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Shi Huang

Singapore’s most decorated chemist has confirmed he will leave his present position to join the fledgling Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, eastern China.
Lu Yixin, a professor with the National University of Singapore (NUS), said he planned to move to the private research institute in early 2027, in a full-time role.
Lu is a fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science and president of the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry, in addition to his position as NUS Provost’s Chair Professor.
“According to the plan, I will join EIT in Ningbo full time in January 2027,” he said, adding that he remained fully committed to his present duties at NUS for the coming months.
Lu is the second high-profile academic to announce his departure from Singapore to EIT within the past month, with former Nanyang Technological University vice-president K. Jimmy Hsia joining in August.

EIT was established in 2025 with a 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) donation from Yu Renrong, a Ningbo-born semiconductor magnate. The institution is positioning itself as a research powerhouse, aggressively recruiting world-class talent.
Lu said he was still working normally at NUS. “In the coming months, I will continue to diligently fulfil my responsibilities in teaching, research and management at the university,” he added.
“Singapore, and NUS in particular, is where I have worked and lived for over 20 years. Here, I have many long-term collaborators, friends and students with whom I have grown together.
“I have also established a very deep emotional and academic connection with NUS. Therefore, joining EIT full time does not mean that these connections will be interrupted.”
Lu completed his undergraduate studies at Fudan University and obtained his master’s degree from Dalian University of Technology. He received his PhD from McGill University in Canada in 2000.
He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute and later conducted research at Nagoya University under Ryoji Noyori, the Japanese Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry.
Lu, who joined NUS in September 2003 and was promoted to full professor in 2014, has long focused on asymmetric catalysis and synthesis, with research spanning organic catalysis, metal catalysis, photocatalysis and sustainable chemistry.
In simple terms, he uses various catalysts to precisely synthesise desired molecules for pharmaceuticals and catalysis. These methods can be shorter and more economical, paving the way for new drug synthesis.
Lu has received multiple honours, including from the National Research Foundation in Singapore and the Asia Core Programme Lectureship.




He also received the young scientist/outstanding scientist award from the science faculty at NUS, as well as the National Chemical Society of Singapore-GlaxoSmithKline organic chemistry prize.
Lu was named a fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science in 2022. He was elected president of the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry in 2025 and received the title of Provost’s Chair Professor.
When asked why he joined EIT, Lu said that the institution was “at a critical stage of rapid development”.
“For me, being able to participate in and witness the process of EIT gradually growing into a world-class institution is a meaningful challenge that I cannot refuse,” he said.
“Another important factor is Ningbo.
“Ningbo has a solid manufacturing foundation and a rich industrial base, while the Yangtze River Delta economic zone brings together a large number of universities, research institutions and hi-tech enterprises, providing a good ecosystem for scientific research innovation and the commercialisation of research outcomes.”
Lu noted that chemistry “is not only an important component of basic sciences but is also closely related to application fields such as materials, medicine, energy, and advanced manufacturing”.
“The industrial environment in Ningbo has established a broad bridge between basic research and industrial transformation, providing rich, real-world application scenarios for the development of the chemistry discipline,” he said.
“This research and innovation environment, which combines academic potential with industrial support, is very attractive to me.”


Lu said he would continue to focus on asymmetric catalysis and synthesis in his new role, with particular emphasis on biomedicine, green and sustainable chemistry. He will also promote the development of an interdisciplinary platform, he added.
According to Lu, he had long conversations with Chen Shiyi, the EIT president, and other colleagues, while he was deciding whether to make the move.
Their passion felt genuine and infectious, he said, and he was completely on board with what they were trying to build: a small, top-notch university led by research from day one.
Lu said that in terms of China’s development there was a real need for a place that went after big scientific questions, tackled the country’s most important challenges and trained genuinely outstanding people.
Lu said he hoped to take what he had learned over the years – in research, mentoring students and building academic programmes – to help EIT take off.
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The distinguished scientist is the latest prominent academic to sign up with the privately funded research powerhouse


The distinguished scientist is the latest prominent academic to sign up with the privately funded research powerhouse.


Singapore

Chen Yixin

Nanyang Technological University

Top Singaporean chemist Lu Yixin to join Chinese university EIT next year

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The distinguished scientist is the latest prominent academic to sign up with the privately funded research powerhouse

The distinguished scientist is the latest prominent academic to sign up with the privately funded research powerhouse