On 12 May 2021, the Kyoto Prize at Oxford celebrated the scientific discoveries and artistic innovations of the Kyoto Prize Laureates across the fields of astrophysics, chemistry and theatre. Following the postponement of last year’s event due to COVID-19, the three 2019 Kyoto Prize Laureates – chemist Ching W Tang (Advanced Technology), astrophysicist James Gunn (Basic Sciences), and theatre director Ariane Mnouchkine (Arts and Philosophy) – convened online for this year’s edition of the event.
Media

Watch Ariane Mnouchkine's Kyoto Prize lecture on a life in theatre.

Watch James Gunn's lecture on mapping the universe.
Watch the Kyoto Prize Laureates in conversation.

Watch Professor Ching Tang's Kyoto Prize at Oxford 2021 lecture.

Watch a preview of Ariane Mnouchkine's Kyoto Prize at Oxford 2021 lecture.
Past events

Professor Ching Tang’s pioneering work led to the practical use of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and their widespread application in displays and lighting – from smartphones to TVs. He arrived at this achievement through studying light emission processes in electrically driven organic materials and invented a new device structure in which two carefully selected materials were stacked,…
...moreThe Kyoto Prize Laureates, whose work spans the fields of theatre, chemistry, technology and astrophysics, share their perspectives on achieving excellence and instigating change within their disciplines and beyond. Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, moderates the discussion.

Professor James Gunn conceived and led the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which produced a three-dimensional digital cosmic map encompassing a broad region – a ‘map of the universe’. He contributed to the elucidation of the evolutionary history of the universe and has also published many pioneering astrophysical theories. Through these achievements, he has provided us with a significant…
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Ariane Mnouchkine, the founder and director of the Théâtre du Soleil, has been continuously producing masterpieces with historical and political themes over many decades. Referring to traditional performances of both the East and the West, she is a theatre pioneer whose unique theatrical organisation eschews hierarchical order. Ariane is the…
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