On June 8, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei officially announced the recipients of the 2026 Antonio Feltrinelli Prize. Wang Hui, one of the first Distinguished Professors of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University and director of the Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences, has received the International Antonio Feltrinelli Prize for Moral and Historical Sciences in the field of Social Sciences.

Professor Wang Hui

Established in 1942 through a bequest by entrepreneur and artist Antonio Feltrinelli, the Feltrinelli Prize is one of Italy’s most prestigious awards in science and culture. It recognizes outstanding Italian and international figures for exceptional contributions to science and the arts and is divided into two categories: the national prize for Italian recipients and the international prize.

The prizes are awarded across five categories: Moral and Historical Sciences; Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences; the Humanities; Arts; and Medicine. Wang Hui is the first Asian scholar to receive the prize since its establishment.

In 2025, the Prize for Moral and Historical Sciences went to German scholar Jürgen Habermas for Philosophy. Past laureates include Italian writer Italo Calvino (Literature, 1972) and German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer (Philosophy, 1995). Wang Hui was recognized for his contribution to the understanding of the historical roots of Chinese modernity and for his critical analysis of globalization processes.

The award ceremony will be held on June 12 at the headquarters of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Italy, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance.

Writer: Li Han

Editor: John Paul Grima