TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Tang Prize Foundation announced Thursday (June 20) that 94-year-old historian Hsu Cho-yun (許倬雲) is the new laureate in sinology.
Hsu is a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the first Taiwanese-born recipient of the Tang Prize in Sinology, per CNA.
The Tang Prize in Sinology honors groundbreaking research that deepens understanding of Chinese culture and its place in human history. The award recognizes a wide range of Chinese studies, from language to philosophy, the Tang Prize website says.
Hsu received his master's degree in Taiwan before pursuing further studies in the United States. He has held positions at National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica.
Previous Taiwanese recipients, Yu Ying-shih (余英時) in 2014 and Wang Gung-wu (王賡武) in 2020, were respectively American and Australian citizens. This makes Hsu the first Taiwanese recipient of the award.
The Tang Prize recognizes four fields: Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology and Rule of Law. The Sustainable Development Prize honors those who have made outstanding contributions, particularly in technological innovation, to human sustainable development.
The Biopharmaceutical Science Prize honors researchers who have made significant breakthroughs in biomedical research that have contributed to preventing, diagnosing and treating major human diseases. The Rule of Law Prize honors individuals or institutions that have made innovations in the concept or practice of the rule of law.
The Sinology Prize, awarded to Hsu, covers a wide range of fields related to China. This includes "Chinese thought, history, philology, linguistics, archaeology, philosophy, religion, traditional canons, literature, and art (excluding literary and art works)."
Professor Hsu has integrated social science methods into his historical research. In his later years, he has focused on general history studies.
His research emphasizes both verifying historical facts and exploring historical patterns, while considering the past, present and future. He has opened a new path for dialogue between sinological research and humanities and social science disciplines, profoundly impacting the field.
Hsu analyzes political shifts, institutional changes and individual triumphs and failures through the lens of history. He uses the past as a source of wisdom for the future.
His works explore broad topics like historical turning points, leadership styles, organizational structures, the rise and fall of empires, and the evolution of societies and scholarship. This wide-ranging approach is rare in modern academia.
Hsu stands as a unique figure, seamlessly blending the analytical precision of Western scholars with the insightful engagement of traditional Chinese literati.
