Malaysia is building a new research corridor across Asia to meet China’s rise: scientists
Por Holly Chik — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Science China Science Malaysia is building a new research corridor across Asia to meet China’s rise: scientists
From next-gen semiconductors to advanced catalysts, scientists are navigating geopolitical boundaries to focus on mutual discovery
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Holly Chik Published: 10:00am, 3 Oct 2026 When chemical engineer Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah joined Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 22 years ago, Western institutions dominated the field, from global research infrastructure and high-impact publications to the greatest breakthroughs. Two decades later, the centre of gravity has moved eastward, says Zuhairi, now a professor with the USM school of chemical engineering in Penang.
“[Not much was known] about China at that time when I joined the university. I knew that they had quite a number of good universities and I was aware of their publications because some of them I referred to in my research work,” he said.
“But definitely nothing much was heard in terms of collaboration with Chinese counterparts. Now, you see a lot [of scientists and students] coming here,” for studies, research and fostering collaborations, Zuhairi added.
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