Award-winning Malaysian scientist turns natural resources and waste into energy


Prof Ong is the founding director of Xiamen University Malaysia’s Centre of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (Connect). Photos: Prof Dr Ong Wee Jun

When award-winning scientist Prof Dr Ong Wee Jun first learned about photosynthesis as a Year 4 student, he was captivated by a simple yet powerful question: Can we one day harness sunlight the way nature does – where a plant converts sunlight into energy – to power our world sustainably?

That curiosity would later become the foundation of his life’s work.

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