Launched in 2018 by Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, the free online contest is open to math enthusiasts worldwide, though Chinese math majors typically dominate the top places. She was later trained by math teacher Wang Runqiu at Lianshu Secondary Vocational School, where she studies fashion design. Social stigma for vocational studentsAmong the cacophony of commentary, some suspect the harsh public scrutiny of Jiang is rooted in social prejudice against vocational students. But structural discrimination in China’s schools, universities and workplaces means society still favors academic degrees over trades. Jiang considers math her “Plan B,” prioritizing fashion design for future study, according to The Beijing News.

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Persons: Jiang Ping, Alibaba, –, Wang Runqiu, Wang, Jiang, Richard Xu, China’s, Yin Wotao, ”, Yin, there’s, “, Zhao Yong, ” China’s, Einstein, Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Harvard, Oxford, MIT –, DAMO Academy, Xinhua, Secondary Vocational School, Weibo, Harvard Business School, CNN, University of Kansas, Beijing, Communist Party, Zhejiang University Locations: Hong Kong, China, China’s Jiangsu, Xinhua, Lianshui, Beijing, Hangzhou, Jiangsu, Germany, Finland