Robbert Dijkgraaf

Robbert Dijkgraaf, a former Director of the Institute for Advanced Study and Leon Levy Professor since 2012, is a mathematical physicist known for key contributions to string theory and science education. His work explores the intersection of mathematics and particle physics, uncovering connections among matrix models, topological string theory, and supersymmetric quantum field theory. He also developed formulas for bound states that help explain black hole entropy. Honored with the Spinoza Prize in 2003, Dijkgraaf was named a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2012 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In 2022, he became the Netherlands' Minister of Education, Culture & Science.