The new president of Academia Sinica, James C. Liao, has given his first speech at a ceremony on Tuesday attended by Vice President Chen Chien-jen. Academia Sinica is Taiwan’s leading research institution.
Liao is the Parsons Foundation Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. He said in his speech that after his many years in the United States, returning to his birth country of Taiwan was like "coming home to lend a hand." He said he would have a pragmatic and wholehearted attitude to his new role and would listen to suggestions from all parties.
Liao said, "Most importantly, we must give hope to the young. The young that I am speaking of however is not in terms of age but rather anyone who is concerned about future development – these [to me] are young people."
The ceremony was also attended by former Academia Sinica heads including Nobel laureate Lee Yuan-tseh and Wong Chi-huey, Liao’s predecessor. Wong was forced to step down from his position earlier this year over allegations of insider trading.