More Chinese Scientists, Students Head to Malaysia for Research and Collaboration

More Chinese scientists and students are now coming to Malaysia for studies, research and collaboration, according to chemical engineer Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah, a professor with the USM school of chemical engineering in Penang.

The movement comes as Malaysia builds a new research corridor across Asia to meet China’s rise, with scientists navigating geopolitical boundaries to focus on mutual discovery.

From Western dominance to an eastward shift

When Zuhairi 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, he says, “the centre of gravity has moved eastward”.

“[Not much was known] about China at that time when I joined the university,” Zuhairi said.

He said he knew China had quite a number of good universities and was aware of its publications because he referred to some of them in his research work.

“But definitely nothing much was heard in terms of collaboration with Chinese counterparts,” he said.

That pattern has changed, with current scientific movement involving both education and joint research.

“Now, you see a lot [of scientists and students] coming here,” for studies, research and fostering collaborations, Zuhairi added.

The areas involved range from next-generation semiconductors to advanced catalysts, showing how scientific cooperation is continuing across geopolitical boundaries.

For Malaysia, the shift links its research institutions to a wider Asian corridor at a time when China’s role in science and technology is growing.

Source: South China Morning Post