BIRS-IASM Workshop

The BIRS-IASM hybrid workshop “Recent Developments in Quantum Gravity and Applications in Cosmology and Black Hole Physics” took place from 31 May to 5 June 2026 at IASM on the beautiful Academic Island in Hangzhou, China. The workshop brought together researchers from across Asia, Europe, and North and South America. The five-day programme comprised 29 talks and panel discussions, providing ample opportunity for discussion and exchange.

Topics ranged from the nature of spacetime and the phenomenology of quantum gravity to black hole thermodynamics, the black hole information paradox, loop quantum cosmology, string theory, and holographic approaches to gravity. Particular attention was paid to new opportunities for testing quantum gravity through observations of gravitational waves, the cosmic microwave background radiation, and other cosmological probes.

Several talks sparked lively discussions and shed light on the latest advances in our understanding of black holes, the resolution of singularities, candidates for dark matter, and the connection between quantum gravity and the early universe. The panel discussions focused on key open problems in this field and the prospects for future observational tests. Beyond the scientific outcomes, the workshop provided an opportunity for researchers working on different approaches to quantum gravity to exchange ideas and strengthen existing connections, while also creating opportunities for new collaborations.

During the social afternoon, participants had the opportunity to visit the Kuahuqiao Museum, where they learnt about some of the earliest evidence of human settlement in the region and viewed the 8 000-year-old dugout canoe discovered at the site. As a further highlight of the social programme, participants took part in a traditional copper painting workshop, where they created their own works and gained an insight into a local art form that has long been practised in the Hangzhou region.