TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a year-long selection process, recipients of the 2016 Tang Prize will be announced over four days of press conferences at the Tang Prize Foundation Offices. Yuan Tseh Lee, 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and former Academia Sinica President, will announce the recipients for each of the prize’s four fields: Sustainable Development on 6/18, Biopharmaceutical Science on 6/19, Sinology on 6/20, and Rule of Law on 6/21. The announcements will be streamed live over the Foundation website (www.tang-prize.org) and YouTube, starting each day at 10:00 a.m. Taiwan time (GMT+8).
According to the Foundation’s CEO Jenn-Chuan Chern, the number of nomination letters received by the Academia Sinica increased by 20% to 70% from 2014, pointing to widespread recognition and participation from the world’s nations. It also suggests a positive response to the inaugural 2014 awardees.
Each category receives a cash prize of approx. US$1.24 million. In addition to the cash prize, a grant of approx. US$311,000 is awarded per category. This year marks the second awarding of the prize; the newest round of awardees are to be announced on June 18-21, 2016, and will receive the medal, diploma, and cash prize at the award ceremony on September 25 in Taipei.
Founded in December 2012 by Samuel Yin, the Tang Prize is a non-governmental, non-profit educational foundation that awards outstanding contributions in four fields. Nomination and selection of laureates is conducted by Taiwan’s highest academic institution, the Academia Sinica. Each award cycle, the academy convenes four autonomous selection committees, each consisting of an assembly of international experts, until a consensus on the recipients is reached. Recipients are chosen on the basis of the originality of their work along with their contributions to society, irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation.
Two years pervious, on September 18, 2014, the Tang Prize awarded its first year of recipients: In Sustainable Development, Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway. In Biopharmaceutical Science, James P. Allison of the USA and Tasuku Honjo of Japan. In Sinology, Yu Ying-Shih of the USA. In Rule of Law, Albie Sachs of South Africa.
For more information about the Tang Prize and upcoming events, please visit the official website at: http://www.tang-prize.org/
