Five new journals covering multiple subjects have launched their inaugural issue in June 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the Editorial Board Members and each journal will ensure its high-quality output using excellent editorial and rigorous peer review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

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

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Marco Ranucci, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	anaesthetic medications; blood and fluid management; pain management; critical care; critical illness | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Giovanni E. Cacciamani, University of Southern California, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr.  Gassan Hodaifa, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain | Editorial | view inaugural issue	laboratory management; laboratory safety; protective equipment; laboratory problems and challenges; laboratory Innovation | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Texas A&M University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	companion animals health and disease; veterinary care and nutrition; genetics and genomics; behavior and welfare; human-animal relations | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola, University of Naples Federico II, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	real estate appraisal; economic and financial valuation of real estate projects; sustainable real estate; housing and urban economics | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

MDPI is pleased to announce the inclusion of 237 journals in the 2024 release of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and share the key results (see above).

This year, journals covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) received category ranks together with journals in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Overall, 139 MDPI journals indexed in ESCI are included in the new unified rankings for the first time.

Enhanced Comparability of Data

According to Clarivate, "the creation of unified category rankings [provides] a simpler and more complete category view for the evaluation of journal performance. [...] The category-first approach simplifies journal performance assessment with a holistic view of all journals in each subject category."

We are thrilled to announce that 72% of our ranked MDPI journals (171 of 237) are above average, in Q1 or Q2. Twenty-nine of our journals received their first Impact Factor this year, accounting for more than 5% of the journals accepted into the Web of Science last year.

MDPI Journals Ranked in JCR

The following data includes all MDPI journals indexed in SCIE, SSCI, ESCI and AHCI.

Source: 2023 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2024)

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to open science by making more research free and accessible to everyone. Over 3.5 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully open access titles.

From 14 to 19 April 2024, the EGU General Assembly 2024, a highly anticipated event in the global earth sciences community, was held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Austria. The conference not only provided a platform for earth scientists from around the world to exchange the latest research findings and discuss academic frontiers, but also witnessed several thrilling moments. In particular, the Outstanding Reviewer Award and Travel Award ceremony for Geosciences journal (ISSN: 2076-3263) stood out as a significant highlight of the conference.

During the week-long event, MDPI had a dedicated exhibition booth, showcasing its diverse range of journals and unique publishing characteristics. Concurrently, Geosciences journal organized an award ceremony, during which Section Editor-in-Chief (SEiC) Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe presented the Outstanding Reviewer Award to Dr. Simone Bello, who was represented by Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis in receiving the honor, and Dr. Yuchen Wang, and the Travel Award to Dr. Andrea Maffeis.

Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe, the SEiC of Geosciences journal, served as the guest presenter at the award ceremony. Not only is he a dedicated supporter and contributor to the journal, but he has also achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of earth sciences. He presented the winners with their certificates and expressed high recognition and praise for their academic achievements.

Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis; Dr. Andrea Maffeis; Ms. Bojana Mijanovic; Mrs. Oana Irina Karadag; Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe; Dr. Yuchen Wang (From left to the right)

The Outstanding Reviewer Award recognizes reviewers who have demonstrated excellence in their peer-review work for the journal and made significant contributions to the academic quality. These reviewers, with their profound academic knowledge and rigorous reviewing attitude, have provided valuable support for the journal's development. The Travel Award, on the other hand, aims to encourage young scholars to actively participate in international academic exchanges and enhance their research capabilities. The awarded young scholars have demonstrated remarkable research potential and academic pursuit in the field of earth sciences.

During the award ceremony, the winners shared their research insights and academic aspirations. They expressed that receiving recognition and encouragement from Geosciences journal is a great affirmation of their academic achievements and a driving force for them to continue moving forward.

In addition to the award ceremony, our representatives actively participated in various conference activities, engaging in in-depth exchanges and discussions with scholars from around the world. They not only shared the latest research findings and academic progress, but also had lively discussions on cutting-edge issues in the field of earth sciences. These exchanges broadened their academic horizons and provided new ideas and directions for their future research.

