Chinese mathematician Hong Wang (Class of 2010 and recipient of an honorary doctorate from École Polytechnique) has been awarded the 2026 Fields Medal, the highest international honor in mathematics. Honored for her proof of Kakeya's conjecture in three-dimensional space, she became the third woman in history to receive this prestigious award. This award highlights the excellence of her scientific career and reflects her close ties to École Polytechnique, where mathematics plays a central role in the training of engineers and researchers.
Mathematician Hong Wang, X2010 and an Honorary Doctor of École Polytechnique, has just been awarded the Fields Medal in 2026 for her work on the Kakeya conjecture. Here is an overview of a problem whose origins date back more than a century.
Professor Éric Vivier, a professor at École Polytechnique and an internationally recognized expert in immunology, is the recipient of the 2026 William B. Coley Prize, one of the world’s highest honors in the field of tumor immunology. This award recognizes his pioneering work on natural killer (NK) cells and their decisive contribution to the development of new approaches to cancer immunotherapy.
A CNRS research fellow at the Plasma Physics Laboratory (LPP*), Lina Hadid specializes in space plasmas and, in particular, the interaction of the solar wind within the solar system. Interview with a passionate researcher involved in numerous space exploration missions who has just received the Young Researcher Award from the Société Française d’Astronomie et d’Astrophysique.
Emmanuel Candès (X90) is a co-winner of the prestigious 2026 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences. The Shaw Prizes, sometimes referred to as the “Asian Nobel Prizes,” honor scientists in three fields: astronomy, biological and medical sciences, and mathematics.
X2009 and Professor Monge at the Laurent Schwartz Mathematics Center (CMLS*), Martin Leguil and his colleague Davi Obata received the Lounsbery 250 Years Award. This award was established to celebrate Franco-American ties in science.
Abdoulaye Ndiaye (X2010) is the winner of the first Africa NextGen Economist Prize, which was presented on May 15, 2026, in Kigali, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum. The prize, created by the media outlets Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report in partnership with the African Development Bank, recognizes the best young African economist under the age of 40.
Interview with Margherita Castellano, a doctoral student at the Center for Applied Mathematics (CMAP), who has qualified for the national finals of the science communication competition “My Thesis in 180 Seconds" (MT180*). She is seeking to better understand the role played by small molecules called surfactants when two immiscible fluids interact, as in the case of air and water in soap bubbles.
Hong Wang (X2010), a Chinese mathematician and academic specializing in harmonic analysis, has just received two prestigious new international mathematics awards: the Clay Research Award and the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize. Hong Wang has distinguished herself in particular by announcing a proof of Kakeya’s conjecture in three dimensions, a problem that has remained open for over a century, at the intersection of analysis and geometry.
Vicky Kalogeiton, Alejandro Alvarez Laguna, and Anna Korba have been awarded the 2026 CNRS Bronze Medals. The CNRS Bronze Medal recognizes the first major contributions of researchers who are leading experts in their fields.
After studying science, where she developed a passion for computer science, Manon Blanc completed a PhD at the École Polytechnique's Computer Science Laboratory (LIX*). She has received the Saclay Plateau STIC PhD Prize and the L'Oréal-UNESCO Young Talents Prize. Interview.
Former director of the Center for Management Studies (CRG*), Michel Berry received the Olivier Lecerf Prize, awarded by the Académie des sciences morales et politiques, for his career achievements.
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