Program on Fundamental Aspects of String Theory

August 4-15, 2025 

ICTP-SAIFR, São Paulo, Brazil

Venue: Principia Institute

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String theory is a mathematically consistent theory of quantum gravity, but no one has determined whether it describes quantum gravitational interactions in our own Universe. The principal obstacle is that the theoretical tools used to study string theory, including the worldsheet formalism, spacetime effective theory, and holographic dualities, can at the moment describe only limited and idealized phenomena in nearly flat space.

This 2-week program will bring together researchers working on various aspects of these tools such as the pure spinor formalism, string field theory, AdS-CFT and algebraic geometry to try to extend these tools to describe more complicated superstring backgrounds.

The format will include only a few seminars per day with lots of time for discussion and collaboration. The first week of the program from August 4-8 will be jointly organized with the last week of the annual Simons Bootstrap Collaboration meeting.

There is no registration fee and limited funds are available for local expenses.

Organizers:

  • Nathan Berkovits (ICTP-SAIFR,IFT/UNESP, Brazil)
  • Pedro Vieira (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Canada & ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP, Brazil)
  • Xi Yin (Harvard University, USA)

 

 

Click HERE for online application 
Application deadline: June 14, 2025

 

 

Confirmed Participants

  • Luis Fernando Alday (Oxford Univ., UK)
  • Lara Anderson (Virginia Tech., USA)
  • Nathan Berkovits (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP, Brazil)
  • Shai Chester (Imperial College, UK)
  • Matthias Gaberdiel (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
  • Rajesh Gopakumar (ICTS Bangalore, India)
  • Henry Lin (Stanford U., USA)
  • Liam McAllister (Cornell U., USA)
  • Silviu Pufu (Princeton U., USA)
  • Mukund Rangamani (UC Davis, USA)
  • Ashoke Sen (ICTS Bangalore, India)
  • Pedro Vieira (Perimeter I., Canada & ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP, Brazil)
  • Xi Yin (Harvard U., USA)

Registration

 

Click HERE for online application 
Application deadline: June 14, 2025

Program

TBA

 

Additional Information

Attention! Some participants in ICTP-SAIFR activities have received email from fake travel agencies asking for credit card information. All communication with participants will be made by ICTP-SAIFR staff using an e-mail “@ictp-saifr.org”. We will not send any mailings about accommodation that require a credit card number or any sort of deposit. Also, if you are staying at Hotel Intercity the Universe Paulista, please confirm with the Uber/Taxi driver that the hotel is located at Rua Pamplona 83 in Bela Vista (and not in Jardim Etelvina).

BOARDING PASS: All participants, whose travel has been provided or will be reimbursed by ICTP-SAIFR, should bring the boarding pass  upon registration. The return boarding pass (PDF, if online check-in, scan or picture, if physical) should be sent to secretary@ictp-saifr.org by e-mail.

Visa information: Nationals from several countries in Latin America and Europe are exempt from tourist visa. Nationals from Australia, Canada and USA will be required to obtain a tourist e-visa for visits after April 10, 2025.

Accommodation: Participants, whose accommodation will be provided by the institute, will stay at Hotel Intercity the Universe Paulista. Hotel recommendations are available here.

Poster presentation: Participants who are presenting a poster MUST BRING A PRINTED BANNER . The banner size should be at most 1 m (width) x 1,5 m (length). We do not accept A4 or A3 paper.