Thursday, July 23, 2026 · 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Price
Free
What is this event? South Park Commons India is delighted to host Prof. Rajesh Gopakumar, Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, for an exclusive fireside chat. This is a rare opportunity to engage with one of India's most distinguished theoretical physicists in an intimate, candid setting.
Who is it for? This event is designed for founders, researchers, technologists, and members of the SPC community who are curious about the intersection of frontier science, long-horizon thinking, and building ambitious institutions in India. It is particularly relevant for those interested in deep tech, scientific entrepreneurship, and learning from the culture of curiosity-driven research.
What to expect?
Agenda:
About the Speaker: Prof. Rajesh Gopakumar is a theoretical physicist and Director of ICTS-TIFR since 2015. He completed his MSc in physics from IIT Kanpur in 1992 and his PhD from Princeton University in 1997 under Nobel Laureate Prof. David Gross. After postdoctoral work at Harvard University, he joined the Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad in 2001. His research focuses on string theory and quantum field theory, and he is known for formulating Gopakumar-Vafa invariants and the Gopakumar-Vafa duality. He has received numerous awards including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (2009), the TWAS Prize for Physics (2015), and the JC Bose National Fellowship (2015). He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, INSA, and NASI.
About South Park Commons (SPC): SPC is a technical community and venture fund dedicated to helping founders, researchers, and technologists figure out what to work on next—the -1 to 0 stage of their career. SPC believes this is best accomplished in the most talent-dense community possible. SPC events are open to members, alumni, and special guests. The best way to join is to apply for SPC membership.
Logistics:
Price
Free
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