Tang Prize | Media | Tang Prize Laureates Hail from World's Elite Universities: Harvard, Yale, Oxford Among 46 Prestigious Institutions

Over the past 13 years, the Tang Prize, founded in 2012 by Dr. Samuel Yen-Liang Yin of the Ruentex Group has selected 39 laureates (including three non-governmental organizations) through a professional, rigorous, fair, and independent selection process. The selection committees, comprising world-renowned scholars and experts, base their decisions on criteria of innovation, contribution, and impact. The Tang Prize has established itself as a world-class award, with sustainable development as its core focus, encompassing natural and social sciences. Following the announcement of its sixth cohort of laureates in June 2024, the Foundation conducted its first comprehensive analysis of laureates' academic connections based on their academic credentials and professional experience.

Based on these two analytical criteria, the laureates demonstrate strong connections to the world's leading academic institutions. Harvard University stands at the forefront with ten laureates. Tied for second place are Yale University, Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Oxford University, each with four laureates. Cambridge University ranks third with three laureates, followed by the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of London, Osaka University, and the University of Melbourne, each with two laureates.

Additionally, numerous prestigious institutions across the globe each have one laureate. In North America, these include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Cornell University, Princeton University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Boston University, Rockefeller University, the University of Pittsburgh, the State University of New York at Stony Brook (SUNY Stony Brook), the University of Colorado, the Salk Institute, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), the University of Iowa, the University of British Columbia (UBC), Université de Montréal, and York University. European institutions include the University of Sussex, Trinity College Dublin, the Max Planck Institute, the Pasteur Institute, the University of Szeged (SZTE), Umeå University, and the University of Copenhagen. In Asia, the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, the National University of Singapore, and National Taiwan University are represented. The Australian National University represents Oceania, while the Hebrew University of Jerusalem represents the Middle East, and the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) represent Africa.

Harvard University demonstrates exceptional strength across all four prize categories - Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law. Yale University shows excellence in both Biopharmaceutical Science and Sinology, while Columbia University has produced laureates in three categories: Sustainable Development, Sinology, and Rule of Law. UC Berkeley has particularly distinguished itself in Sustainable Development and Biopharmaceutical Science.

Further analysis of the four prize categories reveals that Sustainable Development laureates have strong connections with Harvard University, Columbia University, and UC Berkeley, where they conducted crucial research in climate change and sustainable solutions. In Biopharmaceutical Science, Harvard University shows the strongest presence with five laureates, followed by UCSD with three, while Yale University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania each have two laureates. The Sinology category demonstrates the most geographical diversity, reflecting the global nature of Chinese studies. Harvard and Yale Universities each have two laureates who either earned their doctoral degrees or held faculty positions. Prestigious institutions across Asia, Europe, and North America, including Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Osaka University, Kyoto University, the National University of Singapore, National Taiwan University, and the Australian National University, each have one laureate. Notably, the University of Chicago, which awarded a Ph.D. to 2024 Tang Prize Laureate in Sinology, Academician Hsu Cho-yun, demonstrates its leadership in Sinology. Rule of Law laureates are affiliated with institutions across three continents, including Harvard University, Columbia University, Université de Montréal, York University, Oxford University, the University of Sussex, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Melbourne, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Cape Town, and Eduardo Mondlane University, highlighting the Tang Prize's global influence in legal scholarship.

Beyond traditional academic institutions, the Tang Prize recognized three non-governmental organizations as joint recipients of the 2020 Rule of Law Prize: The Legal Agenda (Lebanon), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), and Dejusticia: The Center for Law, Justice, and Society (Colombia). These organizations were honored for their dedication to public education and advocacy, effectively advancing the rule of law and improving legal mechanisms. Their creative use of judicial strategies, grounded in solid academic research, has set an exemplary model for pursuing individual, social, and environmental justice in challenging environments. Their recognition has extended the Tang Prize's influence to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America, with the 2020 award ceremony attracting over 620,000 Facebook views.

