Prof. Gerardus ‘t Hooft

1999 Nobel Laureate for Physics at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University in Utrecht/Netherlands

Professor ’t Hooft is regarded as one of the most influential particle theorists in history, playing a leading role in the renaissance of high-energy physics.

Biography:

Prof. Gerardus ’t Hooft is a Dutch physicist who is regarded as one of the most influential particle theorists in history, playing a leading role in the renaissance of high-energy physics. He shared the 1999 Nobel Prize for Physics with Prof. Martinus J.G. Veltman for their development of a mathematical model that enabled scientists to predict the properties of both the subatomic particles that constitute the universe and the fundamental forces through which they interact. This work facilitated the finding of a new subatomic particle, the top quark, and established the standard model of high-energy physics. Gerardus ‘t Hooft was a student of Prof. Veltman at the University of Utrecht at a time when the fundamental theory of particle physics, known as the standard model, did not provide for detailed calculations of physical quantities. In the 1960s scientists had formulated the electroweak theory, which showed theoretically that two of the model’s fundamental forces, electromagnetism and the weak nuclear force, could be viewed as products of a single force, termed the electroweak force. The electroweak theory was without a mathematical foundation, however, and in 1969 Professors ‘t Hooft and Veltman undertook to change it into a workable theory.

Topic of keynote speech:

• Education and collaboration in fundamental science as bridges between nations

Schedule:

Friday, November 14, 2025

14:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at Tamkang University in New Taipei

Further information and free seat reservation via phone +886-2-2621-5656 #2223 or email
ptrx@oa.tku.edu.tw