Nationality of Academician Nominees to Be Reviewed Starting 2023 自34屆起 院士候選人提名表單新增國籍欄

Academia Sinica President James Liao told lawmakers on Nov. 23 that the current class of academician finalists must hold ROC citizenship to be approved and the nationality of all nominees will be reviewed starting next year. Lawmaker Fan Yun is calling for revisions to current nationality standards.

The Academia Sinica's list of new academicians was announced in July. At the time, the nationalities of five people on the list required clarification. In the end, three were confirmed to be ROC nationals and approved. Lawmaker Fan Yun says new academician Ho Teck-hua has Singaporean citizenship along with ROC citizenship. Fan says although the Academia Sinica recognizes dual citizenship, to the best of her knowledge Singapore does not. Therefore, Fan does not believe Ho has ROC citizenship.

Fan Yun, Legislator (DPP): “So Singaporean nationals can now become academicians? What's next? If next year there's an even greater scholar from Singapore, does that mean they will be rejected immediately?”
James Liao, Academia Sinica President: “Yes. Yes. That's right.”

James Liao says starting next year, the nationality of academician nominees will be reviewed. Fan says she isn't targeting anyone individually and she only wants clarification on whether the recognized standard of someone being eligible for ROC citizenship as long as one of their parents is a ROC citizen is too lax.  

Fan Yun, Legislator (DPP): “Scholars in Taiwan cannot understand what the Academia Sinica is doing. ”
James Liao, Academia Sinica President: “The Academia Sinica isn't overstepping its bounds. It isn't. Rather, we are following the Academia Sinica Organizational Act.”

The Academia Sinica says it asked the Ministry of the Interior for clarification and was told Ho was a ROC citizen and the confusion stemmed from Ho being born in China. When Ho was born, China was under ROC rule. Fan is calling for revisions to the Academia Sinica Organizational Act to change the nationality requirement for academicians from "national academics" to "academics of Chinese ethnicity." Liao says the suggestion will be taken into consideration.

中研院7月初選出第33屆新院士，當時有5人需釐清國籍，最後3人確認有我國籍，確定當選。立委范雲上午在立院教委會指出，新院士何德華有新加坡籍，經判定也有我國籍，雖然中研院承認雙重國籍，可是她的了解，新加坡禁止雙重國籍，何德華理應沒有我國籍。

范雲詢問：「這一屆新加坡籍可以成為院士，下一屆他的國籍欄，如果有另外一個比這位優秀的學者，他是新加坡籍的，他是不是第一關就被刷掉了？」廖俊智回應：「對，對，沒錯。」

廖俊智強調，第34屆開始，院士候選人提名表單將新增國籍欄。范雲則指出，非針對個人，而是現行制度，以出生時父母為中華民國國民做為認定標準，過於寛鬆，有問題。

范雲質疑：「中研院這樣超譯，有符合我們對全國學術界的理解嗎？」廖俊智表示：「我想這不是中研院的超譯啦，這個應該是說，這個是我們根據《中研院組織法》，由權責單位來做認定。」

中研院補充，當時請內政部認定，認為何德華具備「我國籍」，是因在中國出生，當時確為中華民國統治。范雲建議修訂《中研院組織法》，在院士資格認定上，從「全國學術界」改成「全球具華人血統的學術界」，廖俊智表示，將把意見帶回給委員會考量。