He is first Indian scientist to win Oskar Klein Medal: Meet physicist Ashoke Sen, who found new ways to understand black holes, gravity & string theory

Indian theoretical physicist Ashoke Sen has been awarded the 2026 Oskar Klein Medal, becoming the first Indian physicist to receive the prestigious honour. Sen, an ICTS-Infosys Madhava Chair professor at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bengaluru, is known for his pioneering contributions to string theory, a field that seeks to explain the fundamental nature of matter and the forces governing it. The medal is awarded annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in memory of Swedish theoretical physicist Oskar Klein.

Ashoke Sen delivers lecture on string theory and gravity

As part of the honour, Sen delivered the Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture, titled Gravity from strings and strings from gravity, on October 22 at the AlbaNova University Centre in Stockholm.

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His lecture explored how string theory can provide a consistent quantum description of gravity. It also addressed some of the unresolved questions surrounding black holes and the relationship between gravity and quantum theory.

String theory proposes that the basic constituents of matter are tiny, one-dimensional objects called strings, rather than point-like particles. The framework attempts to offer a unified explanation of the fundamental building blocks of the universe and the forces acting between them.

ICTS recognises Sen's contributions to modern string theory

Announcing the award, ICTS said: "Prof. Sen, an ICTS-Infosys Madhava Chair Professor, is internationally recognised for his pioneering work on S-duality, the precision counting of black-hole entropy and string field theory, all of which have helped shape modern string theory."

Sen's research has contributed to several influential developments in theoretical physics. In 2012, he received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for work that helped establish the understanding that different string theories can be viewed as distinct limits of a single underlying theory.

His contributions have also earned him two of India's highest civilian honours: the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013.

What is the Oskar Klein Medal?

Established in 1988, the Oskar Klein Medal commemorates the work of Swedish theoretical physicist Oskar Klein. Each year, the organising committee of the Oskar Klein Memorial Lectures invites a distinguished researcher to deliver a memorial lecture and receive the medal.

Sen joins a list of prominent scientists who have received the honour. Previous recipients include physicists Kip Thorne in 2016, Peter Higgs in 2009 and Stephen Hawking in 2003. Nobel laureates Hans E. Bethe, Steven Weinberg and Chen Ning Yang received the medal in 1990, 1989 and 1988, respectively.


Inputs from PTI