In terms of gender representation, 10 female laureates constitute an even higher proportion of 28% of individual recipients, significantly higher than the Nobel Prize's 6.5%. Moreover, its ability to identify pioneering research is evidenced by three cohorts of Tang Prize laureates in Biopharmaceutical Science who subsequently received Nobel Prizes. This, for an award established just 13 years ago, is a truly remarkable achievement, demonstrating that the Tang Prize's high reputation is already self-evident. This comprehensive analysis of institutional connections, based on academic credentials and professional experience, illustrates the Tang Prize's role in recognizing excellence across a global academic network. The connections between laureates and institutions from North America to Europe and Asia paint a picture of international collaboration and scholarly achievement that continues to shape our understanding and approach to 21st-century challenges.

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

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)
Sustainable Development	2022	Jeffrey Sachs	· 1984-2002, Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade, Harvard University · 1980, Ph.D., Harvard University (Economics)
Biopharmaceutical Science	2016	Feng Zhang	· 2011-Present, Core Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
	2016	Jennifer A. Doudna	· 1989, Ph.D., Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School
	2018	John Mendelsohn	· 1963, M.D. (Doctor of Medicine), Harvard Medical School
	2018	Brian J. Druker	· 1987-1993, Instructor in 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
Sinology	2018	Stephen Owen	· 2018-Present, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University · 1997–2018, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University
Rule of Law	2024	Mary Robinson	· 1968, Master of Laws (LLM), Harvard University

With Yale University (4)

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
Biopharmaceutical Science	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
Sinology	2018	Stephen Owen	· 1972, Ph.D., East Asian Languages and Literatures, 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
Sustainable Development	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 · 1978-1990, John Mitchell Mason Professor, Columbia University · 1953, Ph.D., Columbia University
Rule of Law	2018	Joseph Raz	· 2002-2022, Thomas M. Macioce Professor of Law, Columbia Law School

With the University of California, Berkeley (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
Sustainable Development	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
Biopharmaceutical Science	2016	Jennifer A. Doudna	· 2002-Present, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley

With the University of California, 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	· 1979-1985, Professor, UCSD · 1976-1986, Founding Director of Cancer Center, 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 the University of Chicago (2)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Sustainable Development	2016	Arthur H. Rosenfeld	· 1954, Ph.D., Physics, University of Chicago
Sinology	2024	Hsu Cho-yun	· 1962, Ph.D., University of Chicago

With University of Pennsylvania (2)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2022

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

Katalin Karikó

· 1989-Present, Research Assistant Professor (1989-1995), Senior Research Investigator (1995-2009), Adjunct Associate Professor of Neurosurgery (2009-2021), Adjunct Professor of Neurosurgery (2021-Present)

With the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (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

With Stanford University (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2016	Feng Zhang	· 2009, Ph.D., Chemistry and Bioengineering, Stanford University

With Cornell University (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2018	John Mendelsohn	· 1985-1996, Professor, Medicine, Cornell University Medical College

With Princeton University (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Sinology	2014	Yu Ying-shih	· 1987-2001, Michael Strater University Professor, Princeton University

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 the University of Michigan (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Sustainable Development	2024	Omar M. Yaghi	· 1999-2006, Robert W. Parry Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan

With the University of Texas at Austin (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2014	James P. Allison	· 1973, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, PhD, Biological Science

With University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Sustainable Development	2024	Omar M. Yaghi	· 1990, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign(Chemistry)

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 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

· 1978, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University

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 the State University of New York at Stony Brook (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Sustainable Development	2018	Veerabhadran Ramanathan	· 1974, Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook (Planetary Atmospheres)

With the University of Colorado (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2020

Charles Dinarello

· 2015-Present, Distinguished University Professor, University of Colorado

· 1996-Present, Professor of Medicine and Immunology, University of Colorado

With the Salk Institute (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2018

Tony Hunter

· 2011-Present, Renato Dulbecco Chair in Cancer Research, Salk Institute

· 1982-Present, Professor, Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute

With Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2018	Brian J. Druker	· 2007-Present, Director, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)

With the University of Iowa (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Sustainable Development	2018	James E. Hansen	· 1967, Ph.D., University of Iowa (Physics)

