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Academia Sinica held a welcome and farewell tea reception for the incoming and outgoing Vice Presidents today (June 22), presided over by President Chien-Jen Chen. President Chen announced that Academician Mei-Yin Chou, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences; Academician Yi-Fang Tsay, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Molecular Biology; and Academician Shin-Kun Peng, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Economics, will serve as Vice Presidents of Academia Sinica. Former Vice President and Academician Tang K. Tang stepped down from the position.

President Chen noted that today marked his first working day as President of Academia Sinica and the official launch of the renewed leadership team. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the three Vice Presidents for their willingness to devote their time and expertise to institutional leadership alongside their ongoing research commitments. As Taiwan’s premier academic research institution, Academia Sinica carries the important mission of advancing academic innovation, cultivating outstanding talent, and addressing major challenges facing the nation and society. In an era marked by rapid global change and increasingly complex issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and health and well-being, it is essential to continue strengthening research capacity and deepening interdisciplinary collaboration to advance Taiwan’s academic development. President Chen expressed confidence that, through the collective efforts of the three Vice Presidents, together with the institution’s administrative and academic leadership, Academia Sinica will continue to provide comprehensive and forward-looking support and resources for Taiwan’s research community.

President Chen also expressed his sincere appreciation to Academician Tang K. Tang, who has served as Vice President for the Division of Life Sciences since December 2022. During his tenure, he actively promoted talent cultivation and institutional development, making significant contributions to the institution. After stepping down from his administrative role, Academician Tang will continue his research and will retire in September 2026. On behalf of the institution, President Chen extended his heartfelt gratitude and wished him a fulfilling and rewarding future.

The newly appointed Vice President for the Division of Life Sciences, Academician Yi-Fang Tsay, earned her Ph.D. in Biology from Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. An internationally renowned plant scientist, she specializes in plant nutrition, electrophysiology, and membrane biology. She has devoted her career to investigating the functions of plant ion transport membrane proteins, laying important foundations for understanding nutrient uptake and signal transduction in plants. Her research achievements have been widely recognized and cited in plant physiology textbooks. Vice President Tsay has received numerous honors, including the Taiwan Outstanding Women in Science Award and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) award in Biology. She was elected an International Member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2021, an Academician of Academia Sinica in 2024, and a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences in 2026. In addition, she has served as Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology, bringing extensive experience in research administration. President Chen looks forward to Vice President Tsay bringing her vision to the role and bringing new perspectives into future development.

Vice President Mei-Yin Chou will remain Vice President for the Division of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. She received her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a leading scholar in theoretical condensed matter physics and first-principles electronic structure calculations. She received the Taiwan Outstanding Women in Science Award in 2013, was elected an Academician of Academia Sinica in 2014, and became a Fellow of TWAS in 2019. Since becoming Vice President in 2016, she has played a key role in advancing major research initiatives, talent recruitment, and international academic collaboration, while helping shape many of Academia Sinica’s most significant policy initiatives and research programs. She is widely respected for her rigorous scholarship and dedication to mentoring younger researchers. She will further advance frontier research and international engagement while strengthening Taiwan’s capacity for basic scientific research.

Vice President Shin-Kun Peng will remain Vice President for the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania and specializes in regional economics and international trade. He was elected an Academician of Academia Sinica in 2024. Having served in various roles in Academia Sinica for more than four decades, he often refers to himself modestly as “a gardener of Academia Sinica.” His previous leadership positions include Deputy Director and Director of the Institute of Economics, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Central Academic Advisory Council, and Secretary-General. Since becoming Vice President in 2024, he has actively promoted talent cultivation initiatives, including the Fellowships for Doctoral Candidates in the Humanities and Social Sciences, while strengthening personnel and administrative systems and facilitating communication and coordination across the institution.

President Chen remarked that Vice Presidents Chou and Peng have long been deeply engaged in institutional affairs and serve as important pillars of Academia Sinica’s steady development, while Vice President Tsay brings fresh perspectives to the leadership team. Looking ahead, the administration will continue to foster an outstanding research environment, promote interdisciplinary collaboration and international exchange, attract talented researchers, and enhance Academia Sinica’s academic impact and global competitiveness, opening a new chapter in the Academia Sinica’s development.

In accordance with Academia Sinica’s longstanding practice, and to ensure balanced development across its three major divisions—the Division of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, the Division of Life Sciences, and the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences—the President selects Vice Presidents from among Academicians in each division based on their academic achievements and administrative experience. The appointments are then submitted to the President of Taiwan for approval, helping to advance the Academia Sinica’s development and governance.