1st Singapore Guest Editors Club Roundtable

MDPI Singapore hosted the first ever Singapore Guest Editors Club Roundtable, bringing together Guest Editors based in Singapore for an afternoon of discussion, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. The event provided a platform for participants to share publishing experiences, discuss Special Issue development, and explore future opportunities for academic collaboration.

A Platform for Discussion and Collaboration

The session commenced with an opening introduction by Dr. Nicholas Cho, Deputy Managing Editor at MDPI Singapore, who provided an overview of the Singapore office and its role within MDPI’s global publishing network. His presentation introduced the editorial process behind Special Issues and highlighted several outstanding Special Issues led by Guest Editors from Singapore. Dr. Cho also shared future opportunities for collaboration, including the organization of Special Issue webinars and the possibility of converting successful Special Issues into physical reprint books.

This was followed by a series of insightful presentations from invited speakers. Prof. Dr. Gupta Manoj, who has led 19 Special Issues over the past 14 years, shared perspectives on the development and impact of Special Issues, emphasizing their role in advancing focused research areas and encouraging scholarly collaboration.

Dr. Jusak Jusak then presented practical insights into the Guest Editor experience, discussing effective strategies for managing Special Issues, engaging contributors, and navigating challenges throughout the editorial process.The final presentation was delivered by Dr. Yen Kheng Tan, whose talk encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration and explored broader opportunities for research innovation and impact.

Roundtable Discussions and Knowledge Sharing

Following the presentations, attendees participated in interactive roundtable discussions organized according to research disciplines. The discussions allowed scholars to exchange experiences, share best practices, and explore challenges related to Special Issue management, publication quality and visibility.

Topics discussed included strategies for attracting high-quality submissions, promoting Special Issues through webinars and academic networks, maintaining rigorous academic standards, and strengthening support for Guest Editors within the scholarly publishing ecosystem.

The event concluded in a warm and engaging atmosphere, reinforcing MDPI Singapore’s commitment to supporting academic collaboration and fostering meaningful dialogue within the research community.