Professor Ir. Dr. Sulaiman Wadi Harun is one of Malaysia's leading researchers in photonics, fibre laser technology, optical fibre sensors, and optical communications. Recognised internationally for his significant contributions to laser physics and fibre optic engineering, he has played a major role in advancing photonics research while strengthening Malaysia's position in optical science and engineering. Through more than two decades of research, innovation and academic leadership at Universiti Malaya, he has established an international reputation for developing advanced fibre laser systems, optical amplifiers, and fibre optic sensing technologies with applications spanning telecommunications, healthcare, environmental monitoring and industrial automation.
Professor Sulaiman obtained his Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Technological University of Nagaoka, Japan, before returning to Universiti Malaya to pursue both his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Photonics, completing his PhD in 2004. Prior to joining Universiti Malaya, he gained valuable industrial experience as an engineer with Fujitsu Component (Malaysia), Nitto Denko (Malaysia) and Nippon Precision Technology (Malaysia). He later served as a Senior Lecturer at Multimedia University before returning to Universiti Malaya, where he has since held numerous academic leadership positions, including Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Deputy Dean (Higher Degree) and Deputy Dean for Postgraduate Research in the Faculty of Engineering.
Professor Sulaiman's research focuses on fibre lasers, erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs), optical fibre sensors, nonlinear optics, surface plasmon resonance sensing, nanophotonics, and advanced photonic materials. His pioneering work has contributed significantly to the development of compact pulsed fibre lasers, ultrafast laser systems, optical sensing platforms and next-generation photonic devices. In particular, his early research on L-band and S-band erbium-doped fibre amplifiers and Brillouin fibre lasers, conducted in collaboration with Professor Harith Ahmad, produced numerous pioneering publications that helped establish Universiti Malaya as one of the leading centres for fibre optic research in the region. His more recent work integrates two-dimensional nanomaterials, MXenes, graphene-based materials and transition metal compounds into fibre laser and optical sensing systems, opening new possibilities for high-performance photonic devices and biomedical sensing applications.
Professor Sulaiman has built an exceptional publication record with more than 1,300 journal publications, three scholarly books, and over 50 conference proceedings, while securing research funding exceeding RM8 million throughout his academic career. His research output has been published in many of the world's leading journals in optics and photonics and continues to receive international recognition through extensive collaborations with researchers across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. His sustained research excellence has significantly contributed to Universiti Malaya's global research visibility in photonics and optical engineering.
Beyond research, Professor Sulaiman has demonstrated outstanding leadership within the scientific and engineering community. He is a Professional Engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and an ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE). In recognition of his scientific achievements, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) in 2019. Earlier, he received the Malaysia's Rising Star Award from the Ministry of Higher Education, Scopus and SciVal in 2016, recognising him as one of the country's emerging research leaders. His numerous innovation awards, including gold and silver medals at national and international invention exhibitions, reflect his commitment to translating research into impactful technological innovations. He also serves on the editorial boards of several international journals, contributing to the advancement of photonics research globally.
In addition to his research accomplishments, Professor Sulaiman is deeply committed to developing future engineering talent through postgraduate education, mentorship and international collaboration. His laboratory has trained numerous postgraduate researchers and fostered collaborations with leading universities and research institutions worldwide. By combining scientific excellence with practical engineering solutions, he continues to advance photonics research while inspiring the next generation of researchers and engineers. His contributions have not only strengthened Universiti Malaya's standing as a regional leader in optical engineering but have also reinforced Malaysia's growing reputation in the global photonics research community.
