Scientific and technological human capital is a critical element for the economic and social advancement of countries in the developing world. Using Malaysia as an example, this paper examines the relationship between the research productivity of university faculty and human capital development with a specific focus on personal strategic alliances. The results show that educational attainment, location at a designated research university, and consulting experience positively influence faculty publication productivity. Furthermore, alliances established through consulting, applied research, and entrepreneurial experiences are critical for the development of new technologies stemming from university research. Malaysia's experience may hold lessons for developing countries: the full development potential of human capital investments may only be realized by simultaneously strengthening and supporting personal strategic alliances with communities outside academia.