The Convocation consists so far of 213 members (academicians), which include six Nobel laureates, namely, Dr. T. D. Lee (physics, 1957), Dr. C. N. Yang (physics, 1957), Dr. Samuel C. C. Ting (physics, 1976), Dr. Y. T. Lee (chemistry, 1986), Dr. Steven Chu (physics, 1997) and Dr. Daniel Chee Tsui (physics, 1998). Membership in AS is an honorary lifetime privilege, although without remuneration. According to their own expertise, members are grouped into three divisions: mathematics and physical sciences, life sciences, and the humanities and social sciences. A maximum number of ten new members is allocated to each of the three divisions during the biennial Convocaton are as follows:
To elect members and honorary members.
To elect members to the Council of Academia Sinica.
To make policies on academic research.
To carry out research at the government's request.
Of the 213 members, only 64 reside in the ROC; however, this situation is changing. In the past three years, President Lee has made tremendous efforts to invite overseas members and outstanding scholars to return to Taiwan to help upgrade ROC's research quality.
Number of Members of the Convocation (by July, 1998)