‘Discouraged’ at university, maths star Wang Hong spurs Chinese education debate

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Many young students in China have been inspired by the achievement of Wang Hong, the first Chinese woman to receive the Fields Medal – the world’s most prestigious prize in mathematics.But it is the 35-year-old’s candid remarks about feeling “discouraged” in her early years at an elite Chinese university that appear to have struck the deepest chord.Those comments have set off a broader debate about the country’s education system and whether it provides the support students need to develop...