Tang Prize Laureate Statistics Unveiled: 21 World-Renowned Universities Represented, Harvard Leads with 26%

2024.08.08
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Provenance

Founded in 2012 by Dr. Samuel Yen-Liang Yin of the Ruentex Group, the Tang Prize recently announced its sixth cohort of laureates in June of this year. Focused on addressing the challenges of the 21st century, the Tang Prize emphasizes sustainable development. Over the past 12 years, the award's selection committees (comprising top scholars and experts worldwide) have meticulously chosen 39 laureates (including three non-governmental organizations) based on their innovation, contribution, and impact. The Tang Prize has solidified its position as a prestigious international award recognizing both natural and social sciences while valuing the humanities.

 

Statistics on the laureates' affiliations and alma maters reveal that they predominantly hail from the world's top 100 academic institutions.[1] Harvard University leads with 10 laureates, followed by Yale University with 5. The University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Columbia University each have 4 laureates, closely followed by the University of Cambridge with 3, and Osaka University with 2. Other prestigious institutions with one laureate each include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Pittsburgh, Université de Montréal, University of London, University of Copenhagen, Max Planck Institute (Germany), National Taiwan University, Kyoto University, University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, and the University of Melbourne, for a total of 21 world-renowned universities.

 

[1] Tang Prize Laureates' Affiliations with the World's Top Universities (see the below appendix for reference)

 

Harvard University has the highest number of laureates, with a diverse distribution across the categories of Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, and Sinology. Yale University has laureates in all categories except Sustainable Development, while Columbia University and UC Berkeley excel in the field of Sustainable Development.

 

The Tang Prize is also notable for its commitment to gender diversity, boasting a significantly higher percentage of female laureates (28%) than the Nobel Prize (6%). Furthermore, the Tang Prize's rigorous standards and impact are reflected in the fact that three of the past five Tang Prize Laureates in Biopharmaceutical Science went on to win the Nobel Prize in subsequent years. For an international award established just 12 years ago, the Tang Prize's reputation for recognizing groundbreaking work is clearly evident.

 

Further analysis of the four Tang Prize categories reveals that laureates in Sustainable Development primarily come from Harvard University, Yale University, and UC Berkeley. In Biopharmaceutical Science, Harvard University leads, followed by UC San Diego, Oxford University, and the University of Pennsylvania. The Tang Prize Laureates in Sinology represent a wider range of institutions, with Harvard and Yale leading, followed by Columbia University, Oxford University, University of London, University of Tokyo, Osaka University, National University of Singapore, and National Taiwan University (alma mater of the 2024 Tang Prize Laureate in Sinology Hsu Cho-yun). The Tang Prize Laureates in Rule of Law are relatively evenly distributed, with one each from Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Université de Montréal (Canada), Oxford University, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and the University of Melbourne (Australia).

 

The Tang Prize is not limited to prestigious academic institutions. In 2020, the Rule of Law award was jointly presented to three non-governmental organizations: The Legal Agenda (Lebanon), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), and Dejusticia: The Center for Law, Justice and Society (Colombia). These organizations were recognized for their dedication to public education and advocacy, effectively promoting the rule of law and improving legal mechanisms. They skillfully draw on solid academic research and employ creative judicial strategies to fight for individual, social, and environmental justice in challenging environments, setting an example with significant impact. Thanks to them, the Tang Prize's reputation has reached the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America, with the 2020 award ceremony garnering over 620,000 views on Facebook.

 

About the Tang Prize

Since the advent of globalization, mankind has been able to enjoy the convenience brought forth by the advancement of human civilization and science. Yet a multitude of challenges, such as climate change, the emergence of new infectious diseases, wealth gap, and moral degradation, have surfaced along the way. Against this backdrop, Dr. Samuel Yin established the Tang Prize in December 2012. It consists of four award categories, namely Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law. Every other year, four independent and professional selection committees, comprising many internationally renowned experts, scholars, and Nobel winners, choose as Tang Prize Laureates people who have influenced and made substantive contributions to the world, regardless of ethnicity, nationality or gender. A cash prize of NT$50 million (approx. US$1.7 million) is allocated to each category, with NT$10 million (approx. US$ 0.35 million) of it being a research grant intended to encourage professionals in every field to examine mankind’s most urgent needs in the 21st century, and become leading forces in the development of human society through their outstanding research outcomes and active civic engagement.

