Singapore's top chemistry leader joins China's Eastern Institute of Technology

Lu Yixin, who heads the chemistry department at the National University of Singapore (NUS), has accepted a position at Eastern Institute of Technology, a Chinese research institution established just over a year ago. The move is scheduled for January 2027.

The departure represents a notable brain drain from Singapore's flagship university and underscores the competitive recruitment efforts being mounted by China's newer research institutions. Eastern Institute of Technology has made rapid progress in attracting established academics from leading universities across Asia.

Lu's departure follows another significant exit from NUS to the same Chinese institution within the past six weeks, indicating a pattern of recruitment by Eastern Institute of Technology among Singapore's senior academic leadership. The institute's aggressive hiring strategy reflects China's broader investment in developing world-class research capabilities.

The movement of senior academics from Singapore to Chinese institutions comes amid broader regional trends of talent migration and reflects the expanding resources available at newly established Chinese research centers seeking to build international academic prestige.