Taipei Times: You returned from the US to oversee Academia Sinica nine years ago. What have you accomplished during this period?
Lee Yuan-tseh (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING
Honestly speaking, if Taiwan was a perfect place, then there would be no room for improvement. For those who are willing to take on a challenge, Taiwan is the right place be. There are many things that demand our attention.
First, Academia Sinica experienced solidifying of its organizational structure in the past nine years. Regulations and provisions governing the tenure of the presidency were etched in stone. A president's term is five years and a president can serve no more than two terms. Recruitment and promotion of academic personnel have been clarified.
Second, we've managed to reverse the direction of brain-drain. A considerable number of middle-aged world-class scholars, especially research fellows, have returned to Taiwan one after another. This attests our success in reversing the brain-drain and shows that Taiwan is competitive internationally. Academia Sinica is much more capable of attracting real talent now and it has become an anchor for academic research in the country. Still, we continue to pursue fresh talent to join our cause. This accomplishment has been very rewarding and I am proud of it.
TT: You once said that you will only serve two terms, that is 10 years as president. Are you satisfied with the changes you've instituted in your tenure at Academia Sinica? What are your plans for your last year as president?
Lee: I am not easily lent to self-complacency. My goal in life is to incessantly press forward. This attitude applies to everything I do, not least of which is to improve my tennis game. Despite the huge budget increase and subsequent recruitment here at the the institute, some limitations imposed by law and other regulations still need fine tuning.
TT: So what administrative reforms should the government undertake to meet Academia Sinica's needs?
Lee: The government should realize that scientific research and administrative management should be kept separate. There may be new discoveries in science on any given day and plans may need to be adjusted accordingly. But the government is often not efficient enough in responding to immediate needs.
Many research fellows complain that too much time is spent writing research proposals for government grant applications. There aren't enough incentives to recruit people with the proper technical expertise.
TT: The relationships between Academia Sinica and other institutions of higher learning seem both cooperative and competitive. How do you think these relationships will develop?
Lee: There have been a lot of universities established recently and resources have been scattered. I believe that there should be a single academic institution playing a leading role. Academia Sinica has stayed ahead of all other academic institutions, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. I hope the other institutions can catch up. I predict that departments will be set up in universities to pool talents, resources and grant money.
I am very dissatisfied to see that some of our universities have not made enough progress in recent years. Some of our best universities have lagged behind some other universities in Asia.
None of our universities have made it into the top 100 universities in the world and too few have made it into the top 100 universities in Asia. Our counterparts in Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and even China are leaving our schools behind.
TT: Education reform remains controversial. Some academic and civil organizations have begun to question the effectiveness of recent educational reforms and you have been made to blame. Do you think that's fair?
Lee: Many people have asked me to stay and they have continued to advise me on educational reform, but others would rather I simply disappear.
I have been warned that a core group is trying to pin the blame on me for the problems with educational reform and they don't want to see me having any influence on social discourse.
When serving as the convener of the Educational Reform Commission, I put forward the direction and recommendations and collected views from many spectrums of Taiwanese society. Then I handed my recommendations to the premier.
The problems do not lie in the battle between the advocates of educational reform and those opposed. After all, education has been undergoing reforms since China abolished the imperial examination system.
TT: Politics have fared well since the transfer of political power in 2000. What's your view on this issue?
Lee: The international community praised Taiwan for its vibrancy and dynamism when the first transfer of political power took place three years ago. But now the general feeling is that Taiwan hasn't performed as well as expected. It's often said that the administration lacks experience.
In turn, there is the problem of the opposition bickering. Many visitors from overseas have asked me why Taiwan's opposition has absolutely no national pride. They find it unbelievable how often opposition politicians harshly criticize their own government while abroad.
Of course, the opposition leaders try to get back at the DPP. But their counterproposals are nonexistent. Their boycotts of the administration obstruct the government without offering adequate proposals to getting the nation back on the right track.
This proves that Taiwan's democratization process is far from complete. The performance of the Legislative Yuan, in particular, has failed to live up to people's expectations.
For example, the review of the Budget in the last session was marred by the mentality of political booty-sharing. The Budget was spawned from individual and party interests, not the requirements of the administration.
TT: You played a key role in the DPP's victory in the 2000 presidential election. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has only one year left in his first term. Where does his administration need improvement?
Lee: Chen must articulate a more concrete vision. Politically, the Taiwanese desire to maintain the status quo in anticipation of democratic progress in China. I believe that leaders across the Strait will put the welfare of their people above all else.
Ostensibly, leaders on both sides criticize each other periodically, but I don't think there are major conflicts between the interests of Chinese and those of Taiwanese citizens.
I still believe that Chen demonstrates great sincerity when he says he wants to see improvement in cross-strait relations. But on many occasions his olive branch was broken by China. The president was left with no alternative than to become more guarded.
TT: The question of whether you will run for office has been a matter of public concern.
There was a lot of speculation that you would be chosen as a vice presidential candidate by one of the candidates in the 2000. Would you accept nomination as vice president in 2004?
Lee: I will not run for public office. I will do my best at Academia Sinica. I do not intend to run for president or vice president for any party or individual. I have no plans to help anyone run. I have no future role in this respect.
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