It's very satisfying to promote science and education and see good results. Setting a good example for young people, being a role model, is very important for me.

Polanyi and American Dudley R. However Lee has been criticized by some for his involvement in educational reforms that they claim to have put unnecessary burden and administrative complications on the students and reduced competitiveness of higher education. At the request of President Chen Lee was the Republic of China's representative in the 2002 APEC leaders' summit in Mexico.

From January 15 1994 to October 19 2006 Lee served as the President of the Academia Sinica of the Taiwan (ROC). Polanyi and American Dudley R. In 2011 he was elected head of the International Council for Science.