Taiwanese chemist Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) is one of 10 Nobel Prize-winning scientists being honored in a photographic exhibition organized by the US’ National Academy of Sciences for their contributions to the field of human rights, Academia Sinica said on Tuesday.
Lee was selected by the academy’s Committee on Human Rights for the exhibition titled “Advancing Rights and Freedoms: Science, Human Dignity and the Nobel Prize,” which is being held at the academy’s Washington headquarters until June 1, the institute said in a news release.
In addition to portraits of the selected laureates, the exhibition features abstracts chronicling their respective human rights achievements, it said.
On its Web site, the exhibition cites Lee’s “efforts to call attention to the human rights implications of climate change,” which it said demonstrated “the profound and enduring connections between science and human rights, and the important role for science in advancing human dignity worldwide.”
The exhibition also recognizes Lee for his work in strengthening the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies during his tenure as Academia Sinica president from 1994 to 2006, as well as his promotion of scientific freedom, Academia Sinica said.
Lee, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986 and is professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkley, said in a statement that a commitment to human rights motivated his advocacy on the topic of climate change.
As climate change of human origin has already started affecting marginal populations, it needs to be approached as a global challenge to make the world a more equitable and democratic place, he said.
The academy, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization with more than 2,000 lifetime members, is closed through April 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a notice on its Web site said.
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