YING-SHIH YU Receives Inaugural Tang Prize in Sinology

Ying-shih Yu

Ying-shih Yu (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Ying-shih Yu, the Gordon Wu ’58 Professor of Chinese Studies, Emeritus, was awarded the inaugural Tang Prize in Sinology in 2014. The Tang Prize Foundation selection committee recognized Yu for his “mastery of and insight into Chinese intellectual, political and cultural history with an emphasis on this profound research into the history of public intellectuals in China.”

The prize, established in 2012 by Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin, takes its name from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a period considered to be the height of classical Chinese civilization, characterized by liberal policies and robust cultural activity. One of the world’s authorities on the Tang Dynasty, Yu has researched and written extensively on every period of Chinese history, from ancient to modern. As the first Tang Prize laureate in sinology, Yu received NT $40 million (U.S. $1.33 million) and a research grant of up to NT $10 million to be used within five years, as well as a medal and a certificate. He received the award on Sept. 18, 2014, in a ceremony in Taipei.

–By the Office of Communications