 

Appendix

Tang Prize Laureates' Affiliations with the World's Top Universities

Last update: August 28th, 2024

In North America

In the U.S.:

With Harvard University  (10)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sustainable Development

2014

Gro Harlem Brundtland

·            1964, Harvard University, MPH (Master of Public Health)

2022

Jeffrey Sachs

·            1998-2002, Director, Center for International Development, Harvard University

·            1984-2002, Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade, Harvard University

Biopharmaceutical Science

2016

Feng Zhang

·            2011-Present, Core Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

·            2004, B.A., Chemistry and Physics, Harvard University

Jennifer A. Doudna

·            1989, Ph.D., Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School

2018

Brian J. Druker

·            1987-1993, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

John Mendelsohn

·            1963, M.D. (Doctor of Medicine), Harvard Medical School

2024

Joel F. Habener

·            1989-2023, Professor of Medicine (Emeritus), Harvard Medical School

Sinology

2014

Yu Ying-shih

·            1966-1977, Professor of Chinese History, Harvard University

·            1962, Ph.D. in History, Harvard University

2018

Stephen Owen

·         Present, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

·         1997–2018, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University

·         1982-1997, Professor of Chinese and Comparative Literature, Harvard University

Rule of Law

2024

Mary Robinson

·            1968, Master of Laws (LLM), Harvard University

 

With Yale University  (5)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2016

Jennifer A. Doudna

·            1999-2002, Professor, Yale University, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

2020

Charles Dinarello

·            1969, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine

Sinology

2014

Yu Ying-shih

·            1977-1987, Charles Seymour Professor of History, Yale University

2018

Stephen Owen

·            1972, Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures, Yale University

·            1968-1982, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Yale University

Rule of Law

2014

Albie Sachs

·            2013-2014, Visiting Professor of Law and Gruber Global Constitutionalism Fellow, Yale Law School, Yale University

 

With Columbia University  (4)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sustainable Development

2018

James E. Hansen

·            2013-Present, Director of the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions, Earth Institute, Columbia University

2022

Jeffrey Sachs

·            2002-2016, Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University

·            2002-Present, University Professor, Columbia University

Sinology

2016

William Theodore de Bary

·            Until 2017, Professor and Provost Emeritus, Columbia University

Rule of Law

2018

Joseph Raz

·            2002-2022, Thomas M. Macioce Professor of Law, Columbia Law School

 

With UC Berkeley  (4)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sustainable Development

2016

Arthur H. Rosenfeld

·            1963, Professor of Physics, University of California – Berkeley

2024

Omar M. Yaghi

·            Present, James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley

Biopharmaceutical Science

2014

James P. Allison

·            1985-2004, Professor, Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley

2016

Jennifer A. Doudna

·            2013-Present, Head, Division of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, UC Berkeley

·            2002-Present, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley

 

With UC San Diego (UCSD)  (4)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sustainable Development

2018

Veerabhadran Ramanathan

·            Present, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science at the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Biopharmaceutical Science

2018

John Mendelsohn

·            1976-1986, Founding Director of Cancer Center, UCSD

·            1979-1985, Professor, UCSD

Brian J. Druker

·            1981, M.D., University of California School of Medicine, San Diego

Tony Hunter

·            2016–Present, Adjunct Professor, Department of Pharmacology, UCSD

 

With University of Pennsylvania  (2)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2022

Katalin Karikó

·            2021-Present, Adjunct Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania

Drew Weissman

·            2021-Present, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

·            2017-Present, Director of Vaccine Research, Infectious Diseases Division, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

 

With MIT  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2016

Feng Zhang

·            2017-Present, James and Patricia Poitras Professor in Neuroscience, MIT