Dr. Stefano Luigi Gariano

Dr. Paolo Madonia

Dr. Olga Petrucci

Dr. Doris Folini

Dr. Silvia Kohnova

Dr. Samuele Segoni

Dr. Cheng-Yu Ku

Dr. Annalisa Cappello

Dr. Raffaele Albano

Dr. Linda Lee

Prof. Paolo Reggiani

More MDPI Moments:

The successful conclusion of the EGU General Assembly 2024 and the triumphant award ceremony for Geosciences journal not only showcased the latest achievements and academic style in the field of earth sciences, but also provided a platform for global scholars to communicate and collaborate. It is believed that in the future, MDPI will continue to uphold its mission of “promoting the development of earth sciences and fostering academic exchanges and cooperation”, contributing significantly to the prosperity and advancement of the earth sciences field.

On UNESCO’s 2024 Oceans Day, MDPI encourages the scientific community to increase the accessibility of ocean research to accelerate ocean conservation.

Basel, Switzerland, June 7, 2024: MDPI, a leading open access (OA) publisher, is proud to announce its active support for World Oceans Day 2024, celebrated under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade framework. MDPI’s CEO, Stefan Tochev hopes that “the latest ocean research can be made freely accessible to help empower scientists and communities at large to save our oceans,” under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade until 2030.

Open Access: A Catalyst for Ocean Action

MDPI’s presence at the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference 2024 highlights our unwavering commitment to using OA to advance ocean science, support research communities, and promote sustainable ocean management.

"Our involvement in the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference underscores MDPI's commitment to the underfunded Ocean SDG. By promoting OA to scientific articles and books on SDGs, we aim to inspire critical actions," said Tochev. "Our initiatives, like the World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Award, further demonstrate our dedication to advancing sustainability.”

Showcasing MDPI’s Contributions to Ocean Research

Over the past three years, MDPI has published 30,000 papers focused on ocean research and related topics. Key MDPI journals contributing to this body of work include:

• Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (4.9k papers)
• Remote Sensing (2.6k papers)
• Sustainability (2k papers)
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) (1.7k papers)
• Marine Drugs (1.5k papers)
• Water (1.5k papers)

These publications highlight MDPI’s contributions to ocean science, reinforcing our role in the broader sustainability agenda by promoting blue innovation and economy.

Additionally, MDPI has launched Oceans, an international, peer-reviewed forum specifically aimed at publishing studies related to all branches of oceanography with an emphasis on the functioning of the ocean and the sustainable use of its resources and ecosystem services.

Affirming MDPI’s Commitment to Ocean Science

MDPI’s commitment to OA is pivotal in addressing critical global challenges, from climate change to ocean sustainability. Our efforts resonate with Outcome 4 of the UNESCO Ocean Decade action roadmap: an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information, technology, and innovation. By aligning with UNESCO’s goals, MDPI continues to contribute to shaping a sustainable future for our oceans, reinforcing our position as a forward-thinking publisher dedicated to environmental stewardship and scientific excellence.

For more information, contact Rui Duarte at [email protected] or +41764313242.

About MDPI

We are pleased to inform you that Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) has received a heightened CiteScore of 8.3.

CiteScore provides transparent metrics that enable well-informed publishing strategies, library collection development, and the benchmarking of journal performance. It is now a standard citation metric alongside SNIP and SJR that gives an up-to-date view of a journal’s impact.

The 2023 CiteScore provides an assessment of the scientific influence of journals in the 2020 to 2023 period.

This is a reflection of the excellent performance, support, and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers.

Remote Sensing’s CiteScore ranks Q1 (16 out of 195) in the “General Earth and Planetary Sciences” category. For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/stats.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the journal.

Remote Sensing Editorial Office

95% of authors rate MDPI’s publication process as excellent or good, setting a new benchmark in scientific publishing – reveals 2023 Annual Report. 

Basel, Switzerland, June 4, 2024: MDPI, the leading open access (OA) publisher, proudly announces the release of its 2023 Annual Report, detailing remarkable achievements and reaffirming its leadership in advancing OA publishing. In 2023, MDPI received 655,065 submissions, of which 285,244 articles were published. The company now commands a 17% market share in gold open access articles, with a median publication time of six weeks.

Stefan Tochev, MDPI's CEO, stated, "As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI has long been a game-changer in the scholarly community, serving millions of authors around the world to ensure the latest research is freely available. Reflecting on our incredible journey at MDPI, 2023 has been marked by growth in paper submissions, ambitious projects and initiatives aimed at improving our internal processes and delivering top-notch services to our scientists."

