The new Academia Sinica president would hopefully work with president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for at least the next four years, vice president-elect Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday, adding that Tsai should be the one to decide who would be appointed.
Chen, a member and former vice president of Academia Sinica, the nation’s highest academic body, made the remarks amid the ruckus over the successor to former Academia Sinica president Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠), whose resignation President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) approved on Tuesday.
Chen said he respects the Academia Sinica Council’s nomination of three candidates for institute president, adding that the nomination process “was reasonable and legitimate.”
Ma approved the resignation of Wong amid controversy in late March over Wong’s handling of his relationship with biotech company OBI Pharma Inc (台灣浩鼎).
Wong was criticized for speaking positively about a breast cancer drug being developed by the company after results of its Phase 2/3 trial, announced on Feb. 21, did not live up to expectations.
The criticism intensified when it was discovered that his daughter was a major shareholder of OBI Pharma. There was also speculation that Wong was involved in insider trading of the firm’s shares.
Wong was in the US at the time and faxed his resignation on March 29. Ma rejected it and urged Wong to return to Taiwan and report on the issue to the legislature.
After Wong returned on April 15, he reported to the Presidential Office Building to explain his role.
During a second meeting with Ma on April 25, Wong handed over a letter to express his stance.
Insisting that he was not involved in insider trading, Wong did not offer to resign, but said he was willing to hand over his work before October, when his second five-year term expires.
Ma yesterday said he would not make an appointment arbitrarily.
Ma said he has yet to speak with any of the three nominees suggested by the council, adding that he does not rule out exchanging opinions with Tsai or letting Tsai alone make the decision.
Additional reporting by Chiang Chih-hsiung
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