DATE2025.07.09 #Awards & Prizes
Dr. Kenji Fukaya, Department of Mathematics, The University of Tokyo, has received the internationally prestigious Shaw Prize.
Prof. Kenji Fukaya, Department of Mathematics, The University of Tokyo, has been awarded the 2025 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences, one of the world’s most prestigious international awards.
The Shaw Prize Foundation announced this year’s laureates on May 27, 2025 (Japan time), recognizing Dr. Fukaya, currently a Professor at the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University, and the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, for his groundbreaking contributions to symplectic geometry.
In particular, the award honors his pioneering and transformative work that led to the creation of what is now known as the Fukaya category—a powerful framework that has had a profound and lasting impact not only in pure mathematics, but also in theoretical physics, especially in the area of mirror symmetry.
The Shaw Prize, established by the Shaw Prize Foundation in Hong Kong, is awarded annually in three categories: Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. Dr. Fukaya is the first Japanese recipient of the prize in the mathematical sciences category. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on October 21, 2025.
Comment from the Winner, Professor Kenji Fukaya
"Thank you very much for your kind words of congratulations. Mathematical research tends to be quiet and unassuming, and it's not unusual for people around me to say they don’t quite understand what I’m working on. I’ve been pursuing this kind of research for about 40 years, ever since my time at the University of Tokyo, moving from place to place along the way. I’m truly grateful to receive this award. Although I’ve reached retirement age, I’m fortunate to be in an environment where I can still continue with research and teaching for a while longer. I hope to keep going a little further."
◯Biography：
Prof. Kenji Fukaya was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. He received his Doctorate in Science from the University of Tokyo in 1986. After holding faculty positions at the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, he served as a Permanent Member of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook University (USA) from 2013 to 2024. Since 2024, he has been a Professor at the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University, and at the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications in China.
◯Awards：
Prof. Kenji Fukaya has received numerous prestigious awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to geometry and mathematics, including:
•Geometry Prize (1989)
•Spring Prize, Mathematical Society of Japan (1994)
•Inoue Prize for Science (2002)
•Japan Academy Prize (2003)
•Asahi Prize (2010)
•Fujiwara Prize (2012)
（Responsibility: Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences）
Reference