The Penang girl who grew up to be an Oxford professor

[superadmin]

GEORGE TOWN: Cheah Phaik Yeong refuses to be celebrated as the first Malaysian to be installed as a professor at Oxford University, saying it is probably not true.

The assumption that she is the first is natural if one were to go by an article by Dr Masliza Mahmod, another Malaysian at Oxford. Writing last year, before Cheah became a full professor, Masliza said her colleague was the first Malaysian to be made an associate professor at Oxford.

“No, no, I’m not the first,” Cheah said. “Oxford University is very big and very old. It’s very kind of Dr Masliza, but I don’t believe it.”

She told FMT she was sure other Malaysians had preceded her as professor at the 925-year-old institution.

Masliza is Oxford’s associate professor of cardiovascular medicine. The article she wrote quickly went viral last year.

Cheah, 47, was elevated to professor of global health on Dec 6 as part of Oxford University’s 2021 recognition exercise.

- More -