Professor Ir Dr Mohd Shahir Liew, Vice Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) at the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM), has been appointed Foreign Expert Guest Professor at China University of Petroleum (East China) (UPC) in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The appointment runs until the end of 2027 under a foreign expert project secured by UPC. It places Prof Shahir at the strategic level of collaboration with UPC and with institutions, industries, and business networks across Greater China.
In this role, Prof Shahir will strengthen ties between Malaysia and China across research collaboration, institutional partnerships, and postgraduate student mobility. The collaboration also covers summer programmes, special-topic technical projects, and teaching and learning cooperation on curriculum and exchanges. Industrial networking is another central focus, with Prof Shahir set to support knowledge transfer between relevant industries in both countries.
His ambitions extend beyond UNM. Prof Shahir intends to use the programme to promote the capabilities of Malaysian institutions to the People's Republic of China. He will also represent ASEAN interests, making the appointment a platform for wider regional engagement.
The first major milestone comes in November 2026, when Prof Shahir attends the 24th China International Talent Exchange Conference at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center on 12 and 13 November. The conference is organised by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs under China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. It is a national gathering of high-level foreign talent, and last year it drew more than 2,500 experts from over 120 countries and regions. UPC will host a parallel Energy Science and Materials Technology Innovation Forum in Shanghai, then lead the Foreign Experts Shandong Tour in Qingdao from 14 to 16 November. The tour includes thematic forums, visits to the CNPC Offshore Engineering Base and Qingdao Smart Port, and sub-forums on deep oil and gas, marine engineering equipment, and new energy materials.
Prof Shahir brings extensive expertise and experience to the appointment. Since becoming Vice Provost in December 2023, he has led UNM's research and knowledge exchange strategies, spearheading collaborative initiatives and interdisciplinary partnerships. He has held numerous senior academic and leadership positions in Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering, making him a natural fit for UPC, which is one of China's leading universities in energy and petroleum.
Prof Shahir's appointment is yet another notable chapter in UNM's long history of building research and industry partnerships that reach well beyond Malaysia's borders.
Posted on 14th October 2026