HONG KONG – The Shaw Prize Foundation announced its first major expansion in over two decades: the establishment of The Shaw Prize in Computer Science, a new prize category to honor pioneering breakthroughs in this transformative field, which is reshaping the modern world.

Founded in 2002 by Hong Kong media mogul the late Mr. Run Run Shaw, and first awarded in 2004, The Shaw Prize has honored over 110 exceptional individuals in Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. The Shaw Prize has been considered the “Nobel of the East”.

The Hong Kong Laureate Forum, held every two years, gathers Shaw winners and young scientists from around the world. The recent forum, held in Nov. 2025 in Hong Kong invited young Filipino scientists to participate in various activities to showcase their chosen disciplines and studies, as well as to help them build their networks in the scientific community.

With Computer Science now rapidly transforming every domain of our lives and scientific inquiry, the Foundation introduces this fourth prize - The Shaw Prize in Computer Science, to celebrate the field's foundational advances and their far-reaching impact on humanity.

The announcement of the new category came during "The Shaw Prize Expansion - A New Prize Category" press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, drawing over 100 guests from academia, media, and other sectors.

Dr Raymond Chan, Chair of The Shaw Prize Foundation, opened the event by highlighting technology's dramatic reshaping of life and The Prize's enduring commitment to recognizing excellence. "Computer Science is bursting with bold questions that push human thinking to new limits," he said, calling the addition a natural extension of Mr. Shaw's vision.

Professor Kenneth Young, Chair of The Shaw Prize Council and Vice Chair of The Board of Adjudicators, emphasized that the new prize will operate in parallel with the three existing categories, following the same governance, selection guidelines, and monetary award of US $1.2 million.

Professor Tony Chan, Former President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Chair of The Planning Committee for The Shaw Prize in Computer Science, expressed profound honor at the opportunity to lead the initiative, which involved convening top global experts to define the new prize's broad scope and guiding principles. He now serves as a member of the Selection Committee for The Shaw Prize in Computer Science.

Inaugural Chair of The Selection Committee for The Shaw Prize in Computer Science, Professor Jennifer Chayes, Dean of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society at the University of California, Berkeley, underscored Computer Science as a profound intellectual discipline, much like other basic sciences honored by the Prize. This core scientific nature aligns seamlessly with the Prize's vision of honoring fundamental advances that benefit humankind. She urged invited field leaders to nominate candidates when nominations open from September to November 2026. The inaugural laureate(s) will be announced in spring 2027.