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The Oskar Klein Medal is awarded annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Established in 1988, it honours distinguished contributions to physics and is named after Swedish theoretical physicist Oskar Klein. Previous recipients include Nobel laureates Chen-Ning Yang, Steven Weinberg and Hans Bethe, underlining the award's international standing.
Ashoke Sen delivers Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture
As part of the recognition, Sen delivered the 2026 Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture, titled “Gravity from Strings and Strings from Gravity”, at Stockholm University's AlbaNova Centre on October 22.
The lecture's theme reflects the connection between string theory and gravity, two major areas of research in modern theoretical physics. String theory seeks to provide a framework for understanding fundamental particles and forces while incorporating gravity into a broader theoretical structure.
Sen's work on S-duality has been particularly influential in advancing the understanding of string theory. His research on the precise counting of black hole entropy has also contributed to efforts to explain black holes through the principles of quantum physics. His contributions to string field theory have further strengthened his position among the leading researchers in the field.
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A distinguished career marked by major honours
The Oskar Klein Medal adds to a long list of prestigious awards received by Sen during his career. He received the ICTP Prize in 1989 and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1994, followed by the Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences in 2009.
In 2012, he received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for his contributions to establishing the unifying structure of string theory. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013. Sen also received the Dirac Medal in 2014 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1998.
Congratulating Sen on the achievement, ICTS Director Rajesh Gopakumar praised his association with the institution and his role in establishing a culture of scientific excellence.