Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) today awarded RM10.47 million to eight research projects under the Malaysia-China Strategic Research Fund (SRF) Request for Proposal (RFP) 2025. Its minister, Chang Lih Kang, stated that this initiative underscores Malaysia's ongoing commitment to enhancing research, innovation, and international collaboration, especially in strategic science and technology sectors.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Malaysia-China SRF initiative is jointly funded by MOSTI and China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). This collaboration highlights international confidence in Malaysia's scientific capabilities and provides a crucial platform for research that is both impactful and commercially viable, benefiting society and industry. Chang made these remarks during the SRF Awards Presentation Ceremony.
The Malaysia-China partnership in science, technology, and innovation (STI) was formalized in 2013 through a bilateral cooperation agreement and has since grown through various joint programs. During Chang's working visit to China from April 23 to 27 last year, coinciding with the 3rd Joint Committee Meeting on STI, both nations agreed to fund six research and development projects in priority areas. These areas include energy storage technology, human vaccines, space technology, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and advanced materials.
The eight successful projects awarded under SRF 2025 involve researchers from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, which secured two projects, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, and Multimedia University. These institutions will collaborate with their Chinese counterparts, including universities and industry players such as Shandong University, Fudan University, and Abogen Biosciences.
Chang emphasized that the program serves as a platform to support research with industrial relevance, commercialization potential, talent mobility, and technology transfer. He encouraged recipients to use this opportunity strategically to forge partnerships that enhance academic excellence, national competitiveness, commercial impact, and societal benefit.
"Let this collaboration be more than a bilateral program; let it be a catalyst that accelerates knowledge exchange, strengthens technological sovereignty, and advances scientific progress aligned with the aspirations of Malaysia MADANI: integrity, sustainability, inclusivity, and shared prosperity for all," he added.