Robbert Dijkgraaf

Robbert Dijkgraaf is the Director and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton since 2012. Previously, he served as Distinguished University Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Amsterdam (2005–present) and held professorships there from 1992. He earned his PhD in physics from Utrecht University in 1989 under Gerhard 't Hooft. His research focuses on string theory and the interface between mathematics and physics.

Education:

• B.Sc. Physics (cum laude), Utrecht University, 1982
• Painting studies at Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam (1982–1984)
• M.Sc. Theoretical Physics (cum laude), Utrecht University, 1986
• Ph.D. Physics (cum laude), Utrecht University, 1989

Research Interests: Dijkgraaf’s work bridges string theory with advanced mathematical structures such as algebraic geometry and topology. His contributions include foundational studies on conformal field theories, topological string theory, and the interplay between gauge theories and quantum gravity. He has explored black hole entropy, matrix models, and duality in physics and mathematics.

Awards & Honors:

• Spinoza Prize (2003)
• Comenius Prize (2012)
• Member of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003)
• President of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2008–2012)
• Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2012)

Leadership & Contributions: Dijkgraaf has organized numerous international conferences and served on editorial boards of journals like Communications in Mathematical Physics and Advances in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics. He led the Trieste Spring Schools on string theory and co-chaired the Strings 2001–2003 conferences. His leadership at IAS fosters interdisciplinary research across mathematics and physics.

Public Engagement: He has authored popular works explaining theoretical physics to broader audiences, including articles on string theory and the role of mathematics in modern physics.