Sven Wang Elected to the “Junge Akademie”
With a career rooted in institutions like the University of Cambridge (UK) and MIT (US), Wang’s return to Germany, where he was born and raised, marks a significant milestone in his academic journey. In an interview with MATH+, he talked about his career, research interests, and love for mathematics and music.
Wang’s fascination with mathematics began at a young age when he developed an early love for numbers and patterns, often engaging in mathematical puzzles. Despite a strong interest in music during high school and the possibility to becoming a concert pianist, Wang chose to pursue mathematics at the Ludwig-Maximilian Universität München, with a minor in philosophy. This decision proved pivotal, as he became increasingly captivated by the profound and universal language of mathematics, appreciating its ability to describe the complexities of the world.
From mathematical curiosity to interdisciplinary Innovation
His academic career took him to prestigious institutions abroad for more than six years. He completed his Master’s and PhD at the Trinity College, University of Cambridge (UK), and later pursued a postdoctoral position at MIT in the US from 2021-2023. Despite the allure of staying abroad, Wang was drawn back to Germany, particularly to Berlin, for its vibrant academic environment and proximity to family and friends. He values the interdisciplinary culture he experienced in the US and aims to foster similar collaborations through projects and initiatives within MATH+ and the Junge Akademie.
Wang described his election to the Junge Akademie as both an honor and an exciting opportunity: “The Junge Akademie values my interest in societal topics and in building a bridge between the arts, music, and the sciences. I’m excited because I think it is an inspiring group of people from different disciplines, with a culture of open dialogue. In many ways, it resembles the way academia should be. I hope we will assemble interdisciplinary teams to work on exciting topics, such as our quantitative understanding of democratic procedures.” Recommended to the Junge Akademie by a member of the Leopoldina who recognized his passion for playing the piano and for societal topics, Wang’s interdisciplinary interests align with the Junge Akademie’s mission. He hopes to benefit from the experiences of other members in communicating their sciences in broader terms and to the general public. He is also excited to lead a working group that explores the intersection of the arts and sciences, as well as how their creative processes work.