From leading scientists leaving top global institutions for China to NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in decades, here are key global science and technology stories recently covered by VnExpress International.
We have rounded up major developments from our science and technology coverage over the last two weeks to keep you updated.
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Campus view of National University of Singapore. Photo courtesy of NUS |
Singapore is the only Southeast Asian country with two universities in the global top 10 for engineering and technology in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by subject.
The National University of Singapore ranked eighth, while Nanyang Technological University placed 10th, both improving from last year.
U.S. universities continue to dominate the top 10, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University taking first and second places.
2. NASA launches first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years
NASA launched four astronauts on its Artemis II mission on April 1, marking the first crewed lunar journey since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
After nearly three years of training, the crew became the first to fly in NASA’s Artemis program, a multibillion-dollar initiative launched in 2017 to establish a long-term U.S. presence on the moon.
The mission will send the crew about 252,000 miles (406,000 km) into space, the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
Artemis II is an early step in the U.S. lunar program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028 under the Artemis IV mission.
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Peter Lee, the elder son of the late billionaire Lee Shau Kee. Photo by Reuters |
Peter Lee, son of late Hong Kong billionaire Lee Shau Kee, has led a $300 million funding round in U.S.-based energy storage firm EnerVenue, which develops nickel-hydrogen battery systems for grid-scale storage, particularly for AI data centers that require stable and long-lasting power.
Peter, 62, co-chairman of Hong Kong property-to-energy group Henderson Land, made the investment through his family office Full Vision Capital.
He and his brother Martin Lee, 55, became co-chairmen of Henderson Land and Towngas in 2019, taking over from their father years before his death in March 2025.
EnerVenue is among several green technology investments made by Peter through Full Vision Capital, with him previously said in an interview with Forbes Asia that future growth would be driven by green technologies.
4. Singapore’s most cited scientist leaves NUS for China’s Tsinghua University
Seeram Ramakrishna, Singapore’s most cited scientist and a leading materials scientist, has left the National University of Singapore to join Tsinghua University as a distinguished chair professor, the university announced in late March.
The India-born researcher, described by China’s MIT Technology Review as the "father of electrospinning," a technology used in air filtration and medical applications, spent nearly three decades at NUS and held several senior leadership roles before joining Tsinghua in September 2025.
He has published more than 2,000 papers with over 220,000 citations and has been named among the World’s Most Influential Minds by Thomson Reuters and listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate since 2014.
5. Yale scientist joins China university citing research limits in U.S.
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Chinese scientist Zhang Kai. Photo courtesy of Yale |
Zhang Kai, a researcher in cryo-electron microscopy, has left Yale University in the U.S. to join the University of Science and Technology of China, citing limited opportunities and better professional support.
"In the U.S., it is almost impossible for a Chinese scholar to take the lead on this project," Zhang told China Science Daily.
Zhang’s research has challenged long-held theories on how cellular transport systems assemble, with implications for understanding neurological and reproductive diseases.
He is among a growing number of Chinese-born scientists leaving top Western institutions for positions in China, drawn by expanding research funding, advanced facilities, and opportunities to lead large-scale projects.
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