Many students across China have been inspired by the 35-year-old mathematician's historic achievement. Yet it is her reflections on struggling with confidence at Peking University that have resonated most, prompting debate over whether Chinese universities do enough to nurture confidence, creativity, and independent thinking.

Wang and fellow Chinese mathematician Deng Yu, 37, were among four recipients of the Fields Medal announced on July 23. This marked the first time a Chinese woman won the highest honor for mathematicians under the age of 40, and also the first time two Chinese mathematicians have won the prestigious award in the same year.

Of the 68 recipients in the history of the Fields Medal, she is only the third woman to be honored.

Wang is currently Silver Professor of Mathematics at New York University's Courant Institute and, since September 2025, a permanent professor at France's Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques. She is the first NYU faculty member to win the Fields Medal, the university said.

From 'sanctuary' to struggle

In a profile published by Guangxi Daily after her Fields Medal win was announced, Wang recalled that mathematics had been her "inner sanctuary" during secondary school.

"It is so pure, so abstract – far from everyday clamor – an inner sanctuary for the mind; yet never mere talk of the void or the ungraspable," she was quoted as saying in the article, which called her "the queen of mathematics."

Chinese mathematician Hong Wang. Photo courtesy of New York University

However, after enrolling at Peking University, Wang shared that she found the subject unexpectedly challenging.

"When I went to college, suddenly mathematics became difficult."

"It took effort and discipline to actually learn it, and it took me many years," she said in an interview with the Simons Foundation, adding that she felt "a little discouraged" during those college years.

After graduating from Peking University with a degree in mathematics, she moved to France through a postbaccalaureate program at École Polytechnique. However, she still had her doubts.

"I don't know if I have enough talent," she recalled thinking, speaking to The New York Times.

Imposter syndrome and intense doubts about her own mathematical talent caused her to avoid math classes entirely for an entire semester. During this half-year hiatus, she immersed herself in art and painting, even completing a one-month internship at an architecture firm in Paris.

During her studies at École Polytechnique, Wang worked with mathematician Yvan Martel on an advanced coursework project. She later recalled that the supportive professor, who took the time to listen to her questions, helped her realize she did not have to rely solely on herself.

Eventually, she returned to mathematics.

"I stopped worrying about whether I'm good at math or not," she told the Simons Foundation.

In an interview with the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, a French research institute supporting advanced research in mathematics and theoretical physics, Martel recalled first meeting Wang in October 2012, when she was a third-year mathematics student.

"In addition to a course on partial differential equations, she asked me to supervise her advanced coursework during the first semester, a kind of mini-project conducted alongside her other classes. During our discussions, I was struck by the depth and speed of her mathematical thinking, as well as her unwavering determination, qualities complemented by a lively and enthusiastic temperament," he said.

Martel later connected Wang with a colleague at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who invited her to spend several months there. She subsequently joined Larry Guth’s research group and completed her PhD under his supervision.

"I am honored to have, modestly, contributed to the early stages of this exceptional journey," said Martel, a Professor of Mathematics at Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin and the Institut Universitaire de France.

A spark for systemic debate

Wang's struggles with mathematics during her college years have struck a chord with young Chinese, with "discouraged" becoming a trending term on social media.

Many users shared that they had experienced similar self-doubt despite years of hard work in an education system where academic performance and measurable results are often seen as the primary indicators of success.

On platforms like Weibo and WeChat, Wang's admission that she lost her confidence at Peking University resonated powerfully with a generation of exhausted students, according to the South China Morning Post.

Some netizens argued that if a future Fields Medalist can be made to feel inadequate by a university's standards, then the standards themselves may be flawed.

According to a report by the French newspaper Le Monde, critics argue that China's reliance on rigid performance metrics stifles the creative freedom necessary for top-tier research, prompting calls to foster a more open, international research culture.

The French newspaper cited an article from Sina Finance in which the writer stated: "We [China] are content to select talent without nurturing it. We spot geniuses, but we are not very good at supporting those who are still struggling."

In China, criteria for securing a teaching and research position have long relied on quantitative indicators, such as the number of scientific publications and awards earned early in one's career, creating enormous pressure across the academic sector, according to the article.

Song Chunwei, a professor at Peking University’s School of Mathematical Sciences who taught Wang as an undergraduate, said young academics face pressure to progress by "climbing step by step" through multiple evaluations, many of which are not directly tied to their research.

Song told the state-run newspaper The Beijing News that young researchers often come under significant pressure to pass these assessments, as failure could put their academic positions at risk.

He noted this pressure could lead them to pursue "short-term and easily measurable" work, potentially at the expense of their long-term academic development.