Newly elected Academicians and Honorary Academicians were announced by President James C. Liao and Conveners for the Convocation of Academicians in the press conference after the closing of the Convocation on July 4. This year (2024), 28 new Academicians and 2 Honorary Academicians were elected. Professor Chien-Ping Lee, Lifetime Chair Professor of the Institute of Electronics at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), has been elected as the 34th Academician Academia Sinica in the Division of Engineering Sciences.
Prof. Lee graduated from National Taiwan University and received his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology, specializing in semiconductor optoelectronics elements. He is the inventor of optoelectronic integrated circuits. He once worked at the Rockwell Science Center in the United States. At the peak of his career in the U.S., he had no intention of returning to Taiwan. However, in 1982, his wife, Professor Wu Shiu-Chin, chose to return to her alma mater, National Tsing Hua University, to teach in the Department of Physics. Influenced by his colleague at Rockwell and NYCU alumnus, President Mau-Chung Frank Chang, Prof. Lee decided to return to Taiwan at the end of 1986.
Later, Prof. Lee accepted President Nan-Hung Kuo’s invitation and returned to Taiwan to become a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Semiconductor Center at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. The following year, President Ta-Nien Yuan and then-president Chi-Fu Den, the Vice Chairman of the National Science and Technology Council, appointed Prof. Lee to build the National Millimicron Device Laboratories. These laboratories were later renamed the National Nano Device Laboratories, which are not only the first semiconductor research laboratories in Taiwan but also the top semiconductor research laboratories in the academic field worldwide.
The differences in workplace culture between Taiwan and the U.S. and the varying environments in academia and industry initially posed some challenges for Prof. Lee, who is naturally free-spirited and dislikes constraints. However, he adapted smoothly after becoming familiar with the local environment and ways of handling affairs. Prof. Lee humorously notes that after years of polishing, he has developed his own way to navigate these challenges effectively. It is a way to use a high degree of rationality and self-discipline to achieve the goal; thus, the rest is a clear conscience.
To advance nanotechnology research, Prof. Lee later established the Center for Nano Science and Technology at NYCU, which became the first batch of the national nanotechnology core laboratories of the National Science and Technology Council. Notably, the Center operates completely self-sufficiently, not only without subsidization from the university but also with state-of-the-art equipment and technology to support academic institutions across the country. Its performance consistently ranks at the top in National Science and Technology Council evaluations. As a non-regular administrator, Prof. Lee has never enjoyed additional received benefits and subsidies. However, he shares that having a beautiful office in a corner of the campus where he can focus on his passions with minimal external interruptions is his “simple happiness.”
As the director of three Nano Facility Centers at NYCU— the Semiconductor Center (now the Nano Facility Center), the National Nano Device Laboratories, and the Center for Nano Science and Technology, Prof. Lee’s outspoken personality contradicts the secular and official culture. However, he believes that as long as one manages interpersonal matters with good judgment, it is not necessary to accept vendor invitations to entertain clients or compromise with lobbyists; one can still do things smoothly and maintain effective interactions with others.
A Knowledgeable Shepherd Who Grazes His Sheep
After teaching for decades, Prof. Lee views his approach to encountering inexperienced graduate students as “grazing.” On one hand, he has to play multiple roles as a mentor, friend, and sometimes even parent. On the other hand, he prefers not to give constant direct commands but rather to take on the role of a shepherd, leading students to a rich field of knowledge and allowing them to cultivate their self-learning ability to conduct independent research. He believes that only by doing so can students truly enjoy the pleasure of research, appreciate the beauty of natural sciences, and become responsible researchers capable of facing various challenges after graduation. He takes great pride in the outstanding achievements of his students, whether in academia or industry, and his students highly appreciate his teaching method.
Many people think that students nowadays are not as good as they were in the past, but Prof. Lee thinks this is not true. The only difference is that the way and attitude of learning differ greatly from the past. However, whether in the past or present, “thinking” is a crucial part of learning. Without thoughtful reflection, learning is merely superficial and cannot become one’s own knowledge. Prof. Lee believes that as long as students adjust their learning methods and engage in more thoughtful consideration, they can truly sharpen their already excellent talent.
In his teaching experience, Prof. Lee has observed that many students struggle under various expectations, making studying unbearably painful. Not everyone is suitable for this field (semiconductor, electronic information industry, etc.),” Prof. Lee lamented. Putting a young person in the wrong position is not only worse but also causes them pain. “Pursuing knowledge and truth is a human instinct, much like eating when hungry or sleeping when tired. Learning should be a joyful experience when it aligns with one’s interests and abilities.” Prof. Lee said.
A Much-loved Teacher Between a Scientist and a Writer
Although Prof. Lee has retired, he often shares his stories, teaching reflections, and viewpoints on the world situation on his social media platform. He remains active in writing, recording his thoughts and feelings in poems on his blog, “Chien-Ping Lee’s Thought and Poems.” Through his keen observation and delicate and vivid writing style, readers can glimpse his track and inner world, where rationality and sensibility that couple with strength and gentleness exist.
“Rationality and sensibility are mutually exclusive”. Thinking must be rational, and expression can be sentimental. There is no contradiction between the two. Chien-Ping Lee, who originated from studying the physics of semiconductors, has his way of organizing his viewpoints: “Nature” is beauty. No matter whether he is a scientist, a litterateur, or an artist, he pursues beauty. Appreciating the beauty of nature is an innate instinct of every human being— humans are the product of nature; they resonate with and elicit beauty from naturally harmonious things and vice versa with unnatural things, such as the noise of the car and the polluted environment, which will make humans feel unhappy. The birdsong in the morning, the sunset over the sea, and the starry sky are always fascinating. Chien-Ping Lee says poetically, “Because they are in harmony with our bodies and minds. When scientists understand the rules and reasoning behind these natural phenomena, they will be able to appreciate its beauty even more.”
Prof. Lee authentically reflects his insights in numerous essays and short poems, capturing his observations of real life and the world around him. From childhood memories, anecdotes in laboratories, and his professor’s academic journey, his sentimental writing style condenses vast and complex ideas into well-structured narratives, conveying heartfelt and genuine sentiments.
Text adapted from “思與詩之間 真性情的科學家與筆耕者──陽明交大電子所終身講座教授李建平專訪 (Between Thoughts and Poems— A Heartfelt Scientist and Writer: An Interview of Lifetime Chair Professor Chien-Ping Lee at the Institute of Electronics of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)” in The Voice of NYCU Alumni (June 17, 2024).