Professor Yang Zhenning Passes Away — His Legacy Transformed China’s AI and Computer Industry
A Great Star Has Fallen
According to Xinhua News Agency, Professor Yang Zhenning passed away due to illness in Beijing on October 18, 2025, at the age of 103.
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Early Life & Education
- Born: 1922, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
- 1938 – Entered Southwest Associated University
- 1942–1944 – Earned Master of Science at Tsinghua University
- 1945–1948 – Studied at University of Chicago as a government-sponsored student, receiving his Ph.D. in 1948
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Academic Career Milestones
- 1949–1955 – Joined the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton; became a permanent member and later professor
- 1966–1999 – Einstein Chair Professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook; founded the Institute for Theoretical Physics (later C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics)
- 1986 – Invited as Bo Wen Chair Professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong
- 1997–1999 – Honorary Director, Center for Advanced Study at Tsinghua University
- 1999 onward – Professor at Tsinghua University
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Landmark Scientific Contributions
1. Parity Nonconservation in Weak Interactions (1956)
Co-proposed with Tsung-Dao Lee — fundamentally altered the scientific community’s view of the universe’s basic symmetries.
- 1957 – Received Nobel Prize in Physics
2. Yang–Mills Theory (1954)
Developed with Robert Mills — basis of the Standard Model of particle physics and modern differential geometry.
- Associated Yang–Mills existence and mass gap problem listed in Millennium Prize Problems
3. Yang–Baxter Equation (1967)
Key tool in solving many integrable systems.
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Dedication to Education
- 1970s onward – Returned frequently to China to lecture on gauge field theory, statistical mechanics
- 1978 – Advised University of Science and Technology of China to create a computer software major in the Junior Class program
- Influenced Turing Award laureate Yao Qizhi to teach at Tsinghua University
- 1997 – Helped establish Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study as Honorary Director
- Encouraged top scholars to return to China for teaching and research
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Significant Milestones in Later Life
- 2016–2017 – Both Yang and Yao renounced U.S. citizenship; became Chinese citizens and transitioned to full Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences — a CAS first
- 2004 – Personally taught General Physics for first-year Tsinghua students
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Commitment to Scientific Exchange
Yang:
- Raised funds for the Committee on U.S.–China Educational Exchange
- Sponsored nearly 100 Chinese scholars to study in the U.S.
- Provided strategic advice to major scientific projects and national policy
- Focused on nurturing talent and strengthening foundational research in physics
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Influence on Yao Qizhi
Yao shares that:
- Nobel win by Yang & Lee in 1957 inspired his passion for physics
- His 2002 visits to China led to invitations from Tsinghua University faculty to guide graduate students
- Meeting Yang Zhenning in person strengthened Yao’s resolve to return to Tsinghua and contribute to closing technological gaps
- With family support, Yao returned to establish the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, igniting the “Tsinghua Yao Class” initiative
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Cultural Identity & Personal Reflection
Yang once said of his return to China:
> “Your father may have passed away, but his blood still circulates within you... the blood in me is my father’s blood — it is the blood of Chinese culture.”
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Legacy
Professor Yang Zhenning’s influence spans science, education, and cultural exchange. His work continues to inspire efforts toward global knowledge sharing and talent cultivation.
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Modern Continuation of His Vision
In the modern academic and creative ecosystem, platforms like AiToEarn官网 reflect Yang’s commitment to open collaboration.
AiToEarn Capabilities:
- AI-based content generation
- Cross-platform publishing to
- Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Rednote (Xiaohongshu), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, and X (Twitter)
- Integrated analytics and model ranking
See also AiToEarn on GitHub — a global open-source platform connecting AI generation with monetization.
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Professor Yang Zhenning — forever remembered.
