The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Joel Foo Jie, a PhD student from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), for being awarded the 2025 Digital Green Talents Award.

An initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the award honors 20 young researchers worldwide each year, with the purpose of promoting the international exchange of innovative green ideas that leverage digitalization to foster sustainable development.

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Joel, currently a researcher at the Center of Excellence for NaNo Energy and Catalysis Technology (CONNECT) under the supervision of Prof. Ong Wee Jun, secured the award in the "Energy" category. 

Joel's research focuses on designing defect-engineered carbon nitride photocatalysts for key green energy processes, including CO2 reduction, oxygen reduction, and hydrogen evolution. By exploring atomic-level modifications, such as boron doping in C3N5 and potassium intercalation in crystalline carbon nitride, he regulates charge dynamics and unlocks wide pH-range hydrogen evolution.

"As energy demands rise, we need green solutions to slow down or eliminate the destruction of nature," he said. 

Looking ahead, Joel plans to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) could accelerate the discovery and optimization of sustainable catalysts.

“By integrating AI, we hope to fast-track the discovery of materials needed for clean energy solutions, effectively speeding up our response to climate challenges."

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Starting his PhD journey in 2022, Joel has authored or co-authored 24 published papers so far, including seven first or co-first author works, and has amassed over 850 citations with an h-index of 16. 

His interest in research began during his undergraduate years at XMUM. A science fiction movie fan since childhood, he selected "Nanomaterials" course in his third year, because “the technology looked impressive in films”.

"That class, taught by Prof. Ong Wee Jun, was a turning point for me," he recalled, "He did an excellent job introducing the field, which steered my interest toward real-world applications."

Joel credits his award to the guidance of Prof. Ong Wee Jun and the collaborative support of his team. "Working in CONNECT feels like being part of a family," he said, "We challenge each other, explore new ideas freely, and keep pushing until we achieve breakthroughs."

He also expressed gratitude to his parents and sister for their support, as well as funding from the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Petronas, and Xiamen University.

As a Digital Green Talent, he will attend a fully-funded Spring School and a research stay in Germany in 2026, where he plans to bring his AI-catalysis proposal to life. 

Joel is the fourth Green Talents Award recipient from XMUM, following Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun, Prof. Dr. Yong Wai Fen, and Ng Sue Faye, a PhD alumnus of the Class of 2025.