In Canada:

With University of British Columbia (UBC) (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2022

Pieter Cullis

· 1985-Present, Full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia

· 1964-1972, Ph.D., University of British Columbia (Physics)

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)

With York University (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Rule of Law	2016	Louise Arbour	· 1977-1987, Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (appointed Assistant Dean, 1987)

In Europe

In the UK:

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
Biopharmaceutical Science	2022	Pieter Cullis	· 1973-1976, Postdoctoral Fellow (Biochemistry), Oxford University
Sinology	2022	Jessica Rawson	· 2000-Present, Professor of Chinese Art and Archaeology, Oxford University
Rule of Law	2018	Joseph Raz	· 1985-2006, Professor of Philosophy of Law, Oxford University (an ad hominem chair) & Fellow of Balliol College · 1967, D.Phil, University of Oxford

With Cambridge University (3)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2018	Tony Hunter	· 1969, Ph.D., University of Cambridge
Sustainable Development	2020	Jane Goodall	· 1966, Ph.D. in Ethology, University of Cambridge
Sinology	2022	Jessica Rawson	· 1991, Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.), Cambridge University

With University of London (2)

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
Biopharmaceutical Science	2020	Marc Feldmann	· 1986-2011, Professor of Cellular Immunology, University of London

With University of Sussex (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Rule of Law	2014	Albie Sachs	· 1971, Ph.D., Law, University of Sussex

In Ireland:

With Trinity College Dublin (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Rule of Law	2024	Mary Robinson	· 1969-1975, Reid Professor, Constitutional and Criminal Law, 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 Pasteur Institute (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2016	Emmanuelle Charpentier	· 1992-1995, Ph.D., Microbiology, Pasteur Institute

In Hungary:

With the University of Szeged (SZTE) (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2022

Katalin Karikó

· 2021-Present, Professor, University of Szeged

· 1982, Ph.D., University of Szeged (Biochemistry)

In Sweden:

With Umeå University (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Biopharmaceutical Science	2016	Emmanuelle Charpentier	· 2009-2014, Lab Head, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Sweden

In Denmark:

With University of Copenhagen (UCPH) (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

· 1996-Present, Full Professor of Medical Physiology (today Biomedical Sciences), University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

· 1978, Doctor of Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

In Asia

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

· 1991-1998, Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine III, Osaka University Medical School

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

Sinology

2018

Yoshinobu Shiba

· 1969-1979, Assistant Professor (1969), Professor (1979), School of Letters, Osaka University

· 2007, Professor Emeritus, Osaka University

With the University of Tokyo (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2018

Yoshinobu Shiba

· 1986, Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia & Graduate School of Humanities, The University of Tokyo

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

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

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 Taiwan (ROC):

With National Taiwan University (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2024

Hsu Cho-yun

· 2006, Distinguished Chair Professor, Department of History, National Taiwan University

· M.A. (1956), B.A. (1953), National Taiwan University

In Oceania

In Australia:

With University of Melbourne (2)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Biopharmaceutical Science

2020

Marc Feldmann

· 1972, Ph.D., University of Melbourne

Rule of Law

2022

Cheryl Saunders

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

· 1976, Ph.D. (Law), University of Melbourne

With Australian National University (ANU) (1)

Award Category

Year Received Tang Prize

Laureate’s Name

Affiliation

Sinology

2020

Wang Gungwu

· 1988, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University

· 1968-1986, Professor, History Department, Australian National University

In the Middle East

In Israel:

With the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Rule of Law	2018	Joseph Raz	· 1967-1972, Lecturer, Law Faculty & Dept. of Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) (Senior Lecturer with tenure, 1971-1972)

In Africa

In South Africa:

With The University of Cape Town (UCT) (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Rule of Law	2014	Albie Sachs	· 1989-Present, Visiting Professor, University of Cape Town

In Mozambique:

With Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) (1)

Award Category	Year Received Tang Prize	Laureate’s Name	Affiliation
Rule of Law	2014	Albie Sachs	· 1977-1983, Professor, Eduardo Mondlane University

Last revision: July 2, 2025