Taipei: Harvard University has established more academic or professional connections with Tang Prize laureates than any other institution globally, with seven of its linked laureates subsequently being awarded Nobel Prizes, as announced by the Tang Prize Foundation.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Tang Prize, awarded biennially across four categories-Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law-has honored 45 laureates, including three nongovernmental organizations, since its inception in 2012. A recent analysis conducted following the announcement of the 2026 laureates in mid-June revealed that Harvard University is linked to 11 of the 42 individual laureates, representing approximately 26 percent of the total.
Yale University, Columbia University, and the University of California, Berkeley each have connections to five laureates, while Oxford University and the University of California, San Diego each have ties to four laureates. The analysis further highlighted that 11 of the 42 individual laureates, or about 26 percent, are women, a figure notably higher than the 6.5 percent observed among Nobel laureates, reflecting a broader historical context concerning women's participation in academia and scientific research.
Furthermore, six Biopharmaceutical Science laureates from three different Tang Prize cohorts have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes. Joining them is Omar Yaghi, who, after being awarded the 2024 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, secured the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This brings the total number of Tang Prize laureates who later became Nobel laureates to seven.
The Tang Prize was founded in 2012 by the late Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin to recognize individuals and organizations for their exceptional contributions in the four designated categories. Each Tang Prize category includes a cash award of NT$40 million (US$1.23 million) and an additional NT$10 million for research funding.