‘Discouraged’ at university, maths star Wang Hong spurs Chinese education debate

Fields Medal winner’s candid remarks resonate with young students in China who say they’ve had similar experiences4-MIN READ4-MIN3ListenPublished: 8:00pm, 2 Aug 2026Many young students in China have been inspired by the achievement of Wang Hong, the first Chinese woman to receive the Fields Medal – the world’s most prestigious prize in mathematics.But it is the 35-year-old’s candid remarks about feeling “discouraged” in her early years at an elite Chinese university that appear to have struck the deepest chord.Those comments have set off a broader debate about the country’s education system and whether it provides the support students need to develop confidence and pursue original ideas.Wang and her compatriot Deng Yu, 37, were among four mathematicians awarded the Fields Medal on July 23. It was also the first time two Chinese mathematicians had won the prize in the same year.In interviews since then, Wang has spoken about how she lost confidence as a young undergraduate at Peking University but regained it when she continued her studies in France.02:36Chinese mathematicians Wang Hong and Deng Yu win prestigious Fields MedalAccording to a profile of Wang in Guangxi Daily, she saw mathematics as an “inner sanctuary for the mind” when she was at secondary school.