HomeDate: 2017-05-03
On May 2, 2017 (morning, Eastern Standard Time) the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced the newly elected 84 new Members and 21 Foreign Associates. Two of the newly elected 2017 Foreign Associates were Dr. Chien-Jen Chen and Dr. Cyrus C. Y. Chu for their outstanding achievements in their field of endeavor. Academia Sinica congratulates these two Academicians on their election as Foreign Associate.
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by a charter passed by Congress and signed by President Lincoln. The National Academy of Sciences is a prestigious, non-profit scholarly organization with global impact on scholarship that provides independent and objective advice in the fields of health, education, welfare and science. Currently the organization has 2,290 Members and 475 Foreign Associates, among which almost 200 are Nobel Laureates.
Dr. Chien-Jen Chen graduated in 1977 from the College of Public Health at National Taiwan University and obtained a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from John Hopkins University in 1982. Dr. Chen’s specializes in research on epidemiology, human genetics, public health, and preventive medicine. He has made significant contributions in epidemiology and public health. During his professorship at National Taiwan University, Dr. Chen established the laboratory on molecular epidemiology, which paved the way for molecular epidemiology research in Taiwan. During his service as Minister of Health, he led the efforts to rapidly contain the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which led to organizational change in the Ministry of Health and the Center for Disease Control in Taiwan, with the establishment of a medical system for infectious diseases throughout Taiwan, and amendments to the Communicable Disease Control Act, all of which enhanced Taiwan’s ability to promote public health and combat infectious diseases.
Dr. Chen was elected Academician in 1998, and has received numerous awards. He has been awarded the Presidential Science Prize, First Merit Medal from the Executive Yuan in Taiwan, Award for Outstanding Scientific Contributions, and was elected Member of the American College of Epidemiology, as well as Member of the World Academy of Sciences. Dr. Chen has served as Dean for the National Taiwan University College of Public Health, first Director of the Research Institute for Epidemiology, Distinguished Research Fellow of the Genomics Research Center, and Vice President of Academia Sinica. In addition to his outstanding research achievements, Dr. Chen has demonstrated excellent familiarity with domestic administration and governmental operations. He has served as Minister of Health and Chairman of the National Science Council. In 2016, he was elected Vice President of the Republic of China.
Academician Cyrus C. Y. Chu is currently Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu to the World Trade Organization. He is also Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Economics at Academia Sinica, Adjunct Professor for the Department of Accounting and Department of Economics at National Taiwan University. His research endeavors have focused on population economy, economics of law, and fiscal science. Dr. Chu has conducted a Panel Study of Family Dynamics, income distribution studies, and a range of other research topics related to Taiwan from the perspective of economics. He has integrated his research with international scholarship, with attention to the particularities and commonalities found throughout. For these reasons, Dr. Chu’s research has served as a model of outstanding scholarship in the social sciences. Dr. Chu often publishes articles in newspaper columns, thereby displaying deep interest in the wellbeing of society in Taiwan.
Dr. Chu graduated in 1978 from National Taiwan University’s School of Business and in 1985 with a Ph.D. from University of Michigan’s Department of Economics. He was elected Academician in 1998, and received a Research Achievement Award from the Ministry of Education, and a Presidential Science Prize. He was elected Member of The World Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the National Science Council, Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan, and Chairman of the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research and Vice-President of Academia Sinica.
Both Academicians have been renowned for their outstanding scholarship, as well as their contributions to administration and society.
Currently there are 38 Academicians at Academia Sinica who have been chosen as members of the National Academy of Sciences, in addition to seven Foreign Associates. New Members are selected by nomination and election by NAS Members. A maximum of 84 new NAS members are chosen annually, for which citizenship and the right to vote are prerequisites. A maximum of 21 Foreign Associates of the NAS are chosen each year who do not possess voting rights.
