abstract:Yang Yan () (727–781), courtesy name Gongnan (公南), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor early in the reign of Emperor Dezong. He was credited with reforming the tax system to reduce burdens on the peasants and to bring merchants into the rank of taxpayers, but was blamed for using his position to take vengeance on political enemies.
He was giving a presentation on materials innovation and polymer chemistry related to next-generation electronics when Dr. Yi-Yan Yang, group leader at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore approached him.