▎TEACHING & LEARNING

Uniting Researchers from Germany, Taiwan, and the US to Trace the Origin of the Universe

Taipei — On September 1, 2025, the Max Planck Society (MPG), the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), and National Taiwan University (NTU) jointly inaugurated the Max Planck–IAS–NTU Center for Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Geometry. The inauguration ceremony was held at NTU’s Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA), commencing a new era of international collaboration at the frontiers of fundamental physics.

Distinguished guests in attendance included Wen-Chang Chen, President of NTU; Claudia Felser, Vice President of the Max Planck Society; and Chee-Chun Leung, President of Quanta Computer. A highlight of the event was the ceremonial exchange of the cooperation agreement, signed by Claudia Felser and Wen-Chang Chen, with Matias Zaldarriaga (Richard Black Professor, IAS) representing the IAS.

Particle physics seeks to uncover the smallest building blocks of matter—probing scales smaller than protons and neutrons—while cosmology investigates the vast structure and evolution of the Universe itself. “The new Center brings together expertise in particle physics, cosmology, and mathematics, with the ambition to create a unifying framework for understanding the Universe across all scales,” declared Daniel Baumann, Co-Director of the Center and Director of LeCosPA at NTU.

NTU President Wen-Chang Chen reaffirmed NTU’s global research vision: “We are proud to see NTU play a central role in this endeavor, and we look forward to the discoveries and innovations that will emerge from this community of excellence.”

The Center is co-directed by Johannes Henn (Max Planck Institute for Physics), Nima Arkani-Hamed (IAS), and Daniel Baumann (NTU), with deputy co-directors Bernd Sturmfels (Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences), Matias Zaldarriaga (IAS), and Yu-Tin Huang (NTU). Center operations began earlier this year, supported by an initial five-year funding plan. In Taiwan, funding is provided by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE).

About the Partner Institutions

The Max Planck Society (MPG) is Germany’s premier institution for basic research. Established in 1948 as the successor to the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, the MPG has counted 31 Nobel laureates among its members. Its Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) specializes in particle physics and currently comprises seven research departments.

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton is one of the world’s leading centers for theoretical research. Founded in 1930, it has been home to some of the greatest scientific minds in modern history, including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer.

National Taiwan University (NTU) is Taiwan’s leading research university. Its Department of Physics hosts world-class research groups in theoretical particle physics and cosmology. The new Center is based at NTU’s Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA), established through the generous support of Chee-Chun Leung, President of Quanta Computer.