·            2016-Present, Associate Professor (with tenure), Departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Biological Engineering, MIT

·            2011-Present, Core member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

 

With UC Los Angeles (UCLA)  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2024

Joel F. Habener

·            1965, M.D., University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California (Medicine)

 

 

With Boston University  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2022

Drew Weissman

·            1987 M.D. Ph.D., Boston University (Immunology/Microbiology)

 

With University of Pittsburgh  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2024

Hsu Cho-yun

·            1998-Present, University Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh

 

With Rockefeller University  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2024

Svetlana Mojsov

·            2002-Present, Research Associate Professor, The Rockefeller University

 

In Canada:

With Université de Montréal  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Rule of Law

2016

Louise Arbour

·            1970, Licentiate in Law (LL.L.), Faculté de droit, Université de Montréal (with distinction)

 

In Europe

In the UK and Ireland:

With Oxford University  (4)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2020

Marc Feldmann

·            2015–Present, Emeritus Professor, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology & Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford University

2022

Pieter Cullis

·            1973-1976, Postdoctoral Fellow (Biochemistry), Oxford University

Sinology

2022

Jessica Rawson

·            2021-Present, Honorary Research Associate, School of Archaeology, Oxford University

Rule of Law

2018

Joseph Raz

·            2006-2009, Research Professor, Oxford University

·            1985-2006, Professor of Philosophy of Law, Oxford University (an ad hominem chair) & Fellow of Balliol College

 

With Cambridge University  (3)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sustainable Development

2020

Jane Goodall

·            1966, Ph.D. in Ethology, University of Cambridge

Biopharmaceutical Science

2018

Tony Hunter

·            1969, Ph.D., University of Cambridge

·            1968-1971, Research Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge

Sinology

2022

Jessica Rawson

·            1991, Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.), Cambridge University

·            1965, B.A. & M.A. in History, Cambridge University

 

With University of London   (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2020

Wang Gungwu

·            1957, Ph.D., School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

 

With Trinity College Dublin  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Rule of Law

2024

Mary Robinson

·            2019-Present, Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice, Trinity College Dublin

·            1967, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Trinity College Dublin

 

In Germany:

With Max Planck Institute  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2016

Emmanuelle Charpentier

·            2015-Present, Director, Department of Regulation in Infection Biology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology

 

In France:

With Sorbonne University  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2016

Emmanuelle Charpentier

·            1986-1992, B.A., Biochemistry/Microbiology/Genetics, University Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC), France

Note: Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC), also known as Paris VI, was a public research university in Paris, France, from 1971 to 2017. UPMC merged with Paris-Sorbonne University into a combined Sorbonne University on 1 January 2018. (Wikipedia)

In Denmark:

With University of Copenhagen  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2024

Jens Juul Holst

·            2010-Present, Senior Group Leader, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

 

In Asia

In Taiwan (ROC):

With National Taiwan University  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2024

Hsu Cho-yun

·            1956, M.A., National Taiwan University

·            1953, B.A., National Taiwan University

 

In Japan:

With Osaka University  (2)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2020

Tadamitsu Kishimoto

·            2007-Present, Professor, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University

·            1969, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School

·            1966, M.D., Osaka University Medical School

Sinology

2018

Yoshinobu Shiba

·         2007, Professor Emeritus, Osaka University

 

With Kyoto University  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2014

Tasuku Honjo

·            2005-Present, Professor, Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine

·            1975, Ph.D., Kyoto University

·            1966, M.D., Kyoto University

 

With the University of Tokyo  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2018

Yoshinobu Shiba

·            1988-1990, Director, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo

·            1962, Ph.D., The University of Tokyo

·            1955, M.A., Graduate School of Humanities, The University of Tokyo

 

In Singapore:

With National University of Singapore  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2020

Wang Gungwu

·            2007-Present, University Professor, National University of Singapore

 

In Oceania

In Australia:

With University of Melbourne  (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Rule of Law

2022

Cheryl Saunders

·            2015-Present, Laureate Professor Emeritus, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne