Wang Hong and Deng Yu’s historic Fields Medal win illustrates China’s decades-long investment in scientific talent pipeline, say advocates
5-MIN READ5-MIN ListenZhang Tongin BeijingPublished: 9:00pm, 24 Jul 2026Two Peking University alumni made history by winning the Fields Medal this week, a victory that points to a wave of young, high-achieving Chinese scientists behind them.The International Congress of Mathematicians announced that Wang Hong and Deng Yu, who both entered the top Chinese university in 2007, were awarded the highest honour for mathematicians under 40 years of age.
It is the first time Chinese nationals have received the prestigious award.
Mathematician Cai Tianxin, a distinguished professor at Zhejiang University, said China’s research standards had caught up with the West and, with a more flexible academic environment, its young scientists were poised to achieve global recognition.
“Wang Hong and Deng Yu are both courageous in tackling and overcoming challenges.”
