TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has named former Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as the next president of Academia Sinica.

Chen will succeed incumbent James Liao (廖俊智) and begin a five-year term on June 21, Liberty Times reported. Chen previously served as Academia Sinica vice president from 2011 to 2015.

Chen has had a long political and academic career. The epidemiologist first joined the government in 2003 as health minister, with the SARS epidemic as a major challenge.

He served as vice president from 2016 to 2020 and as premier from 2023 to 2024. As a practicing Catholic, Chen was chosen by presidents to represent Taiwan at Vatican events, including papal funerals and inaugurations. Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Europe also appointed him a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

A special selection committee proposed Chen as one of three candidates to take over at Academia Sinica, with Lai’s choice made public Friday.