Malaysia is building a new research corridor across Asia to meet China’s rise: scientists

AI Summary

A Malaysian chemical engineering professor says the centre of gravity in scientific research has shifted eastward over the past two decades as China has risen. Malaysia is building a research corridor across Asia to strengthen regional scientific collaboration and capacity.

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...