In a first, Chinese woman wins the prestigious Fields Medal : NPR

In a historic achievement, a Chinese woman has been awarded the Fields Medal, the world’s top honor in mathematics, marking a milestone as the third Chinese-born recipient and the third woman ever in its 90-year history. This year, two mathematicians from China received the accolade.

Known as the Nobel Prize for mathematics, the Fields Medals are given every four years to two to four mathematicians under the age of 40, celebrating both their accomplishments and potential.

The latest ceremony, held during the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia, recognized Chinese scholars Hong Wang and Yu Deng, alongside American John Pardon and Canadian Jacob Tsimerman.

Ulrike Tillmann, vice-president and future president of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), commented on the importance of the awards: “All four mathematicians have made outstanding contributions to their fields. It’s particularly gratifying to see another woman honored, underscoring that women excelling at the highest levels, like winning the Fields Medal, should become commonplace.”

First time two Chinese scholars simultaneously won the prize

Hong Wang, originally from Guilin City in China, is the first Chinese woman to earn the Fields Medal. She reminisces about solving her first math problem as a child in an IMU-released video: “I was thrilled when I found the solution, feeling like I understood the subject better,” she said.

Wang, who conducts research at both NYU and France’s Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, gained prominence after solving the Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions, a century-old problem, with Joshua Zahl from the University of British Columbia.

The IMU stated, “Resolving this problem has paved the way for numerous theorems and conjectures in harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, geometric measure theory, and other areas.”

Wang’s achievement, alongside Yu Deng, marks the first occasion two Chinese scholars have jointly received the award. Yau Shing-Tung was the first ethnic Chinese mathematician to win in 1982, and Australian-born Terence Tao won in 2006.

Deng, hailing from Shenzhen, China’s tech hub, was recognized by the IMU for his research on axiomatizing physics, establishing mathematical principles to explain scientific branches. His pivotal paper was co-authored with Zaher Hani and Xiao Ma from the University of Michigan.

The University of Chicago scholar’s work was described by the organization as “a leap forward in the centuries-long quest by mathematicians and physicists to derive the basic laws of physics from first principles.”

American mathematician John Pardon was honored for his contributions to topology and geometry, while Canada’s Jacob Tsimerman was commended for extending logical frameworks from abstract fields of mathematics into algebraic geometry.

On Chinese internet, the historic wins spark joy and reflection

Before the official ceremony on Thursday, the names of this year’s Fields Medalists were leaked due to a vulnerability on the International Congress of Mathematicians website, allowing tech-savvy individuals to access the information early.

The revelation was met with enthusiasm on Chinese social media. One user from Guangdong expressed, “Two Chinese mathematicians! And one is a Chinese woman!” said another from Henan province.

“This is what you call truly bringing honor to your country,” said another from Henan province.

Although Wang and Deng began their higher education at Beijing’s prestigious Peking University, one of China’s top universities, their training and subsequent research was done in the United States and Europe.

After two years of studying in Beijing, Deng transferred to MIT before completing a PhD at Princeton University. Graduating from Peking University, Wang continued post-graduate study in France before finishing her mathematics PhD at MIT. Both researchers work outside of China.

For some on China’s popular RedNote social media app, this year’s award raises questions about how China’s research capabilities stack up to the United States’.

“Why don’t we reflect on why everyone leaves for the United States after completing their undergraduate degree in China?” said a user from Tianjin.

“Breaking up the monopoly of academic cliques is the direction Chinese higher education should take”, said one RedNote user from Guangdong.

Despite criticisms of a brain drain from China to the U.S., the awards come at a time when several high-profile Chinese scholars have returned home, some citing an increasingly hostile academic environment in America.

In 2025, Beijing launched a special “K-visa”, aimed at attracting foreign tech experts. A project called QiMing, run by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, also seeks to recruit foreign and overseas Chinese STEM talent.

In addition to the Fields Medal, the IMU also announced winners of other top honors, including Oxford University’s Graeme Segal (Chern Medal) and the University of Washington’s Shayan Oveis Gharan (Abacus Medal).

Along with massive international prestige, each Fields Medalist receives a gold medal depicting famed ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes and a cash prize of 15,000 Canadian dollars (roughly $11,000 USD).

But for Deng, the real driver isn’t fame or prize money—it’s raw curiosity.

“Our understanding of the physical universe on the mathematical level is still extremely small,” he said in a video provided by the IMU.

“The thing that keeps me in this field is the happiness when your plan works perfectly, [and] you are able to solve the questions you are faced with.”