Department of Physics

In Memory of Prof. Chen-ning Yang

(1922 – 2025)

Professor Yang was widely recognised as a preeminent scientist. In 1957, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics with his co-researcher, Professor T.D. Lee, for their theory of parity non-conservation for the weak interactions, marking the first time that Chinese scholars had received this honour. In 1954, with Robert Mills, Professor Yang also formulated the theory of non-Abelian gauge fields (known as Yang-Mills theory), a groundbreaking work that laid the theoretical foundation for modern particle physics. His research profoundly shaped the development of physics from the mid-20th century onwards, particularly in the fields of particle and statistical physics. From the 1970s, Professor Yang visited China frequently, working tirelessly to advance Chinese physics and promote Sino-US relations. He took up the Honorary Directorship of the Tsinghua University Center for Advanced Study in 1997. In 2003, he settled in China, sharing his time between Beijing and Hong Kong.