MDPI's 2023 Annual Report highlights several key achievements:

• 17% market share in gold open access articles across all disciplines.
• Record satisfaction rates: 95% of authors, 82% of reviewers, and 85% of guest editors.
• Enhanced editorial standards and feedback processes.
• Increased reach and impact with 54 new MDPI journal inclusions in Scopus, 29 in Web of Science, and 77 in DOAJ.

MDPI’s unwavering commitment to advancing OA has transformed the landscape of scholarly publishing, making high-quality research freely accessible to the global scientific community. The continuous improvement in our editorial standards and feedback processes underscores MDPI’s dedication to ensuring academic integrity and excellence.

Global Reach and Collaboration

MDPI’s global footprint continues to expand, with authors from diverse regions: 37% from Asia/Pacific, 36% from Europe, 15% from the Americas, and 12% from other parts of the world. The company’s fully OA platform attracted nearly 14 million monthly visitors in 2023, reflecting its widespread influence in the scientific community.

Commitment to Partnerships

With over 800 institutional partners, MDPI continues to demonstrate its dedication to providing reliable and collaborative publishing services. The introduction of a transparent flat-fee model highlights MDPI's ongoing efforts to enhance affordability and support to the academic community. For more details read our 2023 Annual Report.

For more information, contact Rui Duarte at [email protected] or +41764313242.

About MDPI

MDPI will be attending the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 21st Annual Meeting (AOGS2024) in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, which will take place from 23 to 28 June 2024, at booth A10. AOGS2024 is organized by the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, and this will be the society’s twenty-first conference. AOGS holds annual conventions providing a unique opportunity for the exchange of scientific knowledge and discussions to address important geo-scientific issues among academia, research institutions, and the public.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Atmosphere;
• Climate;
• Drones;
• Earth;
• Fuels;
• Geosciences;
• Hydrology;
• Oceans;
• Remote Sensing;
• Sustainability;
• World;
• Water.

If you are planning to attend the conference, please visit our booth #A10. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2024/public.asp?page=home.asp.

We would also like to congratulate the winner of the Climate 2024 Travel Award. The Editorial Director of the MDPI Seoul Office, Dr. Jackie Liu, and MDPI Publisher Ms. Alex Liu will present the prize to Chongyang Zhang from Lanzhou University, China, on the afternoon of 26 June 2024. If you are interested in travel support or learning about other MDPI awards, please visit our booth during the conference where our conference representatives will be available to assist you.

MDPI will be attending the 45th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, held in Halifax, Canada, from 10 to 13 June, at booth #11.

CSRS is an annual meeting held in Canada. The 45th CSRS is chaired by Raymond Jahncke, Forest Inventory Lidar Data Analyst, Nova Scotia Natural Resources and Renewables, and the theme of this year’s conference is “Exploring Past, Present, and Future”. The conference aims to bring together academics, practitioners, vendors, and policymakers from the remote sensing community in an informative and productive four-day event.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Remote Sensing;
• Geosciences;
• Water;
• IJGI;
• Geomatics;
• Applied Sciences;
• Hydrology;
• Sensors.

Our representatives, Mr. Elvis Wang and Mr. Andy Tran, are eager to answer your questions and address any queries you may have.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://crss-sct.ca/events/csrs2024halifax/.

We are pleased to announce MDPI’s Transfer Service.

This service provides a convenient method of transferring your manuscript file, along with any reviewer comments, to another journal within our publishing portfolio.

We are committed to helping authors find the right home for their research, and we will provide authors with guidance and technical support through all stages of the transfer process. Authors will be able to choose to transfer in the following two situations:

1. Select alternative journals on submission.

2. Authors are encouraged to transfer manuscripts to other MDPI journals.

More details about the Transfer Service can be found at the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/authors/transfer-service

In acknowledgment of the groundbreaking achievements of Professor Tu Youyou, the Nobel laureate credited with the discovery of artemisinin, MDPI is proud to announce the Tu Youyou Award. This award, inaugurated in 2016, seeks to honor scholars who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Prize:

• CHF 100,000 in total (If there is more than one winner, the prize will be divided equally amongst the winners);
• An award medal for each winner.

Who should be nominated?

• Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Who can submit a nomination?

• Academic research institutes
• Universities
• Academic societies

Any personal nominations are not accepted.

