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Meredith Chen

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. 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.


According to a profile of Wang in Guangxi Daily, she saw mathematics as an “inner sanctuary for the mind” when she was at secondary school.
But this changed when she started studying at Peking University at the age of 16.
“When I went to college, suddenly mathematics [became] difficult,” she said in an interview posted by the Simons Foundation, a US-based organisation supporting research in mathematics and basic sciences.
“It took effort and discipline to actually learn it, and it took me many years. I felt a little discouraged.”
In another interview with her alma mater Ecole Polytechnique, Wang said studying in France was a turning point for her.
“That was the first time I realised I didn’t have to figure out everything by myself, and someone is there willing to help me,” she said, recalling a reading course with French mathematician Yvan Martel that gave her the support she needed.
That helped her to become “more patient and less nervous”, Wang said, adding that she eventually learned to work through most mathematical problems independently.
Wang, who was born in the southern Guangxi Zhuang region, started her mathematical training at Peking University, graduating in 2011.
She continued her studies in France and completed a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2019. She is now a professor at New York University’s Courant Institute as well as at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques in France.
Wang’s remarks appear to have resonated among young people in China, with “discouraged” becoming a buzzword on social media.
Many commenters say they have had a similar experience – plagued by self-doubt despite years of hard work as they navigated an education system where success is often only measured through academic achievement and visible outcomes.
In one post on social media, a doctoral student said she was relieved and grateful to hear Wang’s story. “Thank you, Wang Hong. You’ve made me realise that I have the right to feel discouraged,” the student wrote.
She said throughout university she had received little positive feedback and had few memories of discussing academic questions with her supervisors.
“The system placed almost exclusive emphasis on measurable outputs and I gradually internalised that standard,” she wrote. “The joy I once found in acquiring new knowledge and thinking through ideas was no longer recognised as meaningful feedback.”
This was not because her supervisors did not care – she said they helped students with publications, career opportunities and professional networks but simply did not have time for academic mentoring.
In China, academics are often required to balance their research output targets – which are linked to promotion and evaluation – with teaching and other responsibilities. It leaves little time for the mentoring and exchanges that are essential to academic development.
These struggles are part of a long-standing debate over China’s approach to education. While the country produces many high-achieving students, there are questions over whether its academic system provides enough space and support for students with potential.

One commenter on social media said Wang was fortunate to have eventually found a learning environment that suited her development.
“But how many ‘slow-blooming’ talents are discouraged before they ever have the chance to flourish?” the person wrote. “Perhaps the question we should ask is not whether individuals have worked hard enough, but whether we rely on an overly narrow standard to measure talent.”
China’s top decision-makers have for years called for changes to what is seen as an inflexible academic system with biased evaluation criteria and an overreliance on papers, titles, degrees and awards. Critics say the system has hindered the country’s efforts to innovate.
Song Chunwei, a professor at Peking University’s School of Mathematical Sciences who taught Wang when she was an undergraduate, said young people in the higher education system faced the pressure of “climbing step by step” through a series of evaluations, many of which were not directly related to their academic research.
Young researchers often faced intense pressure to pass these evaluations because failing could threaten their academic positions, Song told state-run newspaper The Beijing News.
He said that pressure could push them towards “short-term and easily measurable” work that might not be beneficial to their long-term academic development.
“When [students or academics] are under excessive pressure, even if they work hard, it is difficult to reach their ideal state. It is like being driven by a whip, rather than acting out of their own will,” Song said.
Hu Xijin, the outspoken former editor of nationalist tabloid Global Times, also weighed in on the debate, writing on social media that Wang’s story should not be viewed as a simple contrast between Chinese and overseas education.
He said there were two competing views – that Wang only fully realised her potential after leaving China, and that she had done this because of a strong educational foundation from Peking University.
According to Hu, the fact that both Wang and Deng had achieved their career breakthroughs overseas after undergraduate studies in China could be a source of “regret” for many people in the country.
Deng also began his undergraduate studies at Peking University before transferring to MIT, where he completed his mathematics degree. He earned a PhD at Princeton University and is now a mathematics professor at the University of Chicago.
“People would hope that Chinese universities and institutions such as Peking University would one day be able to directly nurture Fields Medallists and Nobel Prize-level scientists of their own,” Hu wrote.
“Many also believe that China is now closer than ever to producing recipients of the world’s highest scientific honours domestically.”
He added that the discussion could have a positive outcome by highlighting the value of “opening up” and the role of international academic and professional experiences in young researchers’ development.


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China education

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

Chinese mathematician Wang Hong was awarded the Fields Medal on July 23. Photo: AFP

This year’s Fields Medallists (from left) Deng Yu, John Pardon, Jacob Tsimerman and Wang Hong. Photo: AFP

Fields Medal win: Wang Hong, Deng Yu are first Chinese nationals to score top maths honour

Chinese nationals Deng Yu (left) and Wang Hong (right) have won the Fields Medal, often called the “Nobel Prize of mathematics”. Photo: Handout

The Fields Medal is the top honour for young mathematicians under 40 years of age. Photo: Handout

Fields Medallists highlight new wave of Chinese scientists leading global research

Deng Yu (far left) and Wang Hong (far right) were awarded the Fields Medals on Thursday, marking the first time Chinese mathematicians have won the honour. The other recipients for 2026 are American John Pardon (second left) and Canada’s Jacob Tsimerman. Photo: Xinhua

Founder of Moonshot AI, Yang Zhilin. Photo: Reuters

Professor Yau Shing-tung, director of the Yau Mathematical Sciences Centre at Tsinghua University. Photo: Edmond So

Liu Yifeng. Photo: Handout

Scalpers snap up local paper after profile on Fields winner Wang Hong goes viral

Guangxi Daily's cover story chronicled Wang Hong’s life, describing her upbringing and high-flying academic career. Photo: QQ.com/Guangxi Daily

Wang Hong has made breakthroughs in harmonic analysis and geometric measure theory. Photo: Xinhua

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China

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Fields Medal winner’s candid remarks resonate with young students in China who say they’ve had similar experiences


Fields Medal winner’s candid remarks resonate with young students in China who say they’ve had similar experiences.


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

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Fields Medal winner’s candid remarks resonate with young students in China who say they’ve had similar experiences

Fields Medal winner’s candid remarks resonate with young students in China who say they’ve had similar experiences