‘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 experiences.
Source excerpt
Many 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.
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