Robbert Dijkgraaf is a mathematical physicist who has made significant contributions to string theory and the advancement of science education. His research focuses on the interface between mathematics and particle physics. For his contributions to science, he was awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands, in 2003, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Robbert Dijkgraaf was Director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton from 2012 to 
In 2022, he became the Minister of Education, Culture & Science in the Netherlands, a post he held until 2024. Robbert Dijkgraaf has now returned to academia as a Professor of Science and Society at the University of Amsterdam, and has recently been elected President-Elect of the International Science Council.