2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner joins Asia's third-ranked university in Singapore as…

Japanese scientist Susumu Kitagawa, a winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has joined Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) as a visiting professor.

NTU announced his appointment to its School of Materials Science and Engineering on Oct. 2, saying he would collaborate with researchers on developing advanced materials using artificial intelligence and automated experiments.

The university ranks 12th globally and third in Asia in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

Kitagawa, 75, shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne and Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, for developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a new type of material with tiny spaces that can trap, store and release molecules.

These materials have been used to extract water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store hydrogen and remove pollutants from water, according to the Nobel Prize's official website.

At NTU, Kitagawa will work with professors Alex Yan and Wu Dongshuang to explore how AI can accelerate the discovery and development of such materials.

The collaboration is linked to Singapore's S$120 million (US$94 million) AI-for-Science initiative, which aims to speed up scientific discoveries through artificial intelligence and automation.

NTU's research platform, known as MOITAI, combines generative AI, robotic experiments and real-time measurements to help scientists identify and test promising materials more efficiently. The platform is being developed for applications involving batteries, hydrogen technologies, smart windows and chemical sensors.

As part of his visiting appointment, Kitagawa will also collaborate on scientific publications, mentor researchers and deliver academic seminars.

The Japanese chemist earned his doctorate from Kyoto University in 1979 and became a professor there in 1998, according to his official university biography. He was appointed director-general of the Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study in 2026 and remains affiliated with the institution.

Before winning the Nobel Prize, he received several major international honors, including Germany's Humboldt Research Award in 2008, Britain's de Gennes Prize in 2013 and Belgium's Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize in 2017. He was also elected a foreign member of Britain's Royal Society in 2023.