Indian physicist Ashoke Sen has won the 2026 Oskar Klein Medal, becoming the first Indian physicist to receive the prestigious honour. Previous recipients include renowned scientists Stephen Hawking, Peter Higgs and Kip Thorne.
Sen, a professor at Bengaluru’s International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), was honoured at the AlbaNova University Centre in Stockholm on October 22. He also delivered a lecture titled “Gravity from strings and strings from gravity”, highlighting connections between string theory, gravity and quantum physics.
His groundbreaking research helped establish links between five string theories previously considered separate, advancing efforts to understand the fundamental laws of nature. His work has also contributed to research on black holes and the relationship between gravity and quantum mechanics.
Established in 1988, the medal is awarded annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Sen previously received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2012, the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013.