Nobel Prize laureate Lee takes over as new President of ICSU
Yuan Tseh Lee, a leading chemist from China: Taipei, took office as the new President of the International Council for Science (ICSU) at the conclusion of the organization’s 30th General Assembly last week in Rome.
A world leader in the field of chemical dynamics, Prof. Lee has received many accolades in the course of his research career, including the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1986).
In his inaugural speech to the assembled membership of ICSU, he underscored the challenges facing society – and science – in the coming decades. “If we are to avoid catastrophe and ensure humanity’s continuation on this planet, the keyword for the next few decades will be transformation.” he said. Prof. Lee urges a radical and urgent rethink on how science is planned and carried out in the future, and is a strong supporter of integrated research of the type put forward by the Earth System Sustainability Initiative rolled out in Rome.
