Ashoke Sen becomes first Indian to win prestigious Oskar Klein Medal
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Indian theoretical physicist Ashoke Sen has become the first Indian to receive the prestigious Oskar Klein Medal for his contributions to string theory, black hole entropy, and string field theory.
Sen is the recipient of the 2026 award, presented annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Previous recipients include Stephen Hawking, Peter Higgs, Chen-Ning Yang, Steven Weinberg and Hans Bethe.
Sen delivered the Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture, titled ‘gravity from strings and strings from gravity’, at Stockholm University’s AlbaNova Centre on October 22.
His work has helped shape modern theoretical physics. String theory seeks to explain the fundamental nature of the universe by describing fundamental particles through tiny, vibrating strings.
A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Sen studied at Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata. He currently holds the Infosys-Madhava Chair Professorship at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences in Bengaluru.
Beyond his scientific contributions, Sen has spoken out on issues concerning scientific temper and human rights.
In 2015, he was among the prominent scientists who signed a joint statement expressing concern over what they described as a growing “climate of intolerance” and the erosion of science and reason in India. The signatories also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on what they called a “highly vitiated atmosphere” in the country.
In 2025, Sen joined more than 4,000 scientists from around the world in writing to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The scientists described the “artificial shortage of food” as “unbearable” and raised concerns over the denial of healthcare, education and basic well-being.
Earlier this year, Sen also joined Indian string theorists in expressing solidarity with academics and citizens of Iran, Palestine and Lebanon following attacks on educational institutions in the region.
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Indian government congratulated Sen on the award in a social media post.