How do I submit a nomination?
Candidates’ institutional affiliations need to submit their nominations for final candidates to the Tu Youyou Award Team directly by email after internal screening, and each institution can only nominate a maximum of two candidates for each edition of the Tu Youyou Award. Please note that the nominations cannot be modified once they are submitted and confirmed by the Tu Youyou Award Team.

Required nomination materials:
Nomination Form (Download)

Schedule:
Nomination deadline: 31 December 2024;
Winner announcement: 30 April 2025.

Contact:
Tu Youyou Award Team ([email protected])

More information can be found on the Tu Youyou Award official website. For any inquiries, do not hesitate to contact the Tu Youyou Award Team.

MDPI Romania sponsored four events over the month of April, contributing author training sessions to each event.

The NutriSciLabs 2024 conference was held at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy on 12 April 2024. Organized by the Association of Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy Studies, the conference aimed to enhance students’ academic writing and research skills, and bolster their confidence in participating in the academic world. Ioana Paunescu, journal relations specialist for MDPI Romania, led the training session. Paunescu first outlined MDPI’s history and core values, then explained academic writing techniques, ethics, and similarity percentages. The presentation covered the entire editorial process, highlighting the amount of attention paid to details throughout manuscript processing. Paunescu also discussed common errors that authors make while writing, and how to avoid such errors.

On 13 April 2024, the NextGEN 2.0 Student Conference took place at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. NextGen Healthcare organized this event with the university’s European Students’ Society to discuss European and international current affairs. MDPI Romania contributed an author training session called Steps of the Publication Process. Irina Codruta Zaharia, journal relations specialist, began the session with a general introduction of MDPI before diving into different article types, different layout formats, possible journals to submit to, the MDPI submission checklist, and the MDPI editorial process. By explaining the fundamentals of writing and publishing academic papers, Zaharia imparted valuable industry knowledge to the curious minds present. Participants were eager to engage with Zaharia in the subsequent Q&A session.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the International Conference “Students for Students” has long been a gathering place for undergraduate and postgraduate students of all nationalities to present their work and exchange ideas with each other. This year’s conference was held on 18 April 2024, with MDPI Romania contributing an author training session called The World of Open Access. Key speakers included Dr. Norbert Kiss from MDPI Romania and Prof. Dragos Horvath from Strasbourg University. Dr. Kiss discussed the history of open access, differences between open access publishing and traditional publishing, and implications for open access in the future. Attendees expressed keen interest in the subject, approaching Dr. Kiss with questions about academic publishing as well as his career trajectory.

Most recently, on 26 April 2024, MDPI Romania sponsored the National Symposium of Students from Geology and Geophysics Faculties. The AAPG Students Chapter at the Babes-Bolyai University organized this event as an opportunity for geology students from all Romanian universities to present their work and confer with other researchers. Dr. Kiss gave his lecture The World of Open Access at this event as well.

MDPI is thankful to all the participants, speakers, and organizers who attended these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

MDPI is attending the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2024 (JpGU 2024). The event will be held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, from 26 to 31 May 2024, and it is organized by the Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU). JpGU is an academic union that encompasses all the Earth and planetary science disciplines and related fields; additionally, it has been organizing annual meetings since 2005. JpGU 2024 will cover a wide range of Earth and planetary sciences, including space and planetary sciences, atmospheric and hydrospheric sciences, human geosciences, solid Earth sciences, and biogeosciences. The JpGU annual meeting provides participants with a good opportunity to become familiar with cutting-edge research and unique approaches to research objects within their own special field and beyond.

Representatives of the following MDPI journals will be attending:

• Remote Sensing;
• Climate;
• Coasts;
• Drones;
• Earth;
• Forecasting;
• Forests;
• GeoHazards;
• Geomatics;
• Geosciences;
• Geotechnics;
• Hydrology;
• Oceans;
• Quaternary;
• Sustainability;
• Water.

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#Pub01). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2024/.

MDPI will be attending the XX Congress of the Spanish Remote Sensing Association (AET 2024) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Cadiz, Spain, from 4 to 7 June 2024, with the following motto: “Remote sensing and global change: challenges and opportunities for blue growth”.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• JMSE;
• Remote Sensing;
• Drones;
• Oceans;
• Water;
• Hydrology.

If you are attending this conference, please visit us at our booth for a chat. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit http://eo.csic.es/aet2024.