AUP Journal Day 2026: Looking Ahead at Academic Publishing

On May 29, 2026, Amsterdam University Press hosted the AUP Journal Day 2026 at SPUI25, this time bringing together the editorial teams and colleagues behind our journals. Over the course of the afternoon, we explored what a future-proof academic publishing landscape looks like, with sessions on the growing role of AI in the publishing industry, a behind-the-scenes look at the typesetting and production process, and the importance of discoverability—how readers actually find and engage with scholarly work. The program left plenty of room for conversation, exchange, and fresh insights.

As a publisher rooted firmly in the humanities and social sciences, we also took time to reflect on a deeper question: What does humanity mean in the face of AI? In disciplines where the text itself carries so much of the scholarly value, this is far from an abstract concern. We discussed how AI can genuinely support our work, from structuring texts and improving accessibility to widening access across languages and audiences, while recognizing that publications, as an expression of scholarly judgment, should remain an expression of humanity, too.

We are grateful to our speakers Koen Dercksen (World Brain Scholar) and Jordy Willems (Crius Group) for sharing their expertise and contributing so thoughtfully to the discussion. Their perspectives sparked reflection on how we can reduce repetitive work and widen access while protecting trust in scholarly publishing. AUP remains committed to visibility, quality, and innovation within the scholarly communication landscape. Do you have an idea for a journal, or are you curious about publishing one with us? We would love to hear from you. Whether your proposal is fully formed or still taking shape, please get in touch with the AUP team—and visit www.aup-online.com to discover our current journal portfolio.