Chen Ning Yang, a name that resonates across continents and generations in the world of physics, passed away in Beijing on October 18, 2025, at the age of 103. His death, reported by Chinese state news outlet Xinhua and confirmed by Tsinghua University, marks the end of an era for modern science and a moment of reflection for the global scientific community. Yang’s life story, spanning over a century, is not just one of personal achievement but also of nation-building, mentorship, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.
Born in 1922 in Hefei, Anhui province, China, Yang grew up immersed in the academic environment of Tsinghua University, where his father was a mathematics professor. According to The Daily Star, Yang once told his parents as a child, “One day, I want to win the Nobel Prize.” That childhood ambition became reality in 1957, when he and Tsung-Dao Lee were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking discovery of parity violation in weak interactions. This revelation shattered a long-held symmetry in physics and transformed scientists’ understanding of the universe’s fundamental laws.
Yang’s Nobel Prize was more than a personal triumph—it was a historic milestone. As AP News reported, he and Lee were the first Chinese-born Nobel laureates in physics, a moment that brought pride and inspiration to millions. In his Nobel Banquet speech, Yang expressed his deep connection to both his heritage and the broader scientific community: “I am heavy with an awareness of the fact that I am in more than one sense a product of both the Chinese and Western cultures, in harmony and in conflict.”
After earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Tsinghua University, Yang traveled to the United States in 1946 to pursue his doctorate at the University of Chicago. There, he was mentored by the legendary Enrico Fermi, a Nobel laureate himself. This period shaped Yang’s approach to research, blending rigorous Western scientific methods with the curiosity and tenacity of his Chinese upbringing. He later became a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and played a defining role at Stony Brook University, helping to establish it as a global center for theoretical physics.
Yang’s scientific contributions extended far beyond his Nobel-winning work. Together with American physicist Robert Mills, he developed the Yang–Mills theory, a cornerstone of modern particle physics that underpins the Standard Model. His research spanned statistical mechanics, field theory, and gauge symmetry, earning him the Albert Einstein Commemorative Award and honorary degrees from institutions such as Princeton. He was also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University, where he spent both his formative years and his final decades.
Yet, as The Daily Star and Dawn highlighted, Yang’s legacy is not confined to equations and accolades. In the 1970s and 1980s, as China emerged from decades of political upheaval and intellectual isolation, Yang began returning home every summer. He was the first Chinese scientist to visit China after diplomatic relations with the United States began to open, a symbolic and practical act of bridge-building. Accompanied by teams of leading physicists from the United States and Europe, Yang organized workshops, seminars, and lectures across Chinese universities—not as ceremonial gestures, but as hands-on efforts to rebuild the country’s scientific community.
These summer visits, often modest in scale and funding, were transformative. Laboratories were re-equipped, departments reorganized, and a new generation of Chinese physicists trained in modern theoretical and experimental methods. Many of the young scientists who attended these sessions went on to lead key institutions at Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. According to The Daily Star, Yang’s philosophy was simple yet powerful: “A nation’s scientific progress depends on openness, mentorship, and meritocracy.” By fostering collaboration rather than competition and connecting Chinese science with the global community, he helped lay the intellectual foundations for China’s scientific renaissance.
Yang’s impact was deeply personal as well. He was known for his humility, generosity, and commitment to education. In 1986, he became a distinguished Professor-at-large at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he donated many of his awards—including the Nobel Prize itself—to inspire future generations. From 1999, he served as a professor at Tsinghua University, returning to the place that had shaped his earliest dreams. As Tsinghua University commemorated his passing by graying out its website colors, Yang was quoted reflecting on his journey: “My life has been a circle, where I started out from a point, travelled a long way, and finally returned to where I came from.”
Yang’s personal journey also mirrored the complex relationship between China and the West. He became an American citizen, a decision he described as painful and one that his father never forgave. In 2015, he renounced his U.S. citizenship, acknowledging the opportunities America had provided but ultimately reaffirming his connection to China. Throughout his life, Yang remained a bridge between cultures, advocating for the free circulation of knowledge and the universality of science.
As China stands today as a global leader in science and technology, much of its modern scientific infrastructure owes a debt to Yang’s vision and leadership. His story has also become a model for other nations aspiring to scientific excellence. In an editorial for The Daily Star, Dr. Kamrul Hassan Mamun of the University of Dhaka called on Bangladesh to emulate Yang’s example by building institutions that foster international collaboration and mentorship. “Talent alone cannot drive progress,” Mamun wrote. “It must be nurtured by an environment that values and sustains it.”
Yang’s personal life was marked by devotion to family and education. He had three children and was remembered by colleagues and students alike as a lifelong teacher. According to AP News, Yang’s contributions to China’s scientific and educational development were praised as “revolutionary.”
In the end, Chen Ning Yang’s legacy is one of bridges—between East and West, between generations, and between ideas and institutions. His life’s work stands as a testament to the power of curiosity, mentorship, and the enduring human quest for understanding. As the world reflects on his passing, the question remains: who will pick up the torch and continue building the bridges he began?
