Robbert Dijkgraaf

Robbert Dijkgraaf studied at Utrecht University, Gerrit Rietveld Academie and Gymnasium Erasmianum. The recorded working language is Dutch. The field of work recorded is mathematical physics. Residence is recorded at Princeton and Amsterdam. Employment is recorded with University of Amsterdam and Institute for Advanced Study. Positions recorded include Minister of Education, Culture and Science and Director of the Institute for Advanced Study. Distinctions recorded are Spinoza Prize, Honorary doctor of Leiden University, honorary doctorate of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

• Name — Robbert Dijkgraaf • Birth Name — Robertus Henricus Dijkgraaf • Born — 24 January 1960 • Birthplace — Ridderkerk, Netherlands • Citizenship — Dutch • Office — Minister of Education, Culture and Science • Term Start — 10 January 2022 • Term End — 2 July 2024 • Prime Minister — Mark Rutte • Predecessor — Ingrid van Engelshoven • Successor — Eppo Bruins • Party — Democrats 66 • Website — Minister of Education, Culture and Science

Robertus Henricus Dijkgraaf was born on 24 January 1960 in Ridderkerk, Netherlands. Dijkgraaf attended the Erasmiaans Gymnasium in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He started his education in physics at Utrecht University in 1978. After completing his candidate's degree (equivalent to BSc degree) in 1982, he briefly turned away from physics to pursue a painting education at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. In 1984, he returned to Utrecht University and obtained an MSc degree in theoretical physics in 1986. He then went on to performing doctoral research under supervision of future Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft. He studied together with the twins Erik and Herman Verlinde. The original arrangement was that only one of the trio would work on string theory, but all three ended up writing their thesis on this subject. Dijkgraaf obtained his PhD degree cum laude in 1989. His thesis was titled A Geometrical Approach to Two Dimensional Conformal Field Theory. For a few years he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study, working alongside Edward Witten.

In 1992, he was appointed professor of mathematical physics at the University of Amsterdam, a chair he held until 2004, when he was appointed distinguished professor at the same university. From 2008 to 2012 he was president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was elected as one of the two co-chairs of the InterAcademy Council for the period 2009 to 2013. Starting in 2012, Dijkgraaf became the director of the Institute for Advanced Study, an independent academic institution located in the town of Princeton, New Jersey. On that date, he stepped down from his position as president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has served on numerous boards including at the Teylers Museum and the NEMO Science Museum. He regularly appears on Dutch television and has a monthly column in the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad.

Starting on 10 January 2022, Dijkgraaf served as the Minister of Education in the Dutch government. He introduced the Balanced Internationalisation Act in the House of Representatives in 2024. This bill would allow colleges and universities to limit the number of foreign students they accept, and it would enforce stricter regulations on using the Dutch language in academic studies. Dijkgraaf's term as minister ended on 2 July 2024, when the Schoof cabinet was sworn in.

Dijkgraaf's research focuses on string theory and the interface of mathematics and physics in general. He is best known for his work on topological string theory and matrix models, and his name has been given to the Dijkgraaf-Witten invariants and the Witten-Dijkgraaf-Verlinde-Verlinde formula.

Dijkgraaf is married to the author Pia de Jong and has three children. Their daughter Charlotte was born with a rare type of Leukemia and was the subject of book written by her mother Pia de Jong, Saving Charlotte: A Mother and the Power of Intuition. Dijkgraaf is also known to have synesthesia, a phenomenon that causes him to see colours with names, numbers, letters, days, countries and persons.

Electoral history of Robbert Dijkgraaf • Year — Body — Party — 2=Position on the party list Pos. — Votes — Result — 2=References Ref. • Party seats — Individual • 2023 — House of Representatives — Democrats 66 — 76 — 3,247 — Lost • 2025 — House of Representatives — Democrats 66 — 49 — 5,280 — Lost • 2026 — Amsterdam Municipal Council — Democrats 66 — 48 — 593 — Lost • Amsterdam-Centrum District Committee — Democrats 66 — 12 — 597 — Lost

Dijkgraaf has co-authored and published more than 70 research articles in the field of string theory and physics, with many other researchers including: Cumrun Vafa, Lotte Hollands, Erik Verlinde, Herman Verlinde, Hirosi Ooguri, Gregory Moore, Rajesh Gopakumar, Sergei Gukov, Miranda Cheng, and others. This is a select list of